March 2012

1

Emerencia

Bonaire: Lydia Emerencia is sworn in as administrator.

Niinistö

Finland: Sauli Niinistö takes office as president.
Haiti: Foreign Minister Laurent Lamothe is designated as prime minister.
Maldives: Former foreign minister (1978-2005) Fathulla Jameel dies.
Solomon Islands: David Tome is sworn in as national security minister.

2

Carr

Australia: In a cabinet reshuffle, Bob Carr is appointed foreign minister, to take office upon his entering the Senate, which occurs March 13.
Iran: In the first round of parliamentary elections, conservative opponents of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad win a majority of the 290 seats; 65 seats go to a second round on May 4. Turnout is about 64%.
Russia: Sholban Kara-ool is confirmed as chairman of the government of Tuva by the local parliament (29-0).

3

Bangladesh: Former foreign minister (1982-85) Aminur Rahman Shams-ud Doha dies.

Yadav

India: In state elections in Goa, the Bharatiya Janata Party wins 21 of 40 seats and the Indian National Congress 9. Manohar Parrikar is sworn in as chief minister on March 9. In state elections in Uttar Pradesh held on February 8, 11, 15, 19, 23, 28, and March 3, the Samajwadi Party wins 225 of 403 seats, the Bahujan Samaj Party 79, the Bharatiya Janata Party 47, and the Indian National Congress 28. On March 10 Akhilesh Yadav is chosen to be the next chief minister; he is sworn in on March 15.
Trinidad and Tobago: A no-confidence motion introduced in parliament against Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar is defeated (29-11).

4

Russia: In presidential elections, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin wins 63.6% of the vote, Gennady Zyuganov 17.2%, Mikhail Prokhorov 8.0%, Vladimir Zhirinovsky 6.2%, and Sergey Mironov 3.9%. Turnout is 65.3%.

5

A.S. Abdulla

Maldives: President Mohamed Waheed Hassan appoints Abdul Samad Abdulla as foreign minister and Abdulla Jihad as finance minister.

6

Koyagialo

Congo (Kinshasa): The government of Prime Minister Adolphe Muzito resigns. Deputy Prime Minister Louis Koyagialo is named acting prime minister.

7

Seychelles: Pierre Laporte is appointed finance minister.

8

Belize: In parliamentary elections, the ruling United Democratic Party wins 17 of 31 seats and the People's United Party 14. On March 13 the new cabinet is named with John Saldivar as minister of national security (covering police and defense), other key posts remaining unchanged.

Kouadio-A.

Côte d'Ivoire: The government of Prime Minister Guillaume Soro resigns. On March 13 President Alassane Ouattara names Jeannot Kouadio-Ahoussou as prime minister. Ouattara takes over the defense portfolio (with Paul Koffi Koffi as minister to the president in charge of defense), other key ministers remain unchanged.

10

Izetbegovic

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bakir Izetbegovic becomes chairman of the Presidency.
Russia: President Dmitry Medvedev nominates acting incumbent Vladimir Miklushevsky as governor of Primorsky kray. On March 16 he is confirmed by the local Assembly (34-4) and sworn in.
Slovakia: In parliamentary elections, Direction-Social Democracy wins 44.4% of the vote (83 seats), the Christian Democratic Movement 8.8% (16), Ordinary People and Independent Personalities 8.6% (16), Bridge 6.9% (13), the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union-Democratic Party 6.1% (11), and Freedom and Solidarity 5.9% (11). Turnout is 59.1%. On March 15 President Ivan Gasparovic asks Robert Fico to form a government.

11

Nigeria: Former foreign minister (1978-79) Henry Adefope dies.
Russia: President Dmitry Medvedev nominates incumbent Aleksandr Tkachev as governor of Krasnodar kray. The local Assembly confirms him (57-4) on March 21.

13

Bahuguna

India: Vijay Bahuguna is sworn in as chief minister of Uttarakhand.
Montenegro: Parliament elects Milica Pejanovic Djurisic as defense minister.

14

Malta: Former foreign minister (1987-89) and president (1989-94) Censu Tabone dies.

16

Cyprus: Finance Minister Kikis Kazamias resigns. On March 19 a cabinet reshuffle is announced with Vassos Shiarli becoming finance minister (sworn in March 23) and Eleni Mavrou interior minister (sworn in March 20).

Timofti

Moldova: Parliament elects Nicolae Timofti as president (62 of 101 votes). He is sworn in on March 23.

17

Zhvachkin

Russia: Sergey Zhvachkin is inaugurated as governor of Tomsk oblast.
Spain: Former president of the Regional Council of Murcia (1978-79) Antonio Pérez Crespo dies.
Timor-Leste: In the first round of presidential elections, Francisco Guterres wins 28.8% of the vote, Taur Matan Ruak 25.7%, incumbent José Ramos-Horta 17.5%, and Fernando de Araújo 17.3%. Turnout is 78.2%.

