Rulers
August 2019
1
Ravi |
Cameroon: Former prime minister (1991-92) Sadou Hayatou dies.
India: R.N. Ravi is sworn in as governor of Nagaland.
El Ghazouani | 
Sidiya |
Mauritania: Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani is sworn in as president. On August 3 the government of Prime Minister Mohamed Salem Ould Béchir resigns and Ismail Ould Bedda Ould Cheikh Sidiya is named prime minister (taking office August 5). In the government named on August 8, Hanena Ould Sidi becomes defense minister, Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug interior minister, and Mohamed Lemine Ould Dhehbi finance minister; Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed remains foreign minister.
Mexico: Miguel Barbosa Huerta takes office as governor of Puebla.
Dougan |
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Susan Dougan is sworn in as governor-general.
Switzerland: Former president of the Council of State of Genève (1983-84) Alain Borner dies.
United States: Quinton Lucas takes office as mayor of Kansas City.
United States: In mayoral elections in Nashville, John Cooper wins 35.0% of the vote, incumbent David Briley 25.3%, Carol M. Swain 21.9%, and John Ray Clemmons 16.1%. A runoff will be held September 12.
2
Canada: The lieutenant governor of New Brunswick, Jocelyne Roy-Vienneau, dies. Chief Justice Marc Richard becomes acting lieutenant governor.
Vázquez |
Puerto Rico: Governor Ricardo Rosselló formally resigns. Pedro Pierluisi, who was made secretary of state in a recess appointment on July 31 but has not yet been confirmed by the Senate, is sworn in as governor. On August 7 the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico rules his accession unconstitutional, and Justice Secretary Wanda Vázquez is sworn in as governor.
Chivite |
Spain: María Chivite is elected president of the government of Navarra (23-22). She takes office August 6.
3
Palau: Former president (1985 [acting], 1988) Thomas Remengesau dies.
5
Del Grande |
French Guiana: Marc Del Grande takes office as prefect.
India: The constitutional article providing for the special autonomy status of Jammu and Kashmir is revoked and legislation is introduced to split the state into two union territories, Ladakh and a smaller Jammu and Kashmir.
Italy: The government of Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte wins a confidence vote in the Senate (160-57). However, on August 8 the leader of the League party, Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, announces the breakup of the coalition and calls for new elections. On August 20 Conte tenders his resignation, which is accepted by President Sergio Mattarella. On August 29 Conte accepts the president's mandate to form a new government.
New Caledonia: Laurent Prévost takes office as high commissioner.
Sri Lanka: Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon is appointed and sworn in as governor of Central province, Hemal Gunasekara as governor of Southern province, and Satendra Maithri Gunaratne as governor of Uva.
6
India: Former chief minister of Delhi (1998) and foreign minister (2014-19) Sushma Swaraj dies.
7
Congo (Kinshasa): President Félix Tshisekedi appoints the elected governors of Sankuru and Sud-Ubangi, Joseph Stéphane Mukumadi and Jean-Claude Mabenze Gbey Benz.
Lithuania: President Gitanas Nauseda approves the new cabinet of Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis, including Rita Tamasuniene as interior minister.
Tunisia: Defense Minister Abdelkrim Zbidi says he will resign to run for president. On August 22 Prime Minister Youssef Chahed, also a candidate, delegates his powers to Public Service Minister Kamel Morjane until the end of the campaign (September 13).
8
Cook Islands: Sir Tom Marsters is reappointed as queen's representative.
French Polynesia: Dominique Sorain takes office as high commissioner.
9
Poland: Elzbieta Witek is dismissed as interior minister to become marshal of the Sejm. Mariusz Kaminski is named acting interior minister and designated for the substantive post, to which he is appointed on August 14.
11
Argentina: In gubernatorial elections in Santa Cruz, incumbent Alicia Kirchner (Front for All) wins 58.6% of the vote, Eduardo Costa (New Santa Cruz) 32.0%, and Daniel Peralta (Santa Cruz We Are All) 6.9%. Turnout is 71.2%.
Guatemala: In the presidential runoff, Alejandro Giammattei wins 58.0% of the vote and Sandra Torres 42.0%. Turnout is 42.7%. Giammattei will take office Jan. 14, 2020.
13
China: Former governor of Hubei (1986-90) Guo Zhenqian dies.
Congo (Kinshasa): The prime minister-designate, Sylvestre Ilunga Ilukamba, submits to President Félix Tshisekedi a list of his government nominees (names undisclosed); the president rejects it on August 14. On August 24 Ilunga submits a new list, but Tshisekedi requests further modifications. On August 26 the government is finally announced with Marie Tumba Nzeza as foreign minister, Aimé Ngoy Mukena as defense minister, Gilbert Kankonde Malamba as interior minister, and José Sele Yalaghuli as finance minister.
14
Díaz |
Spain: Isabel Díaz Ayuso is elected president of the government of Madrid (68-64). She takes office August 19.
