Rulers
August 2020
1
China: Xin Changxing is appointed acting governor of Qinghai.
2
Guyana: The Elections Commission declares Irfaan Ali president-elect, the final result of the March 2 election, following a recount in May, giving the People's Progressive Party/Civic 51.1% of the vote (33 of 65 seats) and A Partnership for National Unity-Alliance for Change 47.7% (31). Ali is sworn in later that day, with Bharrat Jagdeo as vice president and Mark Phillips as prime minister. New ministers are appointed and sworn in on August 5, including Hugh Todd as foreign minister and Robeson Benn as home affairs minister; there is no announcement on the finance portfolio.
Wehbe |
3
Lebanon: Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti resigns. Charbel Wehbe is appointed to replace him.
Pakistan: Former governor of Gilgit-Baltistan (2011-15) Pir Karam Ali Shah dies.
4
China: Former governor of Fujian (1983-87) Hu Ping dies.
Bakayoko |
Côte d'Ivoire: Hamed Bakayoko takes office as prime minister.
Martos |
Peru: Prime Minister Pedro Cateriano loses a confidence vote in Congress (54-37) and resigns. On August 6 Walter Martos is appointed and sworn in as prime minister, with Jorge Chávez replacing him as defense minister, other key ministers remaining in place. On August 11 the government wins a confidence vote (115-5).
Russia: The prime minister of Adygeya, Aleksandr Narolin, resigns.
5
India: Former chief minister of Maharashtra (1985-86) Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar dies.
Sri Lanka: In parliamentary elections, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna wins 59.1% of the vote (145 of 225 seats), the Samagi Jana Balawegaya 23.9% (54), the Jathika Jana Balawegaya 3.8% (3), and the Tamil National Alliance 2.8% (10). Turnout is about 71%. On August 9 Mahinda Rajapakse is again sworn in as prime minister. On August 12 the new cabinet is announced with President Gotabaya Rajapakse as defense minister, the prime minister retaining the finance portfolio, and Dinesh Gunawardene remaining foreign minister.
6
Canada: The premier of Nova Scotia, Stephen McNeil, announces his resignation. The provincial Liberal Party later announces that it will select its new leader in February 2021.
Sinha |
India: President Ram Nath Kovind accepts the resignation of the lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Girish Chandra Murmu, and appoints Manoj Sinha to replace him (sworn in August 7).
Bilal |
Mauritania: The government of Prime Minister Ismail Ould Bedda Ould Cheikh Sidiya resigns. Mohamed Ould Bilal is appointed as prime minister. His cabinet is announced on August 9 with no change in key portfolios.
Thailand: Predee Daochai is appointed as finance minister in a cabinet reshuffle (sworn in August 12).
7
Vietnam: Former general secretary of the Communist Party (1997-2001) Le Kha Phieu dies.
8
Japan: Former governor of Yamanashi (1979-91) Komei Mochizuki dies.
United States: In mayoral elections in Honolulu, Rick Blangiardi wins 25.3% of the vote, Keith Amemiya 20.0%, Colleen Hanabusa 18.2%, Kym Marcos Pine 14.5%, and Mufi Hannemann 9.8%. The runoff will be held on November 3.
9
Belarus: In presidential elections, incumbent Alyaksandr Lukashenka wins 80.1% of the vote and Svetlana Tikhanovskaya 10.1%. Turnout is 84.2%. On August 19 Lukashenka reappoints Roman Golovchenko as prime minister with an unchanged government.
Mexico: Former governor of Baja California (1989) Óscar Baylón Chacón dies.
10
Rochatte |
Guadeloupe: Alexandre Rochatte takes office as prefect.
Lebanon: Finance Minister Ghazi Wazni resigns. Later in the day Prime Minister Hassan Diab announces the resignation of his government. On August 31 President Michel Aoun designates Mustapha Adib to form a new government.
Browne |
Trinidad and Tobago: In parliamentary elections, the ruling People's National Movement wins 49.1% of the vote (22 of 41 seats) and the United National Congress 47.1% (19). Turnout is 58.0%. On August 19 Prime Minister Keith Rowley's new cabinet is named with Amery Browne as foreign minister (sworn in August 25), other key ministers remaining in place.
12
Egypt: In the first round of elections to a newly created Senate held August 11-12 (turnout 14.2%), the list of the pro-government Mostaqbal Watan Party wins all 100 party seats; another 100 seats are filled by individual candidates, and there will be 100 presidential appointees for a total of 300 seats. Runoffs for 26 individual seats will take place on September 8-9.
13
Kim |
North Korea: Kim Tok Hun is appointed as premier.
Osmani |
North Macedonia: President Stevo Pendarovski asks Zoran Zaev to form a new government. On August 19 Zaev's proposed government is announced with Bujar Osmani as foreign minister, Oliver Spasovski as interior minister, Fatmir Besimi as finance minister, and Radmila Sekerinska remaining defense minister. It is elected in parliament (62-51) on August 30.
14
Equatorial Guinea: The government of Prime Minister Francisco Pascual Obama Asue resigns. On August 17 Obama Asue is reappointed as prime minister (sworn in August 18). On August 19 the new government is named, including Victoriano Bibang Nsue Okomo as defense minister, other key posts being unchanged.
United States: Former governor of Illinois (1977-91) James R. Thompson dies.
15
Nigeria: Former governor of Gongola (1983) Wilberforce Juta dies.
16
Abinader | 
Álvarez |
Dominican Republic: Luis Abinader is sworn in as president. His cabinet includes Roberto Álvarez as foreign minister, Carlos Luciano Díaz Morfa as defense minister, Jesús Vásquez Martínez as interior minister, and José Manuel Vicente Dubocq as finance minister.
