March 2014

1

Bonaire: Edison Rijna becomes acting administrator as Lydia Emerencia's resignation takes effect.

Mahlab

Egypt: The new cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab, is sworn in. Hani Qadri Demian becomes finance minister, while Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi remains defense minister.
India: The state of Andhra Pradesh is placed under president's rule.
Japan: Former governor of Yamaguchi (2012-14) Shigetaro Yamamoto dies.
Malaysia: Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud is sworn in as governor of Sarawak.

3

Romania: Prime Minister Victor Ponta announces his new cabinet with Ioana Petrescu as finance minister and Gabriel Oprea as interior minister. It wins a confidence vote in parliament (346-192) on March 4 and is officially appointed on March 5.
United States: Kevin Faulconer is sworn in as mayor of San Diego.

4

United States: In mayoral elections in Oklahoma City, incumbent Mick Cornett wins 65.7% of the vote and Edward Shadid 32.8%.

5

India: The governor of Kerala, Nikhil Kumar, resigns. Sheila Dikshit is appointed as governor. The governor of Karnataka, Hansraj Bhardwaj, is appointed to handle Kerala affairs until Dikshit is sworn in (March 11).

Wali

Nigeria: Aminu Wali is appointed foreign minister and Aliyu Gusau defense minister.

7

Russia: President Vladimir Putin appoints Aleksey Gordeyev, whose regular term has expired, as acting governor of Voronezh oblast.
Yemen: In a cabinet reshuffle, Brig.Gen. Abdo Hussein al-Tareb is appointed as interior minister.

8

Savelyev

Russia: Viktor Savelyev becomes acting prime minister of Udmurtia.

9

Azerbaijan: Former chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan S.S.R. (1985-89) Suleiman Bayram ogly Tatliyev dies.
Colombia: In elections to the Chamber of Representatives, the Party of the U wins 20.6% of the vote (37 of 166 seats), the Liberal Party 18.2% (39), the Conservative Party 16.9% (27), Democratic Centre 12.2% (12), Radical Change 10% (16), the Green Alliance 4.3% (6), and Civic Option 4.2% (6). For the Senate, the Party of the U wins 20.1% of the vote (21 of 102 seats), the Democratic Centre 18.4% (19), the Conservative Party 17.5% (19), the Liberal Party 15.8% (17), Radical Change 9% (9), the Green Alliance 5.1% (5), Alternative Democratic Pole 5% (5), and Civic Option 4.9% (5). Turnout is 43.6%.
El Salvador: In the presidential runoff, Salvador Sánchez Cerén wins 50.1% of the vote and Norman Quijano 49.9%.
North Korea: In parliamentary elections, all 687 seats go to the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland (uncontested). Turnout is 99.97%.

10

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bakir Izetbegovic becomes chairman of the Presidency.
Indonesia: Said Assagaff is sworn in as governor of Maluku.
Papua New Guinea: Treasury Minister Don Polye is sacked and the portfolio assumed by Prime Minister Peter O'Neill. In a cabinet reshuffle on March 19, Patrick Pruaitch is appointed as treasury minister.

11

Muñoz

Thani

Chile: Michelle Bachelet is sworn in as president, followed by her cabinet, including Heraldo Muñoz as foreign minister (see January 24).
Libya: Parliament ousts Prime Minister Ali Zidan in a vote of no confidence and appoints Defense Minister Abdullah al-Thani as acting prime minister.

12

Cyprus: In a cabinet reshuffle, Tasos Mitsopoulos is named defense minister. He is sworn in on March 14 but dies on March 22.

Le Tocq

Guernsey: Jonathan Le Tocq is elected chief minister, defeating Allister Langlois 22-20.

13

Algeria: Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal resigns. Youcef Yousfi is appointed interim prime minister.
Italy: Francesco Pigliaru takes office as president of Sardegna.
Laos: Lien Thikeo is appointed finance minister.
Sierra Leone: Former president (1996-97, 1998-2007) Ahmad Tejan Kabbah dies.
United States: Former governor of Florida (1971-79) Reubin Askew dies.

Kalaba

Zambia: In a cabinet reshuffle, Harry Kalaba becomes foreign minister.

14

Rõivas

Estonia: President Toomas Hendrik Ilves picks Taavi Rõivas to form the next government, following the resignation of Prime Minister Andrus Ansip on March 4. Rõivas' government takes office on March 26, with Sven Mikser as defense minister and Hanno Pevkur as interior minister; Urmas Paet remains foreign minister and Jürgen Ligi finance minister.
Mozambique: Agostinho Mondlane is appointed to replace Filipe Nyusi as defense minister.

