Rulers

May 2015

1

Georgia: Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili nominates a new government, in which Tina Khidasheli is to become defense minister, other key posts being unchanged. It is confirmed by parliament on May 9 (87-38).

Sariyev
Kyrgyzstan: The government of Prime Minister Temir Sariyev is appointed by the president.
Switzerland: Jacques Melly becomes president of the Council of State of Valais.

4

Canada: In parliamentary elections in Prince Edward Island, the Liberal Party wins 40.8% of the vote (18 of 27 seats), the Progressive Conservative Party 37.4% (8), the New Democratic Party 11% (0), and the Green Party 10.8% (1). Turnout is 85.9%.
Israel: Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman resigns (effective May 6).

5


Notley
Canada: In parliamentary elections in Alberta, the New Democratic Party wins 40.6% of the vote (53 of 87 seats), the Progressive Conservative Party 27.8% (10), the Wildrose Party 24.2% (21), and the Liberal Party 4.2% (1). Turnout is 57%. Rachel Notley is sworn in as premier on May 24.
United States: In the mayoral runoff in Anchorage, Ethan Berkowitz defeats Amy Demboski, 59%-41%. In mayoral elections in Denver, Michael Hancock is reelected with 80% of the vote. In Lincoln, incumbent Chris Beutler defeats Andy Stebbing, 53%-47%.

6

Chile: President Michelle Bachelet asks all her cabinet ministers to resign. On May 11 she names José Antonio Gómez as defense minister, Jorge Burgos as interior minister, and Rodrigo Valdés as finance minister; Heraldo Muńoz is reappointed foreign minister.

7

Pakistan: Malik Muhammad Rafique Rajwana is appointed governor of Punjab (sworn in May 10).
United Kingdom: In parliamentary elections, the Conservative Party wins 36.9% of the vote (331 of 650 seats), the Labour Party 30.4% (232), the United Kingdom Independence Party 12.6% (1), the Liberal Democrats 7.9% (8), the Scottish National Party 4.7% (56), the Green Party 3.8% (1), the Democratic Unionist Party 0.6% (8), Plaid Cymru 0.6% (3), Sinn Féin 0.6% (4), the Ulster Unionist Party 0.4% (2), and the Social Democratic and Labour Party 0.3% (3). Turnout is about 66%. On May 8 Prime Minister David Cameron reappoints the incumbent foreign, defence, and home secretaries and chancellor of the exchequer.

8


Maldonado
Guatemala: Vice President Roxana Baldetti resigns. On May 14 Alejandro Maldonado Aguirre is sworn in as new vice president.
United States: The mayor of Akron, Donald L. Plusquellic, resigns, effective May 31, when City Council president Garry L. Moneypenny is sworn in as mayor.

9

Turkey: Former president (1980-89) Kenan Evren dies.
United States: In mayoral elections in Dallas, incumbent Mike Rawlings defeats Marcos Ronquillo, 73%-27%. In San Antonio, Leticia Van de Putte wins 30.4% of the vote, incumbent Ivy Taylor 28.4%, and Mike Villarreal 26.1%; a runoff will be held on June 13.

10

Brazil: Former governor of Santa Catarina (2003-06, 2007-10) Luiz Henrique da Silveira dies.
Germany: In parliamentary elections in Bremen, the Social Democratic Party wins 32.8% of the vote (30 of 83 seats), the Christian Democratic Union 22.4% (20), the Greens 15.1% (14), the Left 9.5% (8), the Free Democratic Party 6.6% (6), the Alternative for Germany 5.5% (4), and Citizens in Rage 3.2% (1). Turnout is 50.2%.
Poland: In presidential elections, Andrzej Duda wins 34.8% of the vote, incumbent Bronislaw Komorowski 33.8%, and Pawel Kukiz 20.8%; turnout is 49%. A runoff is held on May 24, Duda winning 51.5% of the vote and Komorowski 48.5%; turnout is 55.3%.

