August 2008

1

Japan: In a cabinet reshuffle, Bunmei Ibuki is named finance minister and Yoshimasa Hayashi defense minister. The new ministers are sworn in on August 2.

2

Somalia: Ten ministers including Foreign Minister Ali Ahmed Jama Jangali and Defense Minister Mohiyadin Muhammad Haji resign.
Thailand: In a cabinet reshuffle, Kowit Wattana is appointed interior minister. He takes office August 6.

5

Canada: Former commissioner of the Northwest Territories (1989-94) Daniel L. Norris dies.
France: Former president of the Regional Council of Midi-Pyrénées (1981-86) Alex Raymond dies.
Guinea-Bissau: President João Bernardo Vieira names Carlos Correia as prime minister. He takes office August 6. On August 9 a new cabinet is formed including Cipriano Cassamá as interior minister, other key ministries being unchanged.
Iran: The Majlis confirms the nominations of Ali Kordan as interior minister and Shamseddin Hosseini as economy and finance minister.
Kosovo: Fehmi Mujota is appointed defense minister.

Wetherell

Turks and Caicos Islands: Gordon Wetherell is sworn in as governor.

6

Abdel Aziz

Laghdaf

Mohamedou

Mauritania: President Sidi Mohamed Ould Cheikh Abdallahi is ousted in a military coup. A High Council of State is established, headed by Gen. Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz. On August 14 Moulaye Ould Mohamed Laghdaf is appointed prime minister. On August 31 a government is named including Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Mohamedou as foreign minister, Mohamed Ould Maaouya as interior minister, and Sid'Ahmed Ould Raiss as finance minister; Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Mohamed Lemine remains defense minister.
Russia: Boris Ebzeyev's nomination as president of Karachayevo-Cherkessia is confirmed by the People's Assembly of the republic (66-0). He is to take office September 4.

7

Gumbs

Saint-Martin: Frantz Gumbs is elected president of the Territorial Council, defeating acting president Marthe Ogoundélé by 15 votes to 7.

8

Saint Kitts and Nevis: In a cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister Denzil Douglas takes over the foreign affairs portfolio from Timothy Harris, who becomes finance minister.
Solomon Islands: Parliament rejects (39-8) a no-confidence motion against the government of Prime Minister Derek Sikua.
The Sudan: Arop Moyak is appointed chief administrator for the Abyei area (disputed between North and South). He is sworn in on August 31.

9

Australia: In parliamentary elections in the Northern Territory, the Australian Labor Party wins 43.1% of the vote (13 of 25 seats), the Country Liberal Party 45.5% (11), independents 7.3% (1), and the Australian Greens 4.1% (0). Turnout is 75.7%.
Pacific Islands Forum: Former secretary-general (2004-08) Greg Urwin dies.

10

Bolivia: President Evo Morales survives a recall referendum, 67.4% of the votes being in his favour and 32.6% opposed. Turnout is 83.3%.

11

Austria: Former chancellor (1983-86) Fred Sinowatz dies.
Philippines: Zaldy Ampatuan is reelected as governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

12

Lebanon: Parliament votes (100-5) the confidence to the new cabinet of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora.

14

Belarus: Andrey Kharkavets is appointed as finance minister.

15

Dahal

Yadav

Nepal: Pushpa Kamal Dahal of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) is elected prime minister by the Constituent Assembly, defeating Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress 464-113. Dahal is sworn in on August 18. On August 22 the cabinet is announced with Upendra Yadav as foreign minister, Ram Bahadur Thapa as defense minister, Baburam Bhattarai as finance minister, and Bamdev Gautam as home affairs minister. The new cabinet is sworn in on the same date with the exception of Gautam and the other ministers of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) who are sworn in on August 31.

Lugo

Hamed

Paraguay: Fernando Lugo takes office as president. Alejandro Hamed becomes foreign minister (instead of the originally designated Milda Rivarola), Luis Bareiro Spaini defense minister, Rafael Filizzola interior minister, and Dionisio Borda finance minister.

16

Dominican Republic: Pedro Rafael Peña becomes armed forces minister.

17

Georgia: The president of the secessionist republic of South Ossetia, Eduard Kokoyty, dismisses the government of Prime Minister Yury Morozov. Boris Chochiyev is appointed as acting prime minister.

18

Fiji: The Fiji Labour Party members, including Finance Minister Mahendra Chaudhry, resign from the interim government. Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama takes over the finance portfolio.
Pakistan: President Pervez Musharraf resigns. The chairman of the Senate, Mohammadmian Soomro, becomes acting president.

19

Banda

Zambia: President Levy Mwanawasa dies. Vice President Rupiah Banda has already been acting president since June.

20

China: Former premier (1976-80) and chairman of the Communist Party (1976-81) Hua Guofeng dies.
Pakistan: It is announced that the governor of Balochistan, Nawab Zulfiqar Ali Magsi, has resigned but that his resignation has not been accepted yet. On August 22 he agrees to continue as governor.

21

Guatemala: Former foreign minister (1956-57) Jorge Skinner-Klée dies.

22

Liberia: Augustine Ngafuan takes office as finance minister.

23

India: The chief minister of Jharkhand, Madhu Koda, resigns. On August 25 Shibu Soren is invited to form a new government. He is sworn in as chief minister on August 27.
Indonesia: Bibit Waluyo is sworn in as governor of Jawa Tengah.
Nigeria: In the re-run gubernatorial elections in Cross River, Liyel Imoke (People's Democratic Party) is again elected with 95.5% of the vote, his nearest challenger being Paul Ukpo (All Nigeria People's Party) with 2.3%. Imoke is sworn in as governor on August 26.

25

Haiti: The new cabinet is announced. Alrich Nicolas is the new foreign minister, while Daniel Dorsainvil remains finance minister and Paul Antoine Bien-Aimé interior minister.

26

Indonesia: Setia Purwaka is sworn in as acting governor of Jawa Timur following the expiration of Imam Utomo's term of office.
United States: In mayoral elections in Miami-Dade County, incumbent Carlos Alvarez (Republican) wins 65.9% of the vote and Helen B. Williams (Democrat) 34.1%.

27

Brazil: Former foreign minister (1985-86) Olavo Egydio Setubal dies.
Uzbekistan: Former chairman of the Council of Ministers (1951-53, 1954-55) and first secretary of the Communist Party (1955-57) of the Uzbek S.S.R. Nuritdin Mukhitdinov dies.

28

India: The chief minister of Puducherry, N. Rangasamy, resigns. V. Vaithilingam is chosen to replace him.
Indonesia: I Made Mangku Pastika is sworn in as governor of Bali.

29

New Zealand: Foreign Minister Winston Peters stands aside because of Serious Fraud Office investigations and Prime Minister Helen Clark becomes acting foreign minister.