April 2013

1

Mohamed

Djibouti: Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed takes office as prime minister.
North Korea: Pak Pong Ju is named premier.
Liberia: Former president (2003) Moses Blah dies.

Amici

San Marino: Antonella Mularoni (Popular Alliance) and Denis Amici (Christian Democrat) are installed as captains-regent.
Switzerland: Alex Hürzeler becomes Landammann of Aargau.

2

China: Xie Fuzhan is elected governor of Henan.
Cyprus: Finance Minister Michalis Sarris resigns. Charis Georgiadis is named to replace him (sworn in April 3).
Federated States of Micronesia: In the gubernatorial runoff in Chuuk, Johnson Elimo defeats Alexander Narruhn, about 54%-46%.
United States: In mayoral elections in St. Louis, incumbent Francis G. Slay (Democrat) wins 84.1% of the vote and James McNeely (Green) 15.9%.

3

Albania: The ministers of the Socialist Integration Movement, including Foreign Minister Edmond Panariti, resign. Aldo Bumçi is named as new foreign minister (approved by parliament April 4).
Indonesia: Former governor of Sulawesi Utara (1985-95) C.J. Rantung dies.
Pakistan: Portfolios are allocated to the ministers (sworn in April 2) of the caretaker administration, with Malik Habib becoming interior minister. The foreign, defense, and finance posts have yet to be filled.

5

Greenland: The new government is sworn in, with Aleqa Hammond as prime minister and foreign minister and Vittus Qujaukitsoq as finance and internal affairs minister.

6

Grenada: Former governor (1968-74) Dame Hilda Bynoe dies.
Lebanon: Tammam Salam is asked to form a government.

7

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Former president of the Presidency (1989-90) Obrad Piljak dies.
Montenegro: In presidential elections, incumbent Filip Vujanovic (Democratic Party of Socialists) wins 51.2% of the vote and Miodrag Lekic (Democratic Front) 48.8%. Turnout is 63.9%.

8

United Kingdom: Margaret Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, former prime minister (1979-90), dies.

9

Grenada: Cécile La Grenade is named governor-general.
Haiti: Finance Minister Marie-Carmelle Jean-Marie resigns. On April 12 Wilson Laleau is appointed finance minister.
Indonesia: Lukas Enembe is sworn in as governor of Papua.

Kenya: Uhuru Kenyatta is sworn in as president. On April 23 he nominates Amina Mohamed as foreign minister and Henry Rotich as treasury minister, and on April 25 Raychelle Omamo as defense minister.

10

Moldova: President Nicolae Timofti asks Prime Minister Vlad Filat (dismissed in a no-confidence vote in March) to form a new government. On April 22 the Constitutional Court rules that another person must be chosen, and also that an acting prime minister other than Filat must be appointed in the interim. Accordingly, on April 23 Timofti appoints Iurie Leanca to be acting prime minister as from April 25.
Palestine: Prime Minister Salam Fayyad offers his resignation to President Mahmoud Abbas, who accepts it on April 13.
Russia: Former president of North Ossetia-Alania (1990-98) Akhsarbek Galazov dies.
United States: The Senate confirms Sally Jewell as interior secretary (87-11). She is sworn in on April 12.

11

China: Du Jiahao is appointed acting governor of Hunan.

12

Brazil: Former acting governor of Paraíba (1978-79) Dorgival Terceiro Neto dies.

13

Central African Republic: A National Transitional Council confirms Michel Djotodia as president.

14

Peru: Former prime minister (1988-89) Armando Villanueva del Campo dies.
Ukraine: Former first secretary of the Communist Party (1990-91) Stanislav Gurenko dies.
Venezuela: In presidential elections, Acting President Nicolás Maduro wins 50.8% of the vote and Henrique Capriles Radonski 49%. Maduro is sworn in as president on April 19. On April 22 he names his cabinet with Nelson Merentes as finance minister and Miguel Rodríguez Torres as interior minister; Elías Jaua remains foreign minister and Diego Molero defense minister.

16

Algeria: Former chairman of the High State Committee (1992-94) Ali Kafi dies.
Austria: Former Landeshauptmann of Niederösterreich (1981-92) Siegfried Ludwig dies.
Honduras: Mireya Agüero is appointed foreign minister. She is to replace Arturo Corrales, who will become security minister, on May 1.

17

India: Former governor of Himachal Pradesh (1997-99) and Karnataka (1999-2002) V.S. Rama Devi dies.

Saint-Martin: Aline Hanson is elected president of the Territorial Council after Alain Richardson was removed from the post and declared ineligible for 18 months by the Council of State.
São Tomé and Príncipe: Former foreign minister (1988-90) and prime minister (1994-95, 1995) Carlos da Graça dies.

