Rulers

March 2019

1

Armenia: Former first secretary of the Communist Party of the Armenian S.S.R. (1988-90) Suren Arutyunyan dies.
British Virgin Islands: The cabinet of Premier Andrew Fahie is sworn in with himself as finance minister.

2

United States: Former governor of Alaska (1969-70) Keith Miller dies.

3

Central African Republic: The new government of Prime Minister Firmin Ngrébada is named, with no change in the key portfolios.
Estonia: In parliamentary elections, the Estonian Reform Party wins 28.8% of the vote (34 of 101 seats), the Estonian Centre Party 23.1% (26), the Conservative People's Party 17.8% (19), Pro Patria 11.4% (12), and the Social Democratic Party 9.8% (10). Turnout is 63.1%.

Kabudi
Tanzania: Palamagamba Kabudi is appointed foreign minister (sworn in March 4).

4

China: Former chairman of the Revolutionary Committee of Hunan (1977-79) Mao Zhiyong dies.
Germany: Former foreign minister (1992-98) Klaus Kinkel dies.

5

Congo (Kinshasa): Alexis Thambwe Mwamba is appointed as acting foreign minister, Basile Olongo as acting interior and security minister, and Michel Bongongo as acting defense minister, after the Council of State decided on March 4 that ministers who took a seat in parliament could no longer serve in the government. Thambwe takes over from Léonard She Okitundu on March 7.
Federated States of Micronesia: In parliamentary elections, 14 nonpartisan members are elected; President Peter M. Christian is defeated.
United States: In mayoral elections in Tampa, Jane Castor wins 48.0% of the vote, David Straz 15.4%, and Harry Cohen 12.2%. A runoff will be held April 23.

6

Spain: Former foreign minister (1980-82) José Pedro Pérez-Llorca dies.

7

Switzerland: Former president of the Council of State of Fribourg (1983, 1990) Marius Cottier dies.

8

Finland: The government of Prime Minister Juha Sipilä resigns.
India: The governor of Mizoram, Kummanam Rajasekharan, resigns. The governor of Assam, Jagdish Mukhi, is given additional charge of Mizoram (sworn in March 9).
Japan: The governor of Osaka, Ichiro Matsui, announces his resignation, effective March 20. Hiroyuki Takeuchi then becomes acting governor.
South Korea: In a cabinet reshuffle, Chin Young is named interior minister.

del Solar
Peru: Prime Minister César Villanueva resigns. On March 11 Salvador del Solar is named as prime minister and sworn in later that day, with a cabinet unchanged in key positions.

9

Nigeria: Winners of gubernatorial elections:

10

Argentina: In gubernatorial elections in Neuquén, Omar Gutiérrez (Neuquén Popular Movement) is reelected with 39.9% of the vote, while Ramón Rioseco (Unidad Ciudadana-Frente Neuquino) wins 26.1%, Horacio Quiroga (Radical Civic Union-Cambiemos) 15.1%, and Jorge Sobisch (Christian Democracy) 9.9%. Turnout is 78.4%.
Cyprus: Former prime minister of North Cyprus (2010-13) Irsen Küçük dies.
Guinea-Bissau: In parliamentary elections, the African Party for the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde wins 47 of 102 seats (46.1% of the vote), the Movement for Democratic Alternation 27, the Party for Social Renewal 21, and the Assembly of the People United-Democratic Party of Guinea-Bissau 5. Turnout is 84.7%.
Indonesia: Hamin Bin Tahir becomes acting governor of Maluku as the term of Governor Said Assagaff ends.
North Korea: In parliamentary elections, with only a single candidate in each constituency, all 687 seats go to the Democratic Front for the Reunification of the Fatherland. Turnout is 99.99%.
Palestine: President Mahmoud Abbas appoints Mohammad Shtayyeh as prime minister.

11


Bedoui
Algeria: Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia resigns. President Abdelaziz Bouteflika appoints Noureddine Bedoui as prime minister and Ramtane Lamamra as foreign minister. Bedoui takes office March 12 and Lamamra March 13. On March 31 a new government is named with Sabri Boukadoum as foreign minister, Salah Eddine Dahmoune as interior minister, and Mohamed Loukal as finance minister.

12

United States: In the mayoral runoff in Phoenix, Kate Gallego wins 58.4% of the vote and Daniel Valenzuela 41.6%. Gallego is sworn in on March 21.

13


Chandler
Saint Helena: Steven Chandler is sworn in as administrator of Ascension.
The Sudan: A new cabinet is named (sworn in March 14) including Bushara Gumaa Aro as interior minister and Magdi Hassan Yassin as finance minister, the foreign and defense ministers remaining in place.
United States: Former governor of Maryland (1979-87) Harry R. Hughes dies.

15

The Gambia: In a cabinet reshuffle, Isatou Touray becomes vice president.
Mauritania: In a cabinet reshuffle, Yahya Ould Hademine is appointed defense minister.
Spain: Former president of the government of Navarra (1980-84) Juan Manuel Arza Muñuzuri dies.

16

Mauritania: Former head of state (1979-80) Mohamed Mahmoud Ould Louly dies.
Slovakia: In presidential elections, Zuzana Caputová wins 40.6% of the vote, Maros Sefcovic 18.7%, Stefan Harabin 14.3%, and Marian Kotleba 10.4%; turnout is 48.7%. In a runoff on March 30, Caputová wins 58.4% and Sefcovic 41.6%; turnout is 41.8%.

