February 2007

1

Switzerland: Eva Herzog becomes president of the government of Basel-Stadt.

2

Ecuador: Lorena Escudero takes office as defense minister.
Romania: Foreign Minister Mihai-Razvan Ungureanu is asked to resign by Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu. He submits his resignation on February 5. On February 19 Popescu-Tariceanu proposes Adrian Cioroianu as new foreign minister.

3

Argentina: Former governor of Tierra del Fuego (1984-86) Adolfo Luis Sciurano dies.

Sankaranarayanan

India: K. Sankaranarayanan is sworn in as governor of Nagaland.

4

Greece: The government of Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis survives a no-confidence motion in parliament (122 for, 164 against).

5

Mbusa

Congo (Kinshasa): Prime minister-designate Antoine Gizenga announces the composition of his cabinet with Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi as foreign minister, Chikez Diemu as defense minister, Athanase Matenda Kyelu as finance minister, and Denis Kalume Numbi continuing as interior minister. Gizenga takes office February 24.
Poland: Defense Minister Radoslaw Sikorski resigns. On February 6 it is announced that Aleksander Szczyglo will be the new defense minister; he is formally appointed on February 7. Also on February 7 Interior Minister Ludwik Dorn resigns; Janusz Kaczmarek is designated to succeed him, and is appointed on February 8.
Ukraine: President Viktor Yushchenko asks parliament to approve Volodymyr Ohryzko as new foreign minister. On February 22 the parliament refuses to confirm Ohryzko, who receives only 196 of 226 votes needed. Yushchenko announces that he will nominate Ohryzko again.

6

Karabayev

Kyrgyzstan: Bolotbek Nogoybayev is appointed as interior minister. On February 8 Ednan Karabayev is appointed foreign minister.
Venezuela: Former foreign minister (1974-75) Efraín Schacht Aristeguieta dies.
Zimbabwe: In a cabinet reshuffle, Samuel Mumbengegwi replaces Herbert Murerwa as finance minister.

7

Russia: President Vladimir Putin nominates incumbent Yury Yevdokimov as governor of Murmansk oblast. He is confirmed by the local Duma (17-5) on February 14.
Somalia: In a cabinet reshuffle, Muhammad Mahmud Guled Gamadhere is named to replace Hussein Aydid as interior minister.

8

Burundi: President Pierre Nkurunziza sacks the second vice president, Marina Barampama. On February 9 Gabriel Ntisezerana is appointed to the post.
Indonesia: Irwandi Yusuf is sworn in as governor of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam.

9

Bosnia and Herzegovina: A new government is approved by parliament and takes office. Sven Alkalaj becomes foreign minister and Dragan Vrankic finance minister. Selmo Cikotic is designated as defense minister, but cannot take office before April 22 when a ban on performing civilian duties in the defense sector by former army officers will expire; Marina Pendes will be acting as defense minister in the meantime.
Guinea: President Lansana Conté names Eugène Camara as prime minister. After public protests, Camara is dismissed again on February 26 and Lansana Kouyaté is appointed in his place.
Nigeria: The Appeal Court voids the impeachment (November 2006) of the governor of Anambra, Peter Obi. The current governor, Dame Virginia Etiaba, immediately transfers her powers to Obi.
Turks and Caicos Islands: In parliamentary elections, the ruling Progressive National Party wins 60% of the vote (13 of 15 seats) and the People's Democratic Movement 40% (2).

11

Turkmenistan: In presidential elections, Acting President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov wins 89.2% of the vote. Turnout is 98.7%. Berdymukhammedov is sworn in on February 14. Between February 20 and 24, he announces the composition of the new cabinet, including Khojamyrat Geldimyradov as finance minister, other key ministers being confirmed.

12

Serbia: The interior minister of Kosovo, Fatmir Rexhepi, resigns. His deputy, Blerim Kuqi, becomes acting interior minister.

13

India: In state elections in Punjab, the Shiromani Akali Dal wins 48 of 117 seats, the Indian National Congress 44, the Bharatiya Janata Party 19, and independents 5. Chief Minister Amarinder Singh resigns on February 27. Parkash Singh Badal is to be sworn in as chief minister on March 2.

