Rulers
April 2010
1
Brazil: Orlando Pessuti takes office as governor of Paraná and Wilson Nunes Martins as governor of Piauí.
Greece: Former prime minister and foreign minister (1989) Tzannis Tzannetakis dies.
Kosovo: Bajram Rexhepi replaces Zenun Pajaziti as interior minister.
Conti | 
Sansovini |
San Marino: Marco Conti (Christian Democrat) and Glauco Sansovini (National Alliance) are installed as captains-regent.
Switzerland: Peter Beyeler becomes Landammann of Aargau.
2
Brazil: José Serra resigns as governor of São Paulo to run for president. Vice Governor Alberto Goldman becomes acting governor and on April 6 takes office as new governor.
Liberia: Harrison Karnwea is appointed minister of internal affairs.
Suslonova |
Russia: The prime minister of Chuvashia, Sergey Gaplikov, resigns. Nina Suslonova is appointed acting prime minister. She is approved by parliament on April 8.
4
Brazil: Pedro Paulo Dias de Carvalho takes office as governor of Amapá.
Nigeria: Former governor of Kano (1979-83) Abubakar Rimi dies.
United States: Former agriculture secretary (1969-71) Clifford M. Hardin dies.
6
Ajumogobia |
Nigeria: The new cabinet takes office with Odein Ajumogobia as foreign minister, Adetokunbo Kayode as defense minister, Olusegun Aganga as finance minister, and Capt. Emmanuel Iheanacho as interior minister.
7
Kyrgyzstan: President Kurmanbek Bakiyev flees the capital during a popular uprising. Former foreign minister Roza Otunbayeva declares herself head of a provisional government. Prime Minister Daniyar Usenov tenders his resignation to Otunbayeva, who on April 8 announces the formation of an interim cabinet, including Ismail Isakov as defense minister, Bolotbek Sherniyazov as interior minister, and Temir Sariyev as finance minister. On April 14 Ruslan Kazakbayev is appointed foreign minister. On April 16 the provisional government says it has received a faxed letter of resignation from Bakiyev. On April 19 Bakyt Alymbekov is reportedly appointed as new interior minister, but this is denied on April 20; however, it is subsequently announced that Alymbekov will perform the duties of the interior minister as Sherniyazov took a one-month leave of absence for health reasons on April 20.
Madagascar: Armed Forces Minister Gen. Noël Rakotonandrasana is dismissed. Prime Minister Brig.Gen. Albert Camille Vital takes over the portfolio on April 14.
8
Canada: Donald Ethell is appointed lieutenant governor of Alberta.
Monaco: Former minister of state (2005-10) Jean-Paul Proust (also prefect of Guadeloupe 1989-91) dies.
Jayaratne | 
Peiris |
Sri Lanka: In parliamentary elections, the United People's Freedom Alliance wins 60.3% of the vote (144 of 225 seats), the United National Front 29.3% (60), the Democratic National Alliance 5.5% (7), and the Tamil National Alliance 2.9% (14). Turnout is 61.3%. On April 21 D.M. Jayaratne is appointed and sworn in as prime minister. On April 23 the new cabinet is announced and sworn in with Gamini Lakshman Peiris as foreign minister, John Seneviratne as home affairs minister, and President Mahinda Rajapakse remaining defense and finance minister.
Zimbabwe: Former prime minister of Zimbabwe Rhodesia (1979) Abel T. Muzorewa dies.
9
Bermuda: Former governor (1977-80) Sir Peter Ramsbotham dies.
10
Canada: Ann Meekitjuk Hanson leaves office as commissioner of Nunavut. Deputy Commissioner Nellie Kusugak assumes the role until the position is filled.
Poland: President Lech Kaczynski is killed in a plane crash. The marshal of the Sejm, Bronislaw Komorowski, becomes acting president.
Rwanda: Gen. James Kabarebe is appointed defense minister. He is sworn in on April 13.
11
Hungary: In the first round of parliamentary elections, the Fidesz Hungarian Civic Union-Christian Democratic People's Party wins 52.7% of the vote (206 seats), the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) 19.3% (28), Jobbik 16.7% (26), and Politics Can Be Different (LMP) 7.5% (5). Turnout is 64.4%. The remaining seats are decided in the second round on April 25, resulting in a total of 262 of the 386 seats for Fidesz, 59 for the MSZP, 47 for Jobbik, and 16 for LMP. On April 28 President László Sólyom asks Viktor Orbán to form a cabinet.