11


Granger
Nagamootoo
Greenidge

Christian
Guyana: In parliamentary and presidential elections, A Partnership for National Unity-Alliance for Change, led by David Granger, wins 50.4% of the vote (33 of 65 seats) and the People's Progressive Party/Civic of President Donald Ramotar 49.1% (32). Granger is sworn in as president on May 16. On May 20 Moses Nagamootoo is sworn in as prime minister, Carl Greenidge as foreign minister, and Winston Jordan as finance minister, and on May 22 Khemraj Ramjattan as public security minister.
Federated States of Micronesia: Peter M. Christian is elected president.

12


Kusugak
Canada: Nellie Kusugak becomes acting commissioner of Nunavut as the term of Edna Elias ends.

Murmu
Roy
Shanmuganathan
India: Draupadi Murmu is appointed as governor of Jharkhand (sworn in May 18), replacing Syed Ahmed, who is transferred to Manipur (sworn in May 16). J.P. Rajkhowa is appointed governor of Arunachal Pradesh, replacing Nirbhay Sharma, who is transferred to Mizoram (sworn in May 26). Tathagata Roy is appointed governor of Tripura (sworn in May 20) and V. Shanmuganathan governor of Meghalaya (sworn in May 20).
Macedonia: Prime Minister Nikola Gruevski accepts the resignation of Interior Minister Gordana Jankulovska. On May 13 parliament elects Mitko Cavkov as interior minister.
Russia: President Vladimir Putin accepts the resignation of the governor of Leningrad oblast, Aleksandr Drozdenko, and appoints him as acting governor until elections.

13

Lebanon: Parliament fails again to elect a president due to lack of a quorum, the next session being scheduled for June 3.
Russia: President Vladimir Putin accepts the resignations of the governors of Kamchatka kray, Vladimir Ilyukhin, and Irkutsk oblast, Sergey Yeroshchenko, and appoints both as acting governors until elections.
Slovenia: Andreja Katic is confirmed by parliament and sworn in as defense minister.

14

Algeria: In a cabinet reshuffle, Abderrahmane Benkhalfa is named finance minister and Noureddine Bedoui interior minister.
Israel: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presents his cabinet to the Knesset, which approves it in a 61-59 vote. He keeps the foreign affairs portfolio himself, Moshe Yaalon remains defense minister, Silvan Shalom becomes interior minister and Moshe Kahlon finance minister.
Russia: President Vladimir Putin accepts the resignation of the governor of Omsk oblast, Viktor Nazarov, and appoints him as acting governor until elections.
Russia: Former head of the administration of Ryazan oblast (1994-96) Gennady Merkulov dies.

15

Indonesia: Former governor of Kalimantan Barat (2003-08) Usman Ja'far dies.
Russia: President Vladimir Putin accepts the resignation of the governor of Kostroma oblast, Sergey Sitnikov, and appoints him as acting governor until elections.

17

Argentina: In gubernatorial elections in Salta, incumbent Juan Manuel Urtubey (Frente Justicialista Renovador para la Victoria) wins 51.2% of the vote and Juan Carlos Romero (Frente Romero + Olmedo) 30.6%.
Jordan: King Abdullah II accepts the resignation of Interior Minister Hussein al-Majali. On May 19 Salameh Hammad is appointed interior minister.

18


Nyamitwe
Burundi: President Pierre Nkurunziza dismisses Foreign Minister Laurent Kavakure and Defense Minister Pontien Gaciyubwenge. Alain Aimé Nyamitwe is named foreign minister and Emmanuel Ntahomvukiye defense minister.
Iceland: Former foreign minister (1995-2004) and prime minister (2004-06) Halldór Ásgrímsson dies.
Russia: President Vladimir Putin accepts the resignation of the governor of Smolensk oblast, Aleksey Ostrovsky, and appoints him as acting governor until elections.
Switzerland: Ernst Stocker becomes president of the government of Zürich.

19

Argentina: Former governor of Misiones (1987-91) Julio César Humada dies.
Russia: Former head of the administration of Bryansk oblast (1993-95) Vladimir Karpov dies.
United States: In the mayoral runoff in Jacksonville, Lenny Curry wins 51.3% of the vote and incumbent Alvin Brown 48.7%.

Seaton
Saint Kitts and Nevis: The withdrawal of the appointment of Sir Edmund Lawrence as governor-general is announced. On May 20 Samuel Weymouth Tapley Seaton is sworn in as acting governor-general.