17
Belgium: Bart De Wever and Paul Magnette resign as préformateurs. On August 18 the king charges Egbert Lachaert with the same mission.
Canada: Finance Minister Bill Morneau resigns. On August 18 Chrystia Freeland is sworn in as finance minister.
Nigeria: The Petition Tribunal of Bayelsa nullifies the election of Douye Diri as governor of the state (see Nov. 16, 2019, and Feb. 13, 2020) and orders a new gubernatorial election within 90 days.
18
Ethiopia: In a cabinet reshuffle, Kenea Yadeta is named defense minister.
India: Satya Pal Malik is appointed as governor of Meghalaya and Bhagat Singh Koshiyari, the governor of Maharashtra, receives the additional charge of Goa; both are sworn in on August 19.
Goita | 
Busaidi |
Mali: A military coup forces the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita and the dissolution of the government of Prime Minister Boubou Cissé. A National Committee for the Salvation of the People takes power; on August 19 Col. Assimi Goita is appointed its chairman. On August 27 Goita is proclaimed head of state.
Oman: In a government restructuring, Badr ibn Hamad ibn Hamoud Al Busaidi is appointed foreign minister and Sultan ibn Salem ibn Saeed al-Habsi finance minister. The new government is sworn in on August 26.
Nascimento |
São Tomé and Príncipe: Filipe Nascimento takes office as president of the regional government of Príncipe.
United States: In mayoral elections in Miami-Dade County, Esteban Bovo wins 29.4% of the vote, Daniella Levine Cava 28.8%, former mayor Alex Penelas 24.5%, and former Miami mayor Xavier Suarez 10.5%. The runoff will be held on November 3.
19
Furey |
Canada: Andrew Furey is sworn in as premier of Newfoundland and Labrador.
20
Honduras: Marco Antonio Midence Milla is sworn in as finance minister following the resignation of Rocío Tábora.
Montenegro: Former president of the Presidency (1989-90) Branko Kostic (also acting president of the Presidency of Yugoslavia 1991-92) dies.
Rau |
Poland: Foreign Minister Jacek Czaputowicz resigns. Zbigniew Rau is named to replace him; on August 26 he is appointed by the president and sworn in.
21
Cook Islands: Tui Dewes is named high commissioner.
22
Australia: In parliamentary elections in the Northern Territory, the Australian Labor Party wins 39.4% of the vote (14 of 25 seats), the Country Liberal Party 31.3% (8), the Territory Alliance 12.9% (1), and independents 10.7% (2). Turnout is 74.9%.
South Africa: Former acting premier of Western Cape (2002) Piet Meyer dies.
Switzerland: Former Landammann of Uri (1980-82) Hans Danioth dies.
23
Nigeria: Former administrator of Jigawa (1991-92) Olayinka Sule dies.
24
Congo (Brazzaville): Former prime minister (1963-66) and president (1992-97) Pascal Lissouba dies.
Tunisia: Prime minister-designate Hichem Mechichi names his government with Othman Jerandi as foreign minister, Ibrahim Bartagi as defense minister, Taoufik Charfeddine as interior minister, and Ali Kooli as finance minister.
25
Syria: President Bashar al-Assad designates Hussein Arnous to form a new government. On August 30 his government is named with Kinan Yaghi as finance minister, the foreign, defense, and interior ministers remaining in place.
United States: President Donald Trump nominates Chad Wolf (the acting secretary) as secretary of homeland security.
United States: In mayoral elections in Tulsa, incumbent G.T. Bynum wins 51.9% of the vote, Greg Robinson 28.8%, and Ken Reddick 13.8%.
26
Kwape |
Botswana: President Mokgweetsi Masisi dismisses Foreign Minister Unity Dow, replacing her with Lemogang Kwape in a small reshuffle.
Lakhani |
Canada: Salma Lakhani is sworn in as lieutenant governor of Alberta.
Namibia: Former chairman of the Council of Ministers (1980-83) and chairman of the Transitional Government of National Unity (1986, 1988) Dirk Mudge dies.
27
Kuwait: Finance Minister Barrak al-Shitan says he has tendered his resignation. On August 12 the parliament rejected a no-confidence motion against him (32-12).
28
Brazil: The governor of Rio de Janeiro, Wilson Witzel, is suspended for 180 days. Cláudio Castro becomes acting governor.
Georgia: The president of South Ossetia, Anatoly Bibilov, removes Interior Minister Igor Naniyev and appoints Merab Pukhayev acting minister.
Japan: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announces his resignation.
South Korea: Gen. Suh Wook is nominated as defense minister.
Libya: Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj suspends Interior Minister Fathi Bashagha and names Khalid Ahmad Mazen as acting minister. On August 29 al-Sarraj appoints Salah al-Namroush as defense minister.
29
Bekoyev |
Georgia: The president of South Ossetia, Anatoly Bibilov, dismisses the government of Prime Minister Erik Pukhayev and names Gennady Bekoyev acting prime minister.
Switzerland: Former Landammann of Zug (1983-84) Georg Stucky dies.
30
India: Former Indian political officer in Sikkim (1970-74) Kayatyani Shankar Bajpai dies.
Montenegro: In parliamentary elections, the Democratic Party of Socialists wins 35.1% of the vote (30 of 81 seats), the coalition For the Future of Montenegro 32.5% (27), the coalition Peace is Our Nation 12.5% (10), and the coalition Black and White 5.5% (4). Turnout is 76.6%.
31
India: Former foreign minister (1995-96, 2006-09) and president (2012-17) Pranab Mukherjee dies.
Romania: The government of Prime Minister Ludovic Orban survives a no-confidence motion, which fails for lack of a quorum.
Sri Lanka: A.J.M. Muzammil is appointed and sworn in as governor of Uva province and Raja Collure as governor of North Western province.
