Rulers

August 2017

1


Abbasi
Asif
Pakistan: The National Assembly elects Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as prime minister with 221 of 339 votes, against 47 for Syed Naveed Qamar and 33 for Sheikh Rashid Ahmed. Abbasi is sworn in the same day. On August 4 a cabinet is sworn in including Khawaja Asif as foreign minister, Khurram Dastgir Khan as defense minister, and Ahsan Iqbal as interior minister; Ishaq Dar remains finance minister.

2


Faure
Arreaza
French Guiana: Patrice Faure is appointed prefect (effective August 28).
Papua New Guinea: Parliament reelects Peter O'Neill as prime minister (60-46). On August 3 a caretaker cabinet is named and sworn in; Rimbink Pato remains foreign minister (also taking the defense portfolio) and James Marape finance minister. In the full cabinet named on August 9, Solan Mirisim is defense minister.
Venezuela: Jorge Arreaza is named foreign minister.

3


Kono
Japan: In a cabinet reshuffle, Taro Kono is appointed as foreign minister, Itsunori Onodera as defense minister, and Seiko Noda as internal affairs minister.

4


Ngirente
Rwanda: In presidential elections (held August 3 in the diaspora and August 4 in Rwanda), incumbent Paul Kagame wins 98.8% of the vote. Turnout is 98.2%. On August 30 Edouard Ngirente is appointed and sworn in as prime minister and a cabinet is named with no change in key portfolios.
Solomon Islands: In a cabinet reshuffle, Moses Garu becomes minister of national security.

5

India: M. Venkaiah Naidu is elected vice president with 516 votes, against 244 for Gopalkrishna Gandhi. Naidu is sworn in on August 11.
United States: Former governor of Texas (1983-87) Mark White dies.

6

Brazil: In gubernatorial elections in Amazonas, Amazonino Armando Mendes wins 38.8% of the vote, Eduardo Braga 25.4%, Rebecca Garcia 18.1%, and José Ricardo 12.2%. In the runoff on August 27, Mendes wins 59.3% and Braga 40.7%.

7

Indonesia: Former governor of Jawa Timur (1993-98) Basofi Sudirman dies.
Kosovo: Agim Krasniqi is designated to become finance minister.

8

Iran: President Hassan Rouhani (sworn in for his second term August 5) nominates cabinet members including Amir Hatami as defense minister and Masoud Karbasian as finance minister; Mohammad Javad Zarif is to remain foreign minister and Abdolreza Rahmani-Fazli interior minister. They are endorsed by parliament on August 20.
Kenya: In presidential elections, incumbent Uhuru Kenyatta wins 54.3% of the vote and Raila Odinga 44.7%.
South Africa: President Jacob Zuma survives a no-confidence motion, which is defeated 198-177.

Maire

9

Congo (Kinshasa): Maurice Abibu Sakapela is appointed acting governor of Tshopo, after Governor Jean Ilongo Tokole resigned.
Guadeloupe: Éric Maire is appointed prefect, effective September 4.

10

Canada: The premier of Saskatchewan, Brad Wall, announces his resignation.
Italy: Former president of Emilia-Romagna (1987-90) Luciano Guerzoni dies.

Demaj
Kosovo: Emanuel Demaj is appointed acting foreign minister.

Marapana
Sri Lanka: Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayake resigns. Vasantha Senanayake becomes acting foreign minister. On August 15, Tilak Marapana is appointed and sworn in as foreign minister.

13

Afghanistan: Wais Barmak is appointed acting interior minister and nominated for the substantive post.

15

Algeria: President Abdelaziz Bouteflika dismisses Prime Minister Abdelmadjid Tebboune and names Ahmed Ouyahia prime minister. Ouyahia takes office August 16. His government named on August 17 is unchanged in key positions.
Somalia: Former foreign minister (1977-87, 1989-90) Abdirahman Jama Barre dies.

16

Argentina: Former federal interventor in San Luis (1976) Aldo Mario Barbuy dies.

