June 2007

1

Medelci

Algeria: Prime Minister Abdelaziz Belkhadem's government resigns, but he and the most important ministers remain in office in a caretaker capacity. On June 4 President Abdelaziz Bouteflika appoints a new government, retaining Belkhadem as prime minister, but with Mourad Medelci as foreign minister and Karim Djoudi replacing Medelci as finance minister.

Kolesov

Russia: Nikolay Kolesov is confirmed as governor of Amur oblast by the local council (23-10) and sworn in. Aleksey Kuzmitsky is confirmed as governor of the new Kamchatka kray by the Duma of Koryak autonomous okrug (7-0); he is to be sworn in on July 2.
Switzerland: Urs Gasche becomes president of the government of Bern, Fernand Cuche president of the Council of State of Neuchâtel, Kathrin Hilber president of the government of Sankt Gallen, and Hans Peter Ruprecht president of the government of Thurgau.

2

China: Former mayor of Shanghai (1991-95) Huang Ju dies.

Kamat

India: In parliamentary elections in Goa, the Indian National Congress wins 16 of 40 seats, the Bharatiya Janata Party 14, the Nationalist Congress Party 3, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak 2, the Save Goa Front 2, independents 2, and the United Goans Democratic Party 1. Chief Minister Pratapsing Rane resigns on June 5. Digambar Kamat is sworn in as new chief minister on June 8.

3

Argentina: In the first round of the elections for a new chief of government of the Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Mauricio Macri (Commitment to Change, within Alianza Propuesta Republicana) obtains 45.6% of the vote, Daniel Filmus (Justicialist Party) 23.8%, and incumbent Jorge Telerman (Alianza Coalición Cívica) 20.7%. Macri defeats Filmus in the June 24 runoff with over 60% of the vote. In gubernatorial elections in Neuquén, Jorge Sapag (Neuquén Popular Movement) wins about 46% of the vote against about 30% for Horacio Quiroga (Radical Civic Union).

Zongo

Bassolé

Burkina Faso: Prime Minister Paramanga Ernest Yonli resigns. On June 4 President Blaise Compaoré names Tertius Zongo as new prime minister. The new government, with Col. Djibrill Bassolé as foreign minister, takes office on June 11.
Japan: Shingo Mimura (independent backed by the Liberal-Democratic Party and New Komeito) is reelected as governor of Aomori with 79.3% of the vote, against 11% for Yukimitsu Hori (Japanese Communist Party) and 9.7% for Michiko Nishitani (independent). Turnout is about 38%.

Oumarou

Soumaré

Niger: Seyni Oumarou is appointed as prime minister. He is sworn in on June 7. In the new cabinet announced June 9, Djida Hamadou becomes defense minister.
Senegal: In parliamentary elections, the 2007 Sopi Coalition wins 69.2% of the vote (131 of 150 seats), the Takku Defaraat Senegal 5% (3), the And Defar Senegal 4.9% (3), the Waar-wi Coalition 4.4% (3), and the People's Rally 4.3% (2). Turnout is 34.8%. On June 19 Prime Minister Macky Sall resigns and Cheikh Hadjibou Soumaré is named in his place; in his new cabinet there is no change in the key portfolios.

4

Shoman

Belize: Lisa Shoman is appointed foreign minister and Rodwell Ferguson defense minister in a cabinet reshuffle effective June 5.
Russia: Aleksandr Khloponin is confirmed as governor of Krasnoyarsk kray by the local legislative assembly (42-8).

5

Paraguay: Guillermo Delmás Frescura is sworn in as interior minister.
Russia: President Vladimir Putin nominates incumbent Yevgeny Savchenko as governor of Belgorod oblast. On June 16 Savchenko is confirmed by the local Duma (29-0 with 3 abstentions).

6

Russia: President Vladimir Putin nominates Vyacheslav Nagovitsyn as president of Buryatia. Nagovitsyn is confirmed by the local parliament (57-4) on June 15. He is to take office July 9.
Saint Lucia: Acting Prime Minister Stephenson King takes over the portfolios of foreign and home affairs, previously held by Rufus Bousquet and Keith Mondesir respectively, and the finance portfolio from Prime Minister Sir John Compton.

7

Canada: Pierre Duchesne is sworn in as lieutenant governor of Quebec.
Congo (Kinshasa): The provincial assembly of Kasaï Occidental votes (29-24) to depose Governor Trésor Kapuku Ngoy. Vice Governor Hubert Mbingho subsequently becomes acting governor.

8

Macedonia: The government of Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski survives a no-confidence vote in parliament (43 votes for; 65 against; 12 members absent).
Somalia: Former president (1960-67) Aden Abdullah Osman Daar dies.