15
Bovenschulte |
Germany: Andreas Bovenschulte is elected mayor of Bremen (47-35).
Italy: Former president of Campania (1995-99) Antonio Rastrelli dies.
Papua New Guinea: The Supreme Court (applied to by the opposition) rules that proper constitutional procedures were followed during the May 30 election of James Marape as prime minister.
Hamdok |
The Sudan: The opposition alliance nominates Abdalla Hamdok as prime minister. The power-sharing agreement is signed on August 17. On August 20 the composition of the Sovereignty Council is announced, to be headed for 21 months by Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan. Its members and the prime minister are sworn in on August 21.
17
Argentina: Finance Minister Nicolás Dujovne resigns. Hernán Lacunza is named to succeed him (sworn in August 20).
Food and Agriculture Organization: Former director-general (1994-2011) Jacques Diouf dies.
18
United States: Former governor of Louisiana (2004-08) Kathleen Blanco dies.
19
India: Former chief minister of Bihar (1975-77, 1980-83, 1989-90) Jagannath Mishra dies.
Deng Acuil |
South Sudan: Awut Deng Acuil is appointed foreign minister.
20
Nigeria: President Muhammadu Buhari announces the portfolios in his new cabinet (sworn in August 21) with Bashir Magashi as defense minister and Rauf Aregbesola as interior minister; Geoffrey Onyeama remains foreign minister and Zainab Ahmed finance minister.
21
India: Former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh (2004-05) Babulal Gaur dies.
22
The Gambia: In a cabinet reshuffle, Sheikh Omar Faye is appointed defense minister and Yankuba Sonko interior minister.
Kosovo: Considering the impossibility to form a new government following the July 22 resignation of Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, the parliament votes its dissolution (89-1).
23
North Macedonia: Prime Minister Zoran Zaev nominates Nina Angelovska as finance minister. On August 31 she is endorsed by parliament (64-18) and sworn in.
Romania: In a cabinet reshuffle, Mihai Fifor is nominated as interior minister. On August 28 President Klaus Johannis rejects the nominations and asks Prime Minister Viorica Dancila to get a confirmation vote for her new cabinet in parliament.
24
Aingimea |
Nauru: In parliamentary elections (turnout 95.8%), 19 nonpartisans are elected. President Baron Waqa loses his seat. On August 27 Lionel Aingimea is elected president, defeating David Adeang by 12 votes to 6. On August 28 Aingimea names his cabinet, including himself as foreign minister, Martin Hunt as finance minister, and Isabella Dageago as home affairs minister.
25
China: Ho Iat Seng is elected (392 votes out of the 400 members of the election committee) as chief executive of Macau, to take office December 20.
Georgia: In the first round of presidential elections in Abkhazia, incumbent Raul Khadjimba (Forum for the National Unity of Abkhazia) wins 26.4% of the vote, Alkhas Kvitsinia (Amtsakhara) 24.3%, and Oleg Arshba 24.0%. Turnout is 66.6%. A runoff is to be held on September 8.
Haiti: It is reported that Marjorie Alexandre Brunache has declined the nomination as foreign minister. On August 28 Claude Joseph is designated foreign minister.
Japan: In gubernatorial elections in Saitama, Motohiro Ono is elected with 47.9% of the vote, while Kenta Aoshima wins 44.9%. Turnout is 32.3%. Ono takes office on August 31.
27
France: Former president of the Regional Council of Aquitaine (1981-85) Philippe Madrelle dies.
The Gambia: Former premier (1962-63), prime minister (1963-70), and president (1970-94) Sir Dawda Jawara dies.
Andreu |
Spain: Concha Andreu is elected president of La Rioja (17-16). She takes office August 29.
29
Honcharuk | 
Prystaiko |
Ukraine: President Volodymyr Zelensky proposes Oleksiy Honcharuk as prime minister, Vadym Prystaiko as foreign minister, and Andriy Zahorodnyuk as defense minister. The same day parliament approves Honcharuk (290-27), Prystaiko (310-0), and Zahorodnyuk (314-25) and then the full cabinet (281-26), in which Arsen Avakov remains interior minister and Oksana Markarova finance minister.
Vatican City: Achille Cardinal Silvestrini, former foreign minister (1979-88), dies.
30
Canada: Former premier of Yukon (2002-11) Dennis Fentie dies.
Estonia: Prime Minister Jüri Ratas survives a no-confidence vote in parliament (defeated 55-40).
Poland: Finance Minister Marian Banas is appointed to another post; Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki takes over the duties of finance minister.
31
Faeroe Islands: In parliamentary elections, the People's Party wins 24.5% of the vote (8 of 33 seats), the Social Democratic Party 22.1% (7), the Union Party 20.3% (7), Republic 18.1% (6), the Centre Party 5.4% (2), Progress 4.6% (2), and Self-Government 3.4% (1). Turnout is 89.7%.