17

Albania: The "technical" ministers nominated by the opposition Democratic Party and appointed in May, including Interior Minister Dritan Demiraj and Finance Minister Helga Vukaj, resign. On August 27 a new government is named including Olta Xhaçka as defense minister, Fatmir Xhafaj as interior minister, and Arben Ahmetaj as finance minister; Ditmir Bushati remains foreign minister.
Congo (Brazzaville): The resignation of Prime Minister Clément Mouamba's government is announced. On August 21 President Denis Sassou-Nguesso asks Mouamba to form a new government. It is named on August 22, with no change in key positions.

18

New Caledonia: Budget Minister Philippe Dunoyer announces his resignation, which will bring the collapse of the government of President Philippe Germain. On August 31, the parliament elects the members of the new government (with no allocation of portfolios) but the new government is unable to elect its president (Germain receives 5 votes but 6 members abstain).
Tunisia: The acting finance minister, Fadhel Abdelkefi, resigns.

21


Foy
Messone
Anguilla: Tim Foy is sworn in as governor.
Gabon: In a cabinet reshuffle, Noël Nelson Messone is named foreign minister and Jean-Fidèle Otandault budget minister (they take office August 22 and 23 respectively).
Kosovo: Former prime minister (2002-04) Bajram Rexhepi dies.

Isakov
Kyrgyzstan: Prime Minister Sooronbay Jeenbekov resigns to run for president. On August 22 Mukhammetkaly Abulgaziyev is appointed as acting prime minister. On August 25 parliament approves (97-5) Sapar Isakov as prime minister and his cabinet (unchanged in key positions). Isakov is appointed by the president on August 26.

22

Brazil: Former governor of Mato Grosso (1966-71) and Mato Grosso do Sul (1980-83, 1991-95) Pedro Pedrossian dies.

Jaspert
Touré
British Virgin Islands: Gus Jaspert is sworn in as governor.
Guinea: In a cabinet reshuffle, Mamadi Touré is named foreign minister.
India: Former chief minister of Manipur (1980-81, 1981-88, 1994-97) Rishang Keishing dies.
Marshall Islands: Former foreign minister (1979-87, 2008-09, 2014-16) Tony deBrum dies.

23

Angola: In parliamentary elections, the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) wins 61.1% of the vote (150 of 220 seats), the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) 26.7% (51), and the Broad Convergence for the Salvation of Angola-Electoral Coalition (CASA-CE) 9.4% (16). Turnout is 76.1%. João Lourenço, the MPLA candidate, is thereby elected president, to take office on September 21.
Argentina: Former governor of Córdoba (1983-95) Eduardo Angeloz dies.

24

United States: Former governor of Idaho (1971-77, 1987-95) and secretary of the interior (1977-81) Cecil D. Andrus dies.

25


Rabary
Madagascar: In a cabinet reshuffle, Henry Rabary Njaka becomes foreign minister.

26

Congo (Kinshasa): Results of gubernatorial elections (runoffs being held on August 29): Tonga: The king dissolves parliament, new elections to be held by November 16.

27


Jovel
Guatemala: Sandra Jovel is sworn in as foreign minister.
Iran: Former foreign minister (1979) Ebrahim Yazdi dies.
Japan: In gubernatorial elections in Ibaraki, Kazuhiko Oigawa wins 47.5% of the vote, incumbent Masaru Hashimoto 40.8%, and Makomi Tsuruta 11.7%. Turnout is 43.5%.

28

Japan: Former foreign minister (1993-94) and prime minister (1994) Tsutomu Hata dies.

29

Japan: Former governor of Gifu (1989-2005) Taku Kajiwara dies.

30

Mauritania: Former prime minister (1980-81) Sid'Ahmed Ould Bneijara dies.

31

Chile: Finance Minister Rodrigo Valdés resigns. He is to be replaced by Nicolás Eyzaguirre.
Italy: Former president of Campania (1972-73) Alberto Servidio dies.