14

India: Former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh (1969-72, 1975-77, 1989-90) Shyama Charan Shukla dies.

15

Congo (Kinshasa): Trésor Kapuku Ngoy is elected as governor of Kasaï Occidental and Alphonse Ngoyi Kasanji as governor of Kasaï Oriental.
Palestine: Prime Minister Ismail Haniya resigns and is appointed to form a new government.

Serdyukov

Russia: Anatoly Serdyukov is named defense minister to replace Sergey Ivanov, who becomes first deputy prime minister.
Russia: President Vladimir Putin dismisses the president of Chechnya, Alu Alkhanov, and names its prime minister, Ramzan Kadyrov, as acting president.

16

Colombia: Óscar Iván Zuluaga is named finance minister.
Indonesia: Former governor of Nusa Tenggara Barat (1978-88) Gatot Suherman dies.

17

Lesotho: In parliamentary elections, the ruling Lesotho Congress for Democracy wins 61 of 80 constituency seats and the All Basotho Convention 17.

19

F. Araújo

Colombia: Foreign Minister María Consuelo Araújo resigns. Fernando Araújo is named to replace her (taking office February 28).

21

Kristo

Bosnia and Herzegovina: The House of Representatives of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina nominates Borjana Kristo as president of the entity. She is appointed the following day at the session of the House of Peoples.
India: In state elections in Uttarakhand, the Bharatiya Janata Party wins 34 of 70 seats, the Indian National Congress 21, the Bahujan Samaj Party 8, the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal 3, and independents 3. Chief Minister Narain Dutt Tiwari resigns on February 27.
Italy: Prime Minister Romano Prodi resigns. On February 24 President Giorgio Napolitano refuses the resignation and asks Prodi to submit his cabinet to confidence votes in both houses of parliament. On February 28 the cabinet wins a confidence vote in the Senate (162-157).

22

Indonesia: In the first direct election for governor of Bangka-Belitung, Eko Maulana Ali wins 35.4% of the vote, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama 32.6%, incumbent Hudarni Rani 22%, Sofyan Rebuin 7%, and Fajar Fairy Rusni 3%.

Verhagen

The Netherlands: Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende's new cabinet is sworn in, with Maxime Verhagen as foreign minister, Eimert van Middelkoop as defense minister, Wouter Bos as finance minister, and Guusje ter Horst as interior minister.

23

Koumakoye

Chad: Prime Minister Pascal Yoadimnadji dies. Infrastructure Minister Adoum Younousmi becomes interim prime minister. On February 26 President Idriss Déby Itno names Delwa Kassire Koumakoye as new prime minister.
India: In state elections in Manipur, held February 8, 14, and 23, the Indian National Congress wins 30 of 60 seats, independents 10, the Nationalist Congress Party 5, the Manipur People's Party 5, the Communist Party of India 4, the Rashtriya Janata Dal 3, and the National People's Party 3.
Federated States of Micronesia: Robert J. Weilbacher is inaugurated as governor of Kosrae.
Peru: Interior Minister Pilar Mazzetti resigns. On February 26 Luis Alva Castro is sworn in as interior minister.

24

Congo (Kinshasa): The following governors take office: Simon Mbatshi Batshia (Bas-Congo), José Makila Sumanda (Équateur), Moïse Katumbi Chapwe (Katanga), Julien Paluku Kahongya (Nord-Kivu), Médard Autsai Asenga (Orientale), and Célestin Cibalonza Byaterana (Sud-Kivu).

25

Senegal: In presidential elections, incumbent Abdoulaye Wade wins 55.9% of the vote, Idrissa Seck 14.9%, Ousmane Tanor Dieng 13.6%, and Moustapha Niasse 5.9%. Turnout is 70.5%.

26

Russia: Former governor of Nizhny Novgorod oblast (1997-2001) Ivan Sklyarov dies.

27

Papua New Guinea: Defense Minister Martin Aini is sacked. Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare takes over the post.
United States: In mayoral elections in Chicago, incumbent Richard M. Daley defeats Dorothy Brown, 71%-20%.

28

Thailand: Finance Minister Pridiyathorn Devakula resigns (effective March 1).