18

Italy: The election of a president by an assembly of 1,007 lawmakers and regional representatives begins. In the first round, Franco Marini receives 521 votes (672 required), Stefano Rodotà 240, Sergio Chiamparino 41, Romano Prodi 14, Emma Bonino 13, Massimo D'Alema 12, Giorgio Napolitano 10; in the second, Rodotà 230, Chiamparino 90, D'Alema 38, Marini 15, Alessandra Mussolini 15, Prodi 13, Bonino 10. A third round is held on April 19: Rodotà 250, D'Alema 34, Prodi 22, Napolitano 12. A fourth round, now with only 504 votes needed, is still inconclusive: Prodi 395, Rodotà 213, Anna Maria Cancellieri 78, D'Alema 15. The fifth, on April 20: Rodotà 210, Napolitano 20, Rosario Monteleone 15. In the sixth round, incumbent Napolitano is reelected with 739 votes, against 217 for Rodotà.

19

Armenia: President Serzh Sarkisyan reappoints Tigran Sarkisyan as prime minister.
China: Chen Wu is elected chairman of the government of Guangxi.
Indonesia: Hatta Rajasa is appointed acting finance minister.

Nauru: Roland Kun is appointed foreign minister.

20

Malaysia: Former governor of Malacca (1975-84) Tun Syed Zahiruddin bin Syed Hassan dies.

21

French Polynesia: In the first round of parliamentary elections, Tahoeraa Huiraatira wins 40.2% of the vote, the Union for Democracy 24.1%, A Ti'a Porinetia 19.9%, and All Polynesians-Maohi Tatou 5.7%. Turnout is 67.5%. The second round will be held on May 5.
Paraguay: In presidential elections, Horacio Cartes (Colorado Party) wins 48.5% of the vote, Efraín Alegre (Authentic Radical Liberal Party) 39.1%, and Mario Ferreiro (Avanza País) 6.2%. Turnout is 68.6%.
Trinidad and Tobago: National Security Minister Jack Warner resigns and is replaced by Emmanuel George.

22

Bangladesh: Abdul Hamid is elected unopposed as president (sworn in April 24).
Indonesia: Irianto Lambrie becomes acting governor of the new province of Kalimantan Utara.
Italy: In presidential elections in Friuli-Venezia Giulia held April 21-22, Debora Serracchiani (Democratic Party) wins 39.4% of the vote, Renzo Tondo (People of Freedom) 39%, and Saverio Galluccio (Five Star Movement) 19.2%. Turnout is 50.5%.

23

Chad: Tchonai Elimi Hassan is named interior minister in a government reshuffle.
China: Liu Hui is elected chairwoman of the government of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
United States: Daniel Poneman becomes acting energy secretary.

24

Italy: Enrico Letta is asked to form a government. On April 27 he names Emma Bonino as foreign minister, Mario Mauro as defense minister, Angelino Alfano as interior minister, and Fabrizio Saccomanni as economy minister. The government is sworn in on April 28 and wins votes of confidence in the Chamber of Deputies on April 29 (453-153) and in the Senate on April 30 (233-59).

26

Asian Development Bank: Takehiko Nakao is elected president. He takes office April 28.
United States: Former governor of North Dakota (1961-73) William L. Guy dies.

27

Iceland: In parliamentary elections, the Independence Party wins 26.7% of the vote (19 of 63 seats), the Progressive Party 24.4% (19), the Social Democratic Alliance 12.9% (9), the Left-Green Movement 10.9% (7), Bright Future 8.2% (6), and the Pirate Party 5.1% (3). Turnout is 81.4%. On April 30 President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson asks Sigmundur Davíd Gunnlaugsson of the Progressive Party to lead talks on forming a coalition government.
India: Narinder Nath Vohra is reappointed for another term as governor of Jammu and Kashmir.

28

Austria: In state elections in Tirol, the People's Party wins 39.4% of the vote (16 of 36 seats), the Social Democratic Party 13.7% (5), the Greens 12.6% (5), Forward Tirol 9.5% (4), the Freedom Party of Austria 9.3% (4), and the Citizens' Forum Tirol 5.6% (2). Turnout is 60.4%.
Bhutan: Chief Justice Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye is appointed chief advisor of an interim government in preparation of elections.
China: Hao Peng is elected governor of Qinghai.
Switzerland: Daniel Fässler is elected Regierender Landammann of Appenzell Innerrhoden.

29

Palau: The Senate approves Elbuchel Sadang as finance minister.
United States: President Barack Obama nominates Anthony Foxx as transportation secretary.

30

Ecuador: In a cabinet reshuffle, Fausto Herrera is named finance minister.

Willem-Alexander

The Netherlands: Queen Beatrix signs the instrument of abdication and Crown Prince Willem-Alexander becomes king.
Russia: President Vladimir Putin appoints Vyacheslav Shport, whose regular term as governor of Khabarovsk kray has ended, as acting governor.