15

Hodgman

Australia: In parliamentary elections in South Australia, the Liberal Party wins 44.8% of the vote (22 of 47 seats), the Australian Labor Party 35.8% (23), the Greens 8.7% (0), the Family First Party 6.2% (0), and independents 3.7% (2). In Tasmania, the Liberal Party wins 51.2% of the vote (15 of 25 seats), the Australian Labor Party 27.3% (7), the Greens 13.8% (3), and the Palmer United Party 5% (0); on March 31 Will Hodgman is sworn in as premier.
Slovakia: In the first round of presidential elections, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Direction-Social Democracy) wins 28% of the vote, Andrej Kiska (independent) 24%, Radoslav Procházka (independent) 21.2%, Milan Knazko (independent) 12.9%, and Gyula Bárdos (Party of the Hungarian Coalition) 5.1%; turnout is 43.4%. The second round is held on March 29, Kiska winning 59.4% of the vote and Fico 40.6%; turnout is 50.5%. Kiska is to be sworn in on June 15.

16

Japan: In gubernatorial elections in Ishikawa, incumbent Masanori Tanimoto wins 68.9% of the vote, Yuichiro Kawa 22.8%, and Yoshinobu Kimura 8.3%. Turnout is 45%.
Serbia: In parliamentary elections, the coalition led by the Serbian Progressive Party wins 50% of the vote (158 of 250 seats), that led by the Socialist Party of Serbia 13.9% (44), that led by the Democratic Party 6.2% (19), and that led by the New Democratic Party 5.9% (18). Turnout is 53.1%.

17

Marshall Islands: In a cabinet reshuffle, President Christopher Loeak appoints Tony deBrum foreign minister and David Kabua internal affairs minister. On March 18 the government survives a parliamentary no-confidence vote, which is defeated 17-13.
Nigeria: Willie Obiano is sworn in as governor of Anambra.

Gorodetsky

Russia: President Vladimir Putin dismisses the governor of Novosibirsk oblast, Vasily Yurchenko, and appoints Vladimir Gorodetsky as acting governor.

18

Canada: The resignation of Finance Minister Jim Flaherty is announced. In a cabinet reshuffle on March 19, Joe Oliver is appointed finance minister.
Portugal: Former foreign minister (1976-77) José Medeiros Ferreira dies.

19

Canada: The premier of Alberta, Alison Redford, announces her resignation, effective March 23. On that date Dave Hancock, chosen on March 20 as interim premier, is sworn in.

Otorbayev

Kyrgyzstan: President Almazbek Atambayev accepts the resignation of Prime Minister Zhantoro Satybaldiyev's government. On March 20 Atambayev asks Chynybay Tursunbekov to form a new government. On March 26 Atambayev appoints Joomart Otorbayev as acting prime minister.

20

Lebanon: The government of Prime Minister Tammam Salam wins a confidence vote (96 votes in the 128-member parliament).

21

Indonesia: Former governor of Sulawesi Selatan (1983-92) Achmad Amiruddin dies.
Nigeria: Former administrator of Niger (1996-98) and Ebonyi (1998-99) Simeon Oduoye dies.

Belaventsev

Russia: The Crimea (having on March 17 declared its independence from Ukraine and applied for accession to Russia) is annexed, creating two new federal subjects, the republic of Crimea and the federal city of Sevastopol. They form the new Krymsky federal district and President Vladimir Putin appoints Oleg Belaventsev as his plenipotentiary there.
Thailand: The Constitutional Court rules the February 2 parliamentary elections as invalid.

22

Maldives: In parliamentary elections, the Progressive Coalition wins 62.3% of the vote and 53 of 85 seats, including the Progressive Party of Maldives with 38.8% (33), the Jumhooree Party with 17.6% (15), and the Maldives Development Alliance with 5.9% (5), while the Maldivian Democratic Party wins 30.6% (26) and independents 5.9% (5). Turnout is 77.9%.

23

Spain: Former prime minister (1976-81) Adolfo Suárez González dies.

24

Marshall Islands: Finance Minister Dennis Momotaro resigns. On March 27 Jack Ading is sworn in as finance minister.

25

Mexico: Former governor of Baja California Sur (1975-81) Ángel César Mendoza Arámburo dies.
Ukraine: Acting Defense Minister Ihor Tenyukh resigns. The parliament ratifies (251 votes of 314 members present) the appointment of Col.Gen. Mykhailo Koval as acting defense minister.

26

Egypt: Defense Minister Abdel Fattah al-Sisi resigns. Gen. Sedki Sobhi is named to replace him.
United States: The mayor of Charlotte, Patrick Cannon, resigns. Michael Barnes becomes acting mayor.

27

United States: Former defense secretary (1973-75) and energy secretary (1977-79) James R. Schlesinger dies.

28

Cosgrove

Australia: Sir Peter Cosgrove is sworn in as governor-general.
North Atlantic Treaty Organization: Jens Stoltenberg (Norway) is designated as the next secretary-general, to take office in October.

30

Arab Maghreb Union: Former secretary-general (1991-2002) Mohamed Amamou dies.
Bermuda: Sir David Gibbons, former premier (1977-82), dies.

31

France: Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault resigns. President François Hollande names Manuel Valls as new prime minister.
Switzerland: Former president of the Council of State of Fribourg (1981, 1985) Ferdinand Masset dies.