Rulers
May 2001
Schnyder | 
Notter |
1
Switzerland: Wilhelm Schnyder becomes president of the Council of State of Valais and Markus Notter president of the government of Zürich.
2
Somalia: Abdihamid Garad Jama replaces Mahmud Salah Nur as foreign minister of Somaliland.
3
Macedonia: Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski takes over the defense ministry temporarily.
4
Czech Republic: Jaroslav Tvrdík replaces Vladimír Vetchý as defense minister.
5
United States: Ed Garza is elected mayor of San Antonio with 58.5% of the vote compared to 29.6% for Tim Bannwolf.
6
French Polynesia: President Gaston Flosse's People's Front-Rally for the Republic wins parliamentary elections with 28 seats against 13 for the People's Servant and 7 for the New Land. Flosse is reelected as president on May 18 with 29 votes against 13 for Oscar Temaru.
Zambia: President Frederick Chiluba names Joshua Simunyandi as defense minister in a cabinet reshuffle.
8
Jha |
India: The lieutenant governor of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, I.P. Gupta, resigns. Nagendra Nath Jha is subsequently named as lieutenant governor (sworn in June 26).
United States: In mayoral elections in Jersey City, Glenn Cunningham wins 38.6%, Thomas DeGise 24.2%, and Lou Manzo 20.4%. A runoff will be held June 5.
9
Cyprus: Former president (1974) Nikos Sampson dies.
10
India: Elections are held in several states. In Assam, the Indian National Congress (INC) wins 70 seats against 20 seats for the Asom Gana Parishad and 8 for the Bharatiya Janata Party; Tarun Gogoi takes office as chief minister on May 18. In Kerala, the INC wins 62 seats against 23 seats for the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPM) and 16 for the Muslim League Kerala State Committee; A.K. Antony takes office as chief minister on May 18. In Tamil Nadu, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam wins 132 seats against 31 seats for the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, 23 for the Tamil Maanila Congress (Moopanar), and 20 for the Pattali Makkal Katchi; Jayaram Jayalalitha is sworn in as chief minister on May 14. In West Bengal, the CPM wins 143 seats, the All India Trinamool Congress 60, the INC 26, the All India Forward Bloc 25, and the Revolutionary Socialist Party 17. In Pondicherry, the INC wins 11 of 30 seats.
India: Former chief minister of Maharashtra (1991-93) and governor of Himachal Pradesh (1994-95) Sudhakarrao Naik dies.
12
Senegal: A new government is formed including Mamadou Seck as finance minister. Seck resigns on May 23 and is replaced by Abdoulaye Diop on May 25.
13
Italy: In parliamentary elections, the House of Liberties coalition (including Forza Italia, the National Alliance, and the Northern League) wins 368 seats in the House of Representatives against 250 seats for the Olive Tree coalition (including the Democrats of the Left and the Daisy and Sunflower coalitions). In the Senate, the House of Liberties wins 177 seats and the Olive Tree 128. Turnout is 81.2%.
Mitreva |
Macedonia: A new government is formed with Ilinka Mitreva as foreign minister, Vlado Buckovski as defense minister, and Ljube Boskovski as interior minister.
Spain: In parliamentary elections in País Vasco/Euskadi, the Basque Nationalist Party and its coalition partner Eusko Alkartasuna win 33 seats, against 19 seats for the Popular Party and 13 for the Socialist Workers' Party.
14
Slovakia: President Rudolf Schuster accepts the resignation of Interior Minister Ladislav Pittner and passes his powers to Justice Minister Ján Carnogurský. Ivan Simko is named as new interior minister on May 30.
15
Brazil: Former governor of Bahia (1931-37, 1959-63) and foreign minister (1966-67) Juracy Montenegro Magalhães dies.
Maher |
Egypt: Ahmed Maher is named foreign minister to succeed Amr Moussa, who becomes secretary-general of the Arab League.
16
Canada: In parliamentary elections in British Columbia, the Liberal Party (with 58% of the vote) wins 77 of 79 seats and the New Democratic Party 2.
Philippines: President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo names Jose Isidro Camacho as new finance secretary, replacing Alberto Romulo.
17
Papua New Guinea: Prime Minister Sir Mekere Morauta sacks Foreign Minister Bart Philemon and replaces him with John Pundari.
18
India: Kidar Nath Sahani is sworn in as governor of Sikkim.
20
Chad: In presidential elections, incumbent Idriss Déby is reelected with 63.2% of the vote, followed by Ngarlejy Yorongar with 16.4%, Saleh Kabzabo with 7.0%, and Wadal Abdelkader Kamougue with 6.0%. Turnout is 61.5%.
Insanally |
Mongolia: President Natsagiyn Bagabandi is reelected with 57.9% of the votes, followed by Radnaasümbereliyn Gonchigdorj with 36.6% and Luvsandamba Dashnyam with 3.6%. Turnout is 82%.
21
Guyana: Samuel R. Insanally is sworn in as foreign minister.
India: In Manipur, Chief Minister Radhabinod Koijam's government loses a vote of confidence in the state assembly (39-17).
Dusong |
Switzerland: Monika Dusong becomes president of the Council of State of Neuchâtel.
22
El Salvador: Juan José Daboub is named finance minister and Francisco Bertrand Galindo interior minister.
Hungary: Former prime minister (1967-75) Jenö Fock dies.
Kinakh |
Ukraine: President Leonid Kuchma nominates Anatoliy Kinakh for the prime minister's post; he is approved by parliament on May 29 (239-2).
24
Cyprus: The government of Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu in North Cyprus resigns.
India: Former Kerala governor (1982-88) Parthasarathy Ramachandran dies.
26
Colombia: Defense Minister Luis Fernández Ramírez resigns; Gen. Fernando Tapias is named acting defense minister. On May 29 Gustavo Bell Lemus is named as new defense minister.
Zimbabwe: Defense Minister Moven Mahachi dies in a car crash.
27
Cyprus: In parliamentary elections, the Progressive Party of the Working People wins 34.7% of the vote (20 seats) compared to 34.1% (19 seats) for President Glafkos Kliridis' Democratic Coalition, 14.8% (9 seats) for the Democratic Party, and 6.5% (4 seats) for the Socialist Party of Cyprus.
Mexico: In gubernatorial elections in Yucatán, Patricio Patrón Laviada (National Action Party) wins 53.5% of the votes and Orlando Paredes (Institutional Revolutionary Party) 45.5%. Turnout is 75.1%. Patrón will take office August 1.
Russia: In gubernatorial elections in Primorsky kray, Sergey Darkin gets 24.1% of the vote and Viktor Cherepkov 19.5%; a runoff will be held June 17.
28
Canada: Léonce Bernard takes office as lieutenant governor of Prince Edward Island.
Iraq: Interior Minister Muhammad Zimam Abdul Razzaq is relieved of his post and replaced by Mahmud Dhiyab al-Ahmad (acting).
29
Lithuania: Former chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Lithuanian S.S.R. (1985-90) Vytautas Sakalauskas dies.
31
Algeria: Mourad Medelci becomes finance minister.
India: Former Bihar governor (1976-79) Jagannath Kaushal dies.