17

India: The chief minister of Goa, Manohar Parrikar, dies. Early on March 19 Pramod Sawant is sworn in as chief minister. He wins a confidence vote in the state assembly (20-15) on March 20.
Venezuela: President Nicolás Maduro asks his cabinet to resign.

18


Lapin
Haiti: The Chamber of Deputies votes 93-6 to dismiss the government of Prime Minister Jean-Henry Céant. Alleging the unconstitutionality of the motion, Céant says he will remain in office. However, on March 21 he resigns and President Jovenel Moïse names Jean Michel Lapin acting prime minister.

19

Kazakhstan: President Nursultan Nazarbayev resigns, effective March 20, when the chairman of the Senate, Kasymzhomart Tokayev, is sworn in as president, to complete Nazarbayev's term which ends in April 2020.

Teksler
Khorokhordin
Khasikov
Pasler
Chibis
Russia: President Vladimir Putin accepts the resignation of the governor of Chelyabinsk oblast, Boris Dubrovsky, and appoints Aleksey Teksler as acting governor. On March 20 Putin accepts the resignation of the head of the republic, chairman of the government of Altay, Aleksandr Berdnikov, and of the head of the republic of Kalmykia, Aleksey Orlov, and appoints Oleg Khorokhordin and Batu Khasikov, respectively, as acting heads. On March 21 Putin accepts the resignation of the governors of Orenburg oblast, Yury Berg, and Murmansk oblast, Marina Kovtun, and appoints Denis Pasler and Andrey Chibis, respectively, as acting governors.
United States: In mayoral elections in Jacksonville, incumbent Lenny Curry wins 57.6% of the vote, Anna Lopez Brosche 24.1%, and Omega Allen 10.5%. Turnout is 24.5%.

20

Bonaire: In elections to the Island Council, the Movement of Bonaire People wins 40.4% of the vote (4 of 9 seats), the Bonaire Democratic Party 24.1% (3), and the Bonaire Patriotic Union 20.3% (2). Turnout is 66.7%.

Solinas
Italy: Christian Solinas takes office as president of Sardegna.
Saba: In elections to the Island Council, the Windward Islands People's Movement wins 79.2% of the vote and all 5 seats.
Vanuatu: Former foreign minister (1983, 1987-91, 1998) and prime minister (1991, 1998-99) Donald Kalpokas dies.

21


Bodha
Mauritius: Foreign Minister Vishnu Lutchmeenaraidoo resigns. On March 22 the minister of public infrastructure and land transport, Nando Bodha, is also appointed foreign minister.

22

Guyana: The Court of Appeal overturns the no-confidence vote of Dec. 21, 2018, against the goverment of Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, reversing a Jan. 31, 2019, decision of the High Court upholding that vote. The decision will now be appealed to the Caribbean Court of Justice.
Nigeria: The Election Petition Tribunal of the state of Osun invalidates the September 2018 election of Gboyega Oyetola (All Progressives Congress) as governor and declares Ademola Adeleke (People's Democratic Party) as the winner of that election. Oyetola appeals the judgment.

23

Australia: In parliamentary elections in New South Wales, the Labor Party wins 33.3% of the vote for the Legislative Assembly (36 of 93 seats), the Liberal Party 32.0% (35), the National Party 9.6% (13), the Greens 9.6% (3), and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party 3.5% (3); turnout is 89.4%. For the Legislative Council, the Liberal-National coalition wins 34.8% of the vote (8 of 21 seats up for election, for a total of 17 of 42), the Labor Party 29.7% (7 for a total of 14), the Greens 9.7% (2 for a total of 4), One Nation 6.9% (2 for a total of 2), and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party 5.5% (1 for a total of 2); turnout is 90.2%.

24

Comoros: In presidential elections, incumbent Azali Assoumani wins 59.1% of the vote, Ahamada Mahamoudou 15.7%, and Mouigni Baraka Said Soilihi 5.5%. Turnout is 53.8%. Results of gubernatorial elections (first round; runoffs to be held on April 21): Italy: In presidential elections in Basilicata, Vito Bardi (centre-right) is elected with 42.2% of the vote, while Carlo Trerotola (centre-left) wins 33.1% and Antonio Mattia (Five Star Movement) 20.3%. Turnout is 53.6%.
Thailand: In parliamentary elections, Palang Pracharat wins 23.8% of the vote (119 of 500 seats), Pheu Thai 22.3% (135), the Future Forward Party 17.6% (88), Bhumjaithai 11.1% (55), and the Democrat Party 10.5% (52). Turnout is 69.7%.

25

Sierra Leone: Former foreign minister (1996) Melvin Chalobah dies.

27

North Atlantic Treaty Organization: The mandate of the secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, is extended for two additional years (until Sept. 30, 2022).
Yemen: Former prime minister of Yemen (Sana) (1963 and [acting] 1975) Abdul Latif Dayfallah dies.

29

Philippines: The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao is inaugurated and Sheikh Khalifa Nando is appointed wali (ceremonial head).

31

Italy: Former president of Valle d'Aosta (1970-74) Cesare Dujany dies.
Norfolk Island: Former administrator (1979-81) Peter Coleman dies.
Ukraine: In the first round of presidential elections, Volodymyr Zelensky wins 30.6% of the vote, incumbent Petro Poroshenko 16.1%, Yuliya Tymoshenko 13.6%, Yuriy Boyko 11.8%, and Anatoliy Hrytsenko 7.0%. Turnout is 63.5%. The runoff will be held on April 21.