September 1996

1

Lebanon: In the third round of parliamentary elections, supporters of Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri win 14 of the 19 Beirut seats. Turnout is estimated at 31%.

2

Congo: Prime Minister David Charles Ganao announces his cabinet with Gen. François Ayayen as defense minister; Arsène Tsaty Boungou remains foreign minister, Philippe Bikinkita interior minister, and Guila Mougounga Kombo finance minister.

3

Liberia: Ruth Perry is sworn in as chairwoman of the Council of State. On September 16 Monie Captan is named foreign minister.

4

Solomon Islands: David Sitai becomes foreign minister.

5

Madagascar: The High Constitutional Court upholds a July parliamentary move to force President Albert Zafy from office. An hour later Zafy announces his resignation. Prime Minister Norbert Ratsirahonana becomes interim president. In a cabinet change on September 13 Evariste Marson becomes foreign minister.
Peru: The minister of the presidency, Jaime Yoshiyama, hands in his resignation. He is succeeded on September 9 by Daniel Hokama.

Wijdenbosch

Radhakishun

Suriname: The United People's Assembly (VVV), which includes over 800 national and regional politicians, elects Jules Wijdenbosch president with 438 votes to 407 for incumbent Ronald Venetiaan. Wijdenbosch takes office September 15. His vice president is Pretaapnarian Radhakishun. Wijdenbosch subsequently appoints a new government with Faried Pierkhan as foreign minister, Ramon Dwarka Panday as defense minister, Sonny Kertoidjojo as interior minister, and Motilal Mungra as finance minister.

7

United States: Former secretary of health, education and welfare (1958-61) Arthur Flemming dies.

8

Lebanon: In the fourth round of parliamentary elections, the joint Hezbollah-Amal ticket wins most of the 23 southern Lebanon seats in the 128-member National Assembly.

10

Colombia: Vice President Humberto de la Calle resigns, urging embattled President Ernesto Samper to do the same. On September 19 Congress elects Carlos Lemos Simmonds as new vice president.

12

Brazil: Former president (1974-79) Ernesto Geisel dies.

13

Chile: Former junta member César Mendoza Durán dies.
China: Former Hunan governor (1950-52) Wang Shoudao dies.

14

Bosnia and Herzegovina: In elections to a new three-member presidency, President Alija Izetbegovic receives 731,000 votes, followed by Momcilo Krajisnik (691,000), Kresimir Zubak (330,000), Mladen Ivanic (307,000), and former prime minister Haris Silajdzic (124,000). As the top vote-getters from each of the country's main ethnic groups, Izetbegovic (Muslim), Krajisnik (Serb), and Zubak (Croat) will make up the presidency. Because he received the largest number of votes, Izetbegovic will be the first chairman of the presidency, serving for a two-year period, after which the chair is to rotate in eight-month intervals. As a result of parliamentary elections, the main nationalist parties - the (Muslim) Party of Democratic Action (SDA), the Serb Democratic Party (SDS), and the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) - will dominate the House of Representatives. The SDA wins 37.8% of the vote (19 out of 42 seats), the SDS 24% (9 seats), and the HDZ 14% (8 seats). Turnout is 73%. In the Republika Srpska, Biljana Plavsic is reelected president with 59.2% of the vote, against 18.4% for Adib Djozic and 15.6% for Zivko Radisic.

15

Lebanon: The fifth and final round of parliamentary elections, in the Bekaa Valley, results in a sweeping victory of a pro-Syrian coalition. All except one of the 23-member coalition list win, including five candidates of the Iran-backed Hezbollah, two of the rival Shi`ite Amal movement and six ministers in the present government of Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. In the whole five-phase balloting, pro-Syrian and government-favoured candidates secured an overwhelming majority in the incoming 128-member National Assembly.

17

United States: Spiro T. Agnew, former governor of Maryland (1967-69) and vice president (1969-73), dies.

18

Spain: Miguel Sanz Sesma becomes president of the government of Navarra autonomous community.

19

Cameroon: President Paul Biya sacks Prime Minister Simon Achidi Achu and replaces him with Peter Mafany Musonge. Édouard Akame Mfoumou becomes finance minister.
India: The government of Gujarat under Chief Minister Suresh Mehta is sacked on recommendation of Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, and federal rule is imposed over the state.

20

Estonia: President Lennart Meri wins reelection in the second round of voting by an electoral college, comprised of 101 MPs and 273 local government representatives. Of 372 votes, he receives 196, compared to 126 for Arnold Rüütel. In the first round he failed to get a majority, receiving 139 out of 372 votes, followed by 85 votes for Rüütel, 76 for Tunne Kelam, 47 for Enn Tõugu, and 25 for Siiri Oviir.
Zambia: Former foreign minister (1967-68) Reuben Kamanga dies.

22

St. Luce

Algeria: Former prime minister (1979-84) Mohamed Ben Ahmed Abdelghani dies.
Antigua and Barbuda: Finance Minister Molwyn Joseph resigns. He is succeeded by John St. Luce.
Armenia: The presidential election is won by incumbent Levon Ter-Petrosyan with 51.8% of the vote to 41.3% for former premier Vazgen Manukyan, 6.3% for Communist Sergey Badalyan, and 0.6% for Ashot Manucharyan. Turnout is 60.3%.
Greece: Prime Minister Kostas Simitis' Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) wins parliamentary elections with 41.5% of the vote (162 out of 300 seats), followed by the conservative New Democracy led by Miltiadis Evert with 38.1% (108 seats), the Communist KKE with 5.6% (11 seats), the Coalition of the Left with 5.1% (10 seats), and the Democratic Social Movement with 4.4% (9 seats). In a cabinet reshuffle announced on September 24 Simitis moves Akis Tsochatzopoulos from the interior to the defense ministry, Alekos Papadopoulos is moved from finance to interior, and Yiannos Papantoniou becomes finance minister.

24

Palau: In the presidential primary elections, Kuniwo Nakamura wins 52.7% of the vote, Johnson Toribiong 33.2%, and Ibedul Yutaka Gibbons 14.1%.

26

Algeria: Finance Minister Ahmed Benbitour is replaced by Abdelkrim Harchaoui.
The Gambia: Incumbent head of state Yahya Jammeh wins presidential elections with 55.5% of the vote, followed by Ousainou Darboe with 35.8%, Hamat Bah with 5.7%, and Sidia Jatta with 2.9%. Turnout is 82%. On September 28 Jammeh dissolves the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council.

M. Rabbani

27

Afghanistan: The Taliban militia takes over Kabul, ousting President Burhanuddin Rabbani and Prime Minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and hanging former (1987-92) president Mohammad Najibullah. The country is to be run by a six-man Supreme Council headed by Mullah Mohammad Rabbani, who appoints Mullah Mohammad Ghous as his foreign minister.

30

Canada: In elections in the Yukon Territory, the New Democratic Party (with 40% of the popular vote) wins 11 out of 17 seats, while Government Leader John Ostashek's Yukon Party (30%) and the Liberal Party (24%) win 3 each.
India: In state assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir held on September 7, 16, 21, and 30, the National Conference led by former chief minister Farooq Abdullah wins an absolute majority of 57 out of 87 seats; trailing far behind are the BJP with 8, Congress with 7, and the United Front with 4. Turnout is about 55%.
Vanuatu: Parliament passes (27-22) a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Maxime Carlot Korman and elects his predecessor Serge Vohor prime minister again. Willie Jimmy becomes foreign minister.