10

Belgium: In elections to the Chamber of Representatives, Christian Democratic and Flemish-New Flemish Alliance (CD&V-NVA) wins 18.5% of the vote (30 of 150 seats), the Reformist Movement (MR) 12.5% (23), Flemish Interest (VB) 12% (17), the Open Flemish Liberals and Democrats (open vld) 11.8% (18), the Socialist Party (PS) 10.9% (20), the Flemish Socialists (sp.a-spirit) 10.3% (14), the Humanist Democratic Centre (CDH) 6.1% (10), Ecolo 5.1% (8), List Dedecker 4% (5), Groen! 4% (4), and the National Front (FN) 2% (1). Turnout is 91%. In the Senate election, the CD&V-NVA wins 19.4% of the vote (9 of 40 seats), open vld 12.4% (5), MR 12.3% (6), VB 11.9% (5), PS 10.2% (4), sp.a-spirit 10% (4), CDH 5.9% (2), Ecolo 5.8% (2), Groen! 3.6% (1), List Dedecker 3.4% (1), and FN 2.3% (1). Turnout is 91.1%. Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt resigns on June 11.
Canada: Former government leader of Yukon Territory (1992-96) John Ostashek dies.
Comoros: In presidential elections in Grande Comore, Mohamed Abdoulwahab wins 16.5% of the vote, Said Larifou 14.4%, and former president Abdou Soulé Elbak 13%; turnout is 61.1%. In the runoff on June 24, Abdoulwahab wins 56.6% and Larifou 43.4%; turnout is 59.4%. Abdoulwahab is sworn in June 30. In Mohéli, Mohamed Ali Said wins 32.9%, former president Mohamed Said Fazul 29.8%, and Abdou Djabir 25%; turnout is 66.2%. In the June 24 runoff Mohamed Ali Said wins 56.6% and Mohamed Said Fazul 43.4%; turnout is 63.7%. An election in Anjouan, said to be won by former president Mohamed Bacar, is declared null and void by the national government, which had ordered Anjouan to delay its election for a week because of security concerns; nevertheless Bacar is sworn in on June 14.
France: In the first round of parliamentary elections, the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP) wins 39.5% of the vote, the Socialist Party (PS) 24.7%, the Democrat Movement (MoDem) 7.6%, the National Front 4.3%, the Communist Party (PC) 4.3%, the extreme left 3.4%, and the Greens 3.3%. Turnout is 60.4%. 110 of the 577 seats are allocated; of these, 98 go to the UMP. The remaining 467 seats are decided in the second round on June 17. The UMP wins 46.4% of the vote and a total of 314 seats, the PS 42.3% (185), miscellaneous left 2.5% (15), the PC 2.3% (15), the New Centre 2.1% (22), the Left Radical Party 1.6% (7), miscellaneous right 1.2% (9), the Greens 0.5% (4), and MoDem 0.5% (3). Turnout is 60%. On June 18 Prime Minister François Fillon resigns but is immediately asked to form a new cabinet, which he does on June 19, the major change being the appointment of Christine Lagarde as finance minister.

11

Afghanistan: The parliament reiterates its decision to remove Foreign Minister Rangin Dadfar Spanta. The Supreme Court ruled earlier in the month that the parliament's vote of May 12 was unconstitutional and that Spanta remains the legitimate foreign minister.
Egypt: In the first round of elections to 88 seats of the Shura Council (upper house), the National Democratic Party wins 69 seats, the Progressive National Unionist Party (Tagammu) 1, and independents 1. Turnout is 31%. The remaining 17 seats are allocated in the second round on June 18, with 15 going to the National Democratic Party and 2 to independents.
Moldova: President Vladimir Voronin dismisses Defense Minister Valeriu Plesca and appoints Army Chief of Staff Ion Corobcean to take over the post until a new minister is appointed.
Vanuatu: George Wells is replaced as internal affairs minister by Philip Boedoro.

12

Canada: Premier Pat Binns of Prince Edward Island resigns and is replaced by Robert Ghiz.

13

China: Jiang Daming is appointed acting governor of Shandong.
Israel: In the election of a president, Shimon Peres wins 58 votes in the first round of voting in the 120-seat Knesset, Reuven Rivlin 37, and Colette Avital 21. Rivlin and Avital then withdraw, and Peres is elected in the second round with 86 votes. He is to take office July 15.

14

Austria: Former foreign minister (1968-70) and president (1986-92) Kurt Waldheim (also secretary-general of the United Nations, 1972-81) dies.
Belgium: Former minister-president of Brussels-Capital (1999-2000, 2004) Jacques Simonet dies.
Nigeria: Peter Obi is reinstated as governor of Anambra, on the grounds that his term only began in 2006 and thus is to run until 2010 and there should not have been an election in 2007.