18

Gauck

Germany: The Federal Assembly elects Joachim Gauck as president with 991 votes, against 126 for Beate Klarsfeld and 108 abstentions.
Guinea-Bissau: In the first round of presidential elections, former prime minister Carlos Gomes Júnior wins 49% of the vote, former president Kumba Ialá 23.4%, Manuel Serifo Nhamadjo 15.7%, and former interim president Henrique Rosa 5.4%. Turnout is about 55%. The runoff is to be held on April 22.
Saint-Barthélemy: In elections to the Territorial Council, Saint-Barth d'abord wins 73.8% of the vote (16 of 19 seats), Tous pour Saint-Barth 15.9% (2), and Saint-Barth en Mouvement 10.3% (1). Turnout is 71.5%.
Saint-Martin: In elections to the Territorial Council, Rassemblement, Responsabilité, Réussite (RRR) wins 34.1% of the vote, Team Daniel Gibbs 2012 32%, Union pour le Progrès 13.3%, and Saint-Martin pour tous 9.4%. Turnout is 52%. A second round is held March 25, RRR winning 56.9% of the vote (17 of 23 seats) and Team Daniel Gibbs 2012 43.1% (6).
Tonga: King George Tupou V dies. Crown Prince Tupouto'a Lavaka becomes King Tupou VI.

19

Greece: Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos resigns. On March 21 Philippos Sachinidis is appointed finance minister.

21

Lithuania: Interior Minister Raimundas Palaitis resigns, effective March 26, when Health Minister Raimondas Sukys temporarily takes over the portfolio.

22

Schofield

Sanogo

Canada: Vaughn Schofield is sworn in as lieutenant governor of Saskatchewan.
Mali: President Amadou Toumani Touré is deposed in a military coup. Capt. Amadou Haya Sanogo is proclaimed chairman of a National Committee for the Restoration of Democracy and State.

Collas

23

Guernsey: Richard Collas is sworn in as bailiff.
Iraq: Former foreign minister (1964-65) and prime minister (1966-67) Naji Talib dies.

Radayev

Russia: President Dmitry Medvedev accepts the resignation of the governor of Saratov oblast, Pavel Ipatov, and appoints Valery Radayev as acting governor.
Somalia: Former president (2004-08) Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed dies.

24

Newman

Australia: In parliamentary elections in Queensland, the Liberal National Party wins 49.7% of the vote (78 of 89 seats), the Australian Labor Party 26.9% (7), Katter's Australian Party 11.5% (2), and the Greens 7.2% (0). Turnout is 74.6%. On March 26 Campbell Newman is sworn in as premier.

25

China: Leung Chun-ying is elected chief executive of Hong Kong, receiving 689 of 1,132 votes, against 285 for Henry Tang and 76 for Albert Ho. Leung is to take office July 1.
Georgia: In presidential elections in South Ossetia, Leonid Tibilov wins 42.5% of the vote, David Sanakoyev 24.6%, Dmitry Medoyev 23.8%, and Stanislav Kochiyev 5.2%. Turnout is 70.2%. A runoff is to be held on April 8.
Germany: In parliamentary elections in Saarland, the Christian Democratic Union wins 35.2% of the vote (19 of 51 seats), the Social Democratic Party 30.6% (17), the Left 16.1% (9), the Pirate Party 7.4% (4), the Greens 5% (2), the Family Party 1.7% (0), the Free Democratic Party 1.2% (0), and the National Democratic Party 1.2% (0). Turnout is 61.6%.
Japan: In gubernatorial elections in Kumamoto, incumbent Ikuo Kabashima wins 90.6% of the vote and Keisuke Kuboyama 9.4%. Turnout is 38.4%.
Senegal: In the presidential runoff, Macky Sall wins 65.8% of the vote and Abdoulaye Wade 34.2%. Turnout is 55%.
Spain: In parliamentary elections in Andalucía, the People's Party (PP) wins 40.7% of the vote (50 of 109 seats), the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) 39.5% (47), the United Left/Greens-Assembly for Andalucía 11.3% (12). Turnout is 62.2%. In Asturias, the PSOE wins 32% of the vote (17 of 45 seats), the Asturian Forum 24.8% (12), the PP 21.5% (10), and the United Left of Asturias 13.8% (5). Turnout is 55.9%.

26

Ongeri

Kenya: In a cabinet reshuffle, Sam Ongeri becomes foreign minister and Njeru Githae finance minister.

29

The Gambia: In parliamentary elections, the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction wins 51.8% of the vote (43 of 48 elected seats), independents 38.8% (4), and the National Reconciliation Party 9.4% (1). Turnout is 38.7%. (With 5 members appointed by the president, the total number of seats is 53.)
Sweden: Defense Minister Sten Tolgfors resigns. Infrastructure Minister Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd takes over his portfolio until a permanent replacement is appointed.

30

Burkina Faso: Former foreign minister (1967-71) Malick Zoromé dies.

Ohsan-B.

Mauritius: President Sir Anerood Jugnauth resigns, effective March 31. Vice President Monique Ohsan-Bellepeau then becomes acting president.

31

Nigeria: In gubernatorial elections in Kebbi, Usman Saidu Nasamu Dakingari is elected with 96.2% of the vote.
San Marino: Former captain-regent (1962, 1966, 1970, 1974-75, 1978) Francesco Valli dies.