July 2004

Gross

Köhler

1

Czech Republic: Prime Minister Vladimír Spidla officially hands in his resignation. On July 2 President Václav Klaus asks Interior Minister Stanislav Gross to form the next government. Gross is appointed prime minister on July 26.
Germany: Horst Köhler takes office as president.

Ballmer

Odermatt

Gander-Hofer

Zibung

Switzerland: Adrian Ballmer becomes president of the government of Basel-Land, Gerhard Odermatt Landammann of Nidwalden, Elisabeth Gander-Hofer Landammann of Obwalden, and Kurt Zibung Landammann of Schwyz.
United States: John Danforth is sworn in as ambassador to the United Nations.

Rell

United States: M. Jodi Rell is sworn in as governor of Connecticut.

2

Jamir

Rajeshwar

India: The governors of Goa (Kidar Nath Sahani), Gujarat (Kailashpati Mishra), Haryana (Babu Parmanand), and Uttar Pradesh (Vishnu Kant Shastri) are dismissed and the governors of Maharashtra (Mohammed Fazal), Madhya Pradesh (Balram Jakhar), Punjab (Om Prakash Verma), and Uttaranchal (Sudarshan Agarwal) are given additional charge of Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh respectively. M.M. Lakhera is appointed lieutenant governor of Pondicherry following the resignation (submitted June 24) of Nagendra Nath Jha. On July 5 Nawal Kishore Sharma is appointed governor of Gujarat, S.C. Jamir governor of Goa, A.R. Kidwai governor of Haryana, and Thanjavelu Rajeshwar governor of Uttar Pradesh. Lakhera and Kidwai are sworn in on July 7, Rajeshwar on July 8, Jamir on July 17, and Sharma on July 24.

3

Indonesia: Former foreign minister (1957-66) Subandrio dies.
Italy: Economy and Finance Minister Giulio Tremonti resigns. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi temporarily takes over the portfolio. On July 16 he names Domenico Siniscalco to the post.

Frendo

Malta: Foreign Minister John Dalli resigns. Michael Frendo is sworn in as foreign minister.
Philippines: Interior Secretary Jose Lina announces his resignation. Angelo Reyes is designated as new interior secretary and takes office on July 12.

4

Mexico: In gubernatorial elections in Chihuahua, José Reyes Baeza of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) defeats Javier Corral Jurado of the National Action Party (PAN), 57.7%-42.3%. In Durango, Ismael Hernández Deras (PRI) defeats Andrés Galván Rivas (PAN), 54%-32.3%. In Zacatecas, Amalia García Medina (Party of the Democratic Revolution) defeats José Bonilla Robles (PRI), 47.7%-34.4%.

5

Indonesia: In the first round of presidential elections, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono wins 33.6% of the vote, incumbent Megawati Sukarnoputri 26.6%, Wiranto 22.2%, Amien Rais 14.6%, and Hamzah Haz 3%. The second round will be held September 20.
Jamaica: Former prime minister (1967-72) and foreign minister (1967-72, 1980-89) Hugh Lawson Shearer dies.
Nepal: A new cabinet is named. Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba retains the foreign and defense portfolios, while Bharat Mohan Adhikari becomes finance minister and Purna Bahadur Khadka home minister.

Lopes

Monteiro

Portugal: Prime Minister José Manuel Durão Barroso resigns. He is to assume the presidency of the European Commission later in the year (the European Parliament approves him on July 22). On July 12 President Jorge Sampaio asks Pedro Santana Lopes to form a government. The new government is sworn in on July 17 and includes António Monteiro as foreign minister, Daniel Sanches as interior minister, and António Bagão Félix as finance minister; Paulo Portas remains defense minister.
Russia: The president of the separatist government of Chechnya, Aslan Maskhadov, dismisses his cabinet and names Supyan Abdullayev as finance minister and Apti Sulumhajiyev as interior minister. Ilyas Akhmadov is reappointed foreign minister.

Vajgl

Slovenia: Parliament votes to dismiss Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel. The next day it elects Ivo Vajgl as new foreign minister.

6

African Union: Olusegun Obasanjo, president of Nigeria, becomes chairman for a year.

Fischer

Austria: President Thomas Klestil dies. The Presidium of the National Council, chaired by Andreas Khol, takes over the functions of the presidency until Heinz Fischer is sworn in as new president on July 8.
Vanuatu: In parliamentary elections, the National United Party wins 10 of 52 seats, the Union of Moderate Parties 8, the Vanua'aku Pati 8, independents 8, the People's Progressive Party 4, the Vanuatu Republican Party 4, the Melanesian Progressive Party 3, the Green Confederation 3, the National Community Association 2, the People's Action Party 1, and Namangi Aute 1.

7

Guadeloupe: Paul Girot de Langlade is named prefect to replace Dominique Vian, who leaves on July 17.
Réunion: Dominique Vian is named prefect.
Solomon Islands: Nathaniel Waena is sworn in as governor-general.

8

Bahrain: Former British political agent (1959-62) Edward Parr Wiltshire dies.