Fayyad

Palestine: President Mahmoud Abbas sacks the government of Prime Minister Ismail Haniya and announces that he will rule by presidential decrees. On June 15 Abbas appoints Salam Fayyad as prime minister. Fayyad and his government are sworn in on June 17. Abdel-Razak Yahya becomes interior minister, while Fayyad also holds the finance and foreign affairs portfolios.
Russia: President Vladimir Putin nominates incumbent Vyacheslav Pozgalev as governor of Vologda oblast. Pozgalev is confirmed by the local legislative assembly (26-1) on June 21.

15

Israel: Defense Minister Amir Peretz resigns. Ehud Barak takes office as new defense minister on June 19.

16

Samoa: Tuiatua Tupua Tamasese Efi is elected head of state by the Legislative Assembly. He is sworn in June 20.
United States: In the mayoral runoff in Dallas, Tom Leppert wins 57.8% of the votes and Ed Oakley 42.2%. Leppert is sworn in on June 25.

17

Argentina: In the first round of gubernatorial elections in Tierra del Fuego, incumbent Hugo Cóccaro (Justicialist Party) wins about 32% of the vote, ahead of Fabiana Ríos (Alternative for a Republic of Equals) with about 28% and Jorge Garramuño (alliance of Radical Civic Union and Tierra del Fuego Popular Movement) with about 26%. In the runoff on June 24, Ríos wins about 52% of the vote and Cóccaro about 47%.

Okanla

Benin: In a cabinet reshuffle, Moussa Okanla is appointed foreign minister, Gen. Félix Hessou interior minister, and Soulé Mana Lawani finance minister.
Timor-Leste: Former governor of Timor Timur (1992-99) Abílio José Osório Soares dies.

18

Aruba: Former administrator (1983-85) Pedro Bislip dies.

20

Martinique: Prefect Yves Dassonville leaves the island. Patrice Latron becomes interim prefect until a successor is appointed.

21

Canada: Former lieutenant governor of Manitoba (1999-2004) Peter M. Liba dies.

22

India: The governor of Rajasthan, Pratibha Patil, resigns and the governor of Haryana, A.R. Kidwai, is given additional charge of Rajasthan (sworn in June 23).
Mayotte: Former prefect (1975-76) Younoussa Bamana dies.
Papua New Guinea: The governor of Oro, Bani Hoivo, dies.

23

French Polynesia: The government of President Gaston Tong Sang survives a no-confidence vote in the Territorial Assembly (27 for; 0 against; 13 abstentions and 17 members absent; 29 votes were required for the passage of the motion).
Russia: President Vladimir Putin nominates incumbent Yury Luzhkov as mayor of Moscow. Luzhkov is confirmed by the city Duma (32-3) on June 27.

24

Cayman Islands: Former governor (1982-87) Peter Lloyd dies.
Congo (Brazzaville): In the first round of parliamentary elections, the Congolese Party of Labour wins 23 seats, the Congolese Movement for Democracy and Integral Development 4, the Movement for Action and Renewal 3, other parties 7, and independents 7. The remaining 93 seats will be allocated in the second round scheduled for July 22.
Maldives: Abdullah Kamal Deen becomes home affairs minister in a cabinet reshuffle.

25

World Bank: Robert B. Zoellick is unanimously elected as president. He will take office on July 1.

26

Peeters

Belgium: Yves Leterme resigns as minister-president of Flanders. Kris Peeters is sworn in as minister-president on June 28.

27

Miliband

United Kingdom: Prime Minister Tony Blair tenders his resignation and Gordon Brown is appointed in his place. The following day Brown names his cabinet, including David Miliband as foreign secretary, Alistair Darling as chancellor of the exchequer, and Jacqui Smith as home secretary.

28

International Monetary Fund: Managing Director Rodrigo Rato says he will step down in October.
Japan: Former foreign minister (1974-76) and prime minister (1991-93) Kiichi Miyazawa dies.

29

Israel: President Moshe Katsav resigns, effective July 1.
Federated States of Micronesia: President Manny Mori nominates Lorin S. Robert as foreign secretary and Finley S. Perman as finance secretary.

Fernández

Spain: Guillermo Fernández Vara takes office as president of the Junta of Extremadura.

30

India: Former chief minister of Delhi (1996-98) Sahib Singh Verma is killed in a road accident.
Timor-Leste: In parliamentary elections, the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (Fretilin) wins 29% of the vote (21 of 65 seats), the National Congress for Timorese Reconstruction 24.1% (18), the coalition of the Timorese Social Democratic Association and the Social Democratic Party 15.8% (11), the Democratic Party 11.3% (8), and the National Unity Party 4.5% (3). Turnout is 80.5%.