Japan: Keiji Yamada is reelected governor of Kyoto prefecture with 63.3% of the vote, defeating Yusuke Mon (36.7%). Turnout is 41.1%.
13
Foulkes |
The Bahamas: Sir Arthur Foulkes is appointed governor-general. He is sworn in on April 14.
Switzerland: Luigi Pedrazzini becomes chairman of the Council of State of Ticino.
14
Brazil: Former governor of Alagoas (2006-07) Luís Abílio de Sousa Neto dies.
15
Panama: Roxana Méndez is named interior minister. The old Ministerio de Gobierno y Justicia is split into a Ministerio del Interior and a Ministerio de Seguridad Pública, the latter to be headed by the previous minister, José Raúl Mulino.
The Sudan: In presidential elections held April 11-15, incumbent Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir (National Congress Party) wins 68% of the vote and Yassir Arman (Sudan People's Liberation Movement) 22%. Salva Kiir (SPLM) is reelected president of the government of Southern Sudan with 93% of the vote against 7% for Lam Akol (SPLM-Democratic Change). In the national parliamentary elections, the NCP wins at least 312 of 450 seats and the SPLM at least 96.
16
Indonesia: Former governor of Jawa Timur (1967-76) Mohammad Noer dies.
Palau: Victor Yano is confirmed by the Senate (13-0) as minister of state. He is sworn in on April 19.
Tuvalu: Iakoba Taeia Italeli is sworn in as governor-general.
18
Christmas Island: Former administrator (1982-83) William Yates dies.
Cyprus: In presidential elections in North Cyprus, Prime Minister Dervis Eroglu wins 50.4% of the vote and incumbent Mehmet Ali Talat 42.9%. Turnout is 76.4%. Eroglu takes office April 23; Hüseyin Özgürgün becomes acting prime minister.
19
Brazil: Rogério Schumann Rosso takes office as governor of the Distrito Federal.
Congo (Kinshasa): The governor of Sud-Kivu, Louis Léonce Muderhwa, resigns.
Sangma |
India: The chief minister of Meghalaya, D.D. Lapang, resigns. On April 20 Mukul M. Sangma is sworn in as chief minister.
21
Ecuador: Patricio Rivera becomes finance minister in a cabinet reshuffle.
Russia: President Dmitry Medvedev nominates incumbent Vasily Bochkarev as governor of Penza oblast. He is confirmed by the local Assembly (21-2) on April 29.
Solomon Islands: Finance Minister Snyder Rini is dismissed. On April 22 Francis Billy Hilly is named as his replacement.
Sri Lanka: W.J.M. Lokubandara is sworn in as governor of Sabaragamuwa.
22
Belgium: The government of Prime Minister Yves Leterme resigns. The king accepts the resignation on April 26.
Yurevich | 
Khalikov |
Russia: President Dmitry Medvedev nominates incumbent Oleg Korolev as governor of Lipetsk oblast (confirmed by the local Council 49-2 on April 26). Mikhail Yurevich is inaugurated as governor of Chelyabinsk oblast. Ildar Khalikov is elected prime minister of Tatarstan.
23
Russia: President Dmitry Medvedev nominates incumbent Taimuraz Mamsurov as head of the republic of North Ossetia-Alania. He is confirmed by the local parliament (61-5) on April 29.
24
Nauru: In parliamentary elections, all 18 members are reelected.
United States: Former labor secretary (1962-69) W. Willard Wirtz dies.
25
Austria: In presidential elections, incumbent Heinz Fischer (Social Democratic Party) wins 78.9% of the vote, Barbara Rosenkranz (Freedom Party) 15.6%, and Rudolf Gehring (Christian Party) 5.4%. Turnout is 49.2%.
Switzerland: Daniel Fässler becomes Regierender Landammann of Appenzell Innerrhoden.
26
India: The governor of Rajasthan, Prabha Rau, dies. On April 28 the governor of Punjab, Shivraj Patil, is given additional charge of Rajasthan.
28
Kichikov | 
Kemov |
Russia: Oleg Kichikov is appointed acting prime minister of Kalmykia and Muradin Kemov acting prime minister of Karachayevo-Cherkessia.
29
Ronis |
Latvia: Parliament approves Aivis Ronis as foreign minister.
30
Brazil: Former governor of Mato Grosso (1971-75) José Manuel Fontanillas Fragelli dies.
Japan: Former governor of Miyazaki (2003-06) Tadahiro Ando dies.
San Marino: Pasquale Valentini is approved by parliament and sworn in as finance minister, following the resignation of Gabriele Gatti.