Rulers
February 2001
1
Neves | 
Sousa |
Cape Verde: José Maria Neves takes office as prime minister. He is also defense minister. Manuel Inocęncio Sousa becomes foreign minister, Carlos Augusto Duarte Burgo finance minister, and Cristina Fontes interior minister.
Malaysia: The new federal territory of Putrajaya is created. Tan Sri Azizan Zainul Abidin heads the local authority.
United States: Scott McCallum is sworn in as governor of Wisconsin, replacing Tommy Thompson, who on February 2 takes office as secretary of health and human services, along with John Ashcroft as attorney general.
2
Dávila |
Venezuela: Foreign Minister José Vicente Rangel is designated to become defense minister. On February 4 Interior Minister Luis Alfonso Dávila is named foreign minister and Luis Miquilena interior minister.
4
Monaco: Former minister of state (1985-91) Jean Ausseil dies.
New Zealand: Former governor-general (1980-85) Sir David Stuart Beattie dies.
6
Matic |
Djibouti: Prime Minister Barkat Gourad Hamadou resigns.
Ghana: Former foreign minister (1958-59, 1963-65) Kojo Botsio dies.
Aristide |
Israel: Ariel Sharon wins 62.5% of the vote in prime ministerial elections against 37.4% for incumbent Ehud Barak. Turnout is 62%.
Vietnam: Former foreign minister of South Vietnam (1969-73) Tran Van Lam dies.
7
Bosnia and Herzegovina: The parliament refuses to confirm Prime Minister Martin Raguz. On February 13 Bozidar Matic is nominated for the post. He is confirmed on February 22. Zlatko Lagumdzija becomes foreign minister.
Haiti: Jean-Bertrand Aristide takes office as president. Several opposition parties, claiming the presidential election was fraudulent, do not recognize him and instead proclaim Gérard Gourgue as president. On February 9 Aristide designates Jean-Marie Chérestal as prime minister. Chérestal is approved by parliament on February 23.
Calvert |
Nepal: Ram Sharan Mahat is appointed finance minister.
Schneider |
Switzerland: Barbara Schneider becomes president of the government of Basel-Stadt.
8
Canada: Lorne Calvert (NDP) takes office as premier of Saskatchewan.
9
Guingona |
Philippines: Teofisto Guingona is sworn in as vice president and foreign secretary. Eduardo Ermita becomes acting defense secretary.
Thaksin | 
Surakiart |
Thailand: Parliament elects Thaksin Shinawatra as prime minister (340-127). On February 18 his cabinet is sworn in, including Surakiart Sathirathai as foreign minister, Chavalit Yongchaiyudh as defense minister, Purachai Piemsomboon as interior minister, and Somkid Jatusripitak as finance minister.
10
Australia: The Labor Party wins state elections in Western Australia with 37.4% of the vote, followed by the Liberal Party with 31.1%, Pauline Hanson's One Nation with 9.6%, and the Greens with 7.2%. On February 19 Geoff Gallop takes office as premier.
Gallop |
United States: Former New York City mayor (1974-78) Abraham D. Beame dies.
11
Cape Verde: In presidential elections, former prime ministers Pedro Pires (46.5%) and Carlos Veiga (45.9%) qualify for a runoff. Turnout is 51.6%. In the February 25 runoff, Pires wins with 49.43% of the vote against 49.42% for Veiga (17 votes difference). Turnout is 59%.
Liechtenstein: In parliamentary elections held February 9 and 11, the Progressive Citizens' Party wins 49.9% of the vote (13 of 25 seats), the Fatherland Union 41.4% (11), and the Free List 8.8% (1). Turnout is 86.7%.
13
Grimes |
Canada: Roger Grimes (Liberal) takes office as premier of Newfoundland.
India: The chief minister of Manipur, W. Nipamacha Singh, resigns. On February 15 Radhabinod Koijam is sworn in as chief minister.
14
Kuwait: In a cabinet reshuffle, Sheikh Jabir Mubarak Al Sabah becomes defense minister and Youssef al-Ibrahim finance minister.
16
Bulgaria: The parliament rejects (135-74) a no-confidence motion against the cabinet of Prime Minister Ivan Kostov.
17
Australia: The Labor Party wins state elections in Queensland with 48.9% of the vote (66 of 89 seats), followed by the Liberal Party with 14.3% (3), the National Party with 14.2% (12), Pauline Hanson's One Nation with 8.7% (3), and the Greens with 2.5% (0); independents win 5 seats.
19
Paraguay: Miguel Ángel Candia is named defense minister (sworn in February 26).
Ntshangase |
Swaziland: Abednego Ntshangase is named foreign minister and Majozi Sithole finance minister in a cabinet reshuffle.
20
Switzerland: Former president of the government of Zürich (1971-72, 1977-78) Albert Mossdorf dies.
21
Colombia: Interior Minister Humberto de la Calle resigns. The next day Armando Estrada Villa is named interior minister.
22
Malaysia: Tun Datuk Patinggi Abang Muhammad Salahuddin is sworn in as head of state of Sarawak.
23
The Sudan: A new government is formed with Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein as interior minister and Abdel Rahim Hamdi as finance minister.
Tuvalu: Parliament elects Faimalaga Luka prime minister. He is sworn in the next day.
25
Chad: In a cabinet reshuffle, Mahamat Louani becomes finance minister and Mahamat Nouri defense minister.
Moldova: In parliamentary elections, the Communist Party wins 49.9% of the vote, followed by the Braghis Alliance with 13.4% and the Christian Democratic People's Party with 8.3%. Turnout is 69%.
28
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Karlo Filipovic is elected president of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Spain: Mariano Rajoy is sworn in as interior minister.