9

Nazif

Egypt: Prime Minister Atef Ebeid resigns. Ahmed Nazif is asked to form a new government. The next day Ahmed Aboul Gheit is appointed foreign minister. On July 13 the full cabinet is named, including Youssef Boutros-Ghali as new finance minister. Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi remains defense minister and Maj.Gen. Habib al-Adli interior minister. The government is sworn in on July 14.

10

India: Former chief minister of Bihar (1973-75) Abdul Ghafoor dies.
Portugal: Former prime minister (1979-80) Maria de Lurdes Pintassilgo dies.

11

Tadic

Serbia and Montenegro: Boris Tadic is sworn in as president of Serbia.
United States: John McLaughlin becomes acting CIA director.

12

Lithuania: Valdas Adamkus takes office as president.

13

Comoros: A new government is named including Ahamadi Abdoulbastoi as finance minister and Houmed Msaidié as defense minister. Souef Mohamed El-Amine remains foreign minister.
Isle of Man: Former chairman of the Executive Council (1977-81) Clifford Irving dies.

14

Malaysia: The head of the local authority of Putrajaya, Tan Sri Azizan Zainul Abidin, dies.

15

Cambodia: A new cabinet is formed with Sar Kheng of the Cambodian People's Party (CPP) and Prince Norodom Sirivudh of the National United Front for an Independent, Neutral, Peaceful and Cooperative Cambodia (FUNCINPEC) as co-interior ministers and Tea Banh (CPP) and Nhek Bun Chhay (FUNCINPEC) as co-defense ministers. Hor Namhong (CPP) remains foreign minister and Keat Chhon (CPP) finance minister.
Poland: Miroslaw Gronicki is appointed finance minister, effective July 21.

16

Pabriks

Latvia: Foreign Minister Rihards Piks resigns. On July 21 the Saeima (parliament) elects Artis Pabriks as new foreign minister (55-31).
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation: Lyonpo Chenkyab Dorji of Bhutan is nominated to be the next secretary-general, to take office in 2005.
Sri Lanka: Shan Wijayalal de Silva is sworn in as chief minister of Southern province and Mahipala Herath as chief minister of Sabaragamuwa.
United States: Former Georgia governor (1975-83) George Busbee dies.

17

Palestine: Prime Minister Ahmed Qureia resigns. President Yasir Arafat rejects the resignation and on July 20 Qureia agrees to stay on.
United States: Former Idaho governor (1955-67) Robert E. Smylie dies.

18

De Gucht

Arena

Picqué

Leterme

Belgium: Karel De Gucht is named foreign minister in a new government which is sworn in on July 20. Marie Arena becomes minister-president of the French community and Charles Picqué minister-president of Brussels-Capital on July 19; Yves Leterme becomes minister-president of Flanders on July 22.

19

Japan: Former prime minister (1980-82) Zenko Suzuki dies.

20

Pettigrew

Canada: A new cabinet is named including Pierre Pettigrew as foreign minister and Bill Graham as defense minister.
European Union: Josep Borrell of Spain is elected president of the European Parliament.
Georgia: In Ajaria, Mikheil Makharadze is elected chairman of the Supreme Council and Levan Varshalomidze prime minister.
Luxembourg: Foreign Minister Lydie Polfer resigns. Defense Minister Charles Goerens takes over her post.

22

Congo (Kinshasa): Foreign Minister Antoine Ghonda is sacked and replaced by Raymond Ramazani Baya.
Guatemala: Carlos Vielmann is appointed interior minister following the resignation of Arturo Soto.
Sri Lanka: Gamini Vijith Vijithamuni Soysa is sworn in as chief minister of Uva.

23

Chad: Emmanuel Nadingar is named as defense minister in a cabinet reshuffle.

25

Lesotho: Former foreign minister (1974-75) Joseph Kotsokoane dies.
Mauritania: In a cabinet reshuffle, Mohamed Sidiya Ould Mohamed Khaled is named as finance minister and Mohamed Ghali Ould Chérif Ahmed as interior minister.

27

South Korea: Defense Minister Cho Young Kil resigns. The next day Yoon Kwang Ung is named defense minister.

29

Georgia: Abkhaz President Vladislav Ardzinba appoints Igor Akhba as foreign minister.
Serbia and Montenegro: Miodrag Vlahovic is elected foreign minister of Montenegro.
Vanuatu: Parliament elects Josias Moli as speaker, who thus also becomes acting president. Serge Vohor is elected prime minister with 28 votes against 24 for Ham Lini. Barak Sopé is named foreign minister, Moana Carcasses Kalosil finance minister, and Keasipai Song internal affairs minister.

30

Asselborn

Luxembourg: A new cabinet is named, taking office July 31. Jean Asselborn becomes foreign minister, Luc Frieden defense minister, and Jean-Marie Halsdorf interior minister. Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker retains the finance portfolio.

31

Kyrgyzstan: Absamat Masaliyev, former first secretary of the Communist Party (1985-91) and chairman of the Supreme Soviet (1990) of the Kirgiz S.S.R., dies.