20

Canada: Lois Mitchell is appointed as the next lieutenant governor of Alberta.

21

Afghanistan: President Ashraf Ghani nominates Masoum Stanikzai as defense minister. On May 24 Stanikzai takes office as acting defense minister.
Guatemala: Interior Minister Mauricio López Bonilla resigns. On May 22 Eunice Mendizábal is sworn in as interior minister.
South Korea: President Park Geun Hye nominates Hwang Kyo Ahn as prime minister.
Switzerland: Former Landammann of Sankt Gallen (1976-77, 1983-84) Ernst Rüesch dies.

22

India: The chief minister of Tamil Nadu, O. Paneerselvam, resigns. On May 23 Jayaram Jayalalitha is sworn in as chief minister.
Russia: President Vladimir Putin accepts the resignation of the governor of Arkhangelsk oblast, Igor Orlov, and appoints him as acting governor until elections.
Togo: Prime Minister Kwesi Ahoomey-Zunu and his government resign after President Faure Gnassingbé began his new term.

24

Spain: Results of elections in autonomous communities (IU=United Left; PP=Popular Party; PSOE=Spanish Socialist Workers' Party):

25

Canada: Former government leader of the Northwest Territories (1980-84) George Braden dies.
Papua New Guinea: In presidential elections in Bougainville held May 11-25, incumbent John Momis wins with 53.3% of the vote after the fourth exclusive process, ahead of Ismael Toroama (19.2%), Sam Kauona (15.5%), and Sam Akoitai (12%).

Belozertsev
Nikitin
Russia: President Vladimir Putin appoints Ivan Belozertsev as acting governor of Penza oblast as Vasily Bochkarev's term would have expired May 26. Putin also accepts the resignation of the governor of Tambov oblast, Oleg Betin, and appoints Aleksandr Nikitin as acting governor until elections.
Suriname: In parliamentary elections, the National Democratic Party wins 45.5% of the vote (26 of 51 seats), the V7 coalition 37.2% (18), and the Alternative Combination 10.5% (5).

26

Bolivia: Carlos Romero takes office as interior minister.
Gibraltar: Governor Sir James Dutton resigns, effective at the end of September.
Madagascar: Parliament votes to dismiss President Hery Rajaonarimampianina (121-4).
Organization of American States: Luis Almagro takes office as secretary-general.

27

Yemen: Gen. Abdo al-Huzaifi is sworn in as interior minister of the exile government.

28


Sipilä
Soini
Finland: Parliament approves Juha Sipilä as prime minister (128-62). His government, including Timo Soini as foreign minister, Jussi Niinistö as defense minister, Petteri Orpo as interior minister, and Alexander Stubb as finance minister, is officially appointed May 29.

29

Mauritius: President Rajkeswur Purryag resigns. Vice President Monique Ohsan-Bellepeau becomes acting president.

Buhari
Nigeria: Muhammadu Buhari is sworn in as president. The following new governors take office: Okezie Victor Ikpeazu (Abia), Mohammed Jibrilla Bindow (Adamawa), Udom Gabriel Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom), Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar (Bauchi), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Ben Ayade (Cross River), Ifeanyi Okowa (Delta), Dave Umahi (Ebonyi), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Mohammed Badaru Abubakar (Jigawa), Mallam Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (Kano), Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina), Abubakar Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos), Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger), Simon Bako Lalong (Plateau), Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Aminu Waziri Tambuwal (Sokoto), and Darius Dickson Ishaku (Taraba).

31

Austria: In state elections in Burgenland, the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) wins 41.9% of the vote (15 of 36 seats), the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) 29.1% (11), the Freedom Party (FPÖ) 15% (6), the Greens 6.4% (2), and the Burgenland List Alliance 4.8% (2); turnout is 76%. In Steiermark, the SPÖ wins 29.3% (15 of 48 seats), the ÖVP 28.5% (14), the FPÖ 26.8% (14), the Greens 6.7% (3), and the Communist Party 4.2% (2); turnout is 67.9%.
Italy: Results of elections of regional presidents: