Rulers

June 2006

1


Balcytis
Lithuania: Prime Minister Algirdas Brazauskas hands in his resignation and President Valdas Adamkus appoints Finance Minister Zigmantas Balcytis as acting prime minister. On June 15 Adamkus nominates Balcytis as new prime minister. On June 20 the candidacy fails to win the necessary absolute majority in parliament when 52 legislators vote for Balcytis, 48 against, and 32 abstain. On June 29 Adamkus nominates Defense Minister Gediminas Kirkilas as prime minister.

Banda
Malawi: In a cabinet reshuffle, Joyce Banda becomes foreign minister, Davis Katsonga defense minister, and Bob Khamisa minister of home affairs and internal security.
Nigeria: Internal Affairs Minister Magaji Mohammed resigns. On June 21 Foreign Minister Oluyemi Adeniji is appointed internal affairs minister, Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is moved to foreign affairs, and Nenadi Usman becomes finance minister.
Switzerland: Jakob Brunnschweiler becomes Landammann of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Sylvie Perrinjaquet president of the Council of State of Neuchâtel, Karin Keller-Sutter president of the government of Sankt Gallen, Kaspar Schläpfer president of the government of Thurgau, and Markus Stadler Landammann of Uri.
Timor-Leste: Interior Minister Rogério Lobato and Defense Minister Roque Rodrigues resign. Deputy Interior Minister Alcino Barris replaces Lobato on June 2 while Foreign Minister José Ramos-Horta takes over as interim defense minister. Ramos-Horta resigns from both posts on June 25. On June 26 Prime Minister Mari Alkatiri resigns, effective immediately, and Ramos-Horta becomes cabinet coordinator.
Uganda: A new cabinet is named including Crispus Kiyonga as defense minister.

2

Anguilla: Governor Alan Huckle departs. Deputy Governor Mark Capes becomes acting governor.

Göncz
Hungary: A new cabinet is announced, including Kinga Göncz as foreign minister and Imre Szekeres as defense minister. Interior Minister Mónika Lamperth is appointed as minister of local governments and regions as her old ministry is scrapped. The new ministers are sworn in on June 9.

Lewis

Buffett

Plakida
Montserrat: Lowell Lewis is sworn in as chief minister. He also takes the finance portfolio.
Norfolk Island: David Ernest Buffett is appointed chief minister.
Ukraine: The Supreme Council of Crimea appoints Viktor Plakida as prime minister.

3

Czech Republic: In parliamentary elections held June 2-3, the Civic Democratic Party wins 35.4% of the vote (81 of 200 seats), the Social Democratic Party 32.3% (74), the Communist Party 12.8% (26), the Christian Democratic Union-People's Party 7.2% (13), and the Greens 6.3% (6). Turnout is 64.5%. On June 5 President Václav Klaus asks Civic Democrat leader Mirek Topolánek to form a government.
Serbia and Montenegro: Montenegro declares its independence. On June 4 the president of Serbia and Montenegro, Svetozar Marovic, announces the termination of his office. On June 5 Serbia acknowledges the end of the union, declaring itself its legal successor. The federation's foreign and defense ministers, Vuk Draskovic and Zoran Stankovic, become foreign and defense minister respectively of Serbia.

4

Peru: In the presidential election runoff, Alan García wins 52.6% of the vote and Ollanta Humala 47.4%. Turnout is 87.7%.
San Marino: In parliamentary elections, the Christian Democratic Party wins 32.9% of the vote (21 of 60 seats), the Party of Socialists and Democrats 31.9% (20), the Popular Alliance 11.9% (7), the United Left 8.7% (5), and the New Socialist Party 5.4% (3). Turnout is 71.8%.

5


Sverrisdóttir
Iceland: Prime Minister Halldór Ásgrímsson announces his resignation. Foreign Minister Geir H. Haarde is to take over his post. Valgerdur Sverrisdóttir is named on June 10 as the new foreign minister. The new cabinet takes over on June 15.

6


Clérismé
Haiti: Prime minister-designate Jacques-Édouard Alexis unveils his cabinet including Rénald Clérismé as foreign minister, Daniel Dorsainvil as finance minister, and Paul Antoine Bien-Aimé as interior minister. The cabinet is approved by the Senate and, on June 7, by the lower house and is sworn in on June 9.
Switzerland: Werner Luginbühl is elected president of the government of Bern.

8


Lillikas
Cyprus: In a cabinet reshuffle, Giorgos Lillikas is named foreign minister and Phivos Klokkaris defense minister. They are sworn in on June 13.
Ghana: Former foreign minister (1979-81) Isaac K. Chinebuah dies.
Iraq: Gen. Abdel Qader Jassim is appointed defense minister and Jawad Bolani interior minister. They are approved by parliament the same day.
Laos: The National Assembly elects Choummaly Sayasone as president and Boungnang Vorachith as vice president. Bouasone Bouphavanh is appointed prime minister. Thongloun Sisoulith becomes foreign minister.

11

São Tomé and Príncipe: The president of the regional government of Príncipe, Zeferino dos Prazeres, resigns. On June 20 the national government announces a new provisional regional government headed by João Paulo Cassandra.

12

Guadeloupe: Jean-Jacques Brot takes office as prefect.
Serbia: The head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), Søren Jessen-Petersen, announces he will leave his post at the end of the month. His principal deputy Steven Schook becomes acting head of UNMIK on June 30.

13

Canada: In elections in Nova Scotia, the Progressive Conservative Party wins 39.6% of the vote (23 of 52 seats), the New Democratic Party 34.5% (20), and the Liberal Party 23.6% (9). Turnout is 59.9%.
Gibraltar: Sir Robert Fulton is appointed governor. He is expected to take office in September.
Ireland: Former prime minister (1979-81, 1982, 1987-92) Charles Haughey dies.

14

Jersey: Andrew Ridgway is sworn in as lieutenant governor.

15

Honduras: Rebeca Santos is named finance minister.

Gavai

Rymbai
India: R.S. Gavai is appointed as governor of Bihar. He is sworn in on June 22.
India: J. Dringwell Rymbai is sworn in as chief minister of Meghalaya following the resignation of D.D. Lapang.

17


Umarov
Russia: The president of separatist Chechnya, Abdul-Khalim Sadulayev, is killed in a Russian police operation. He is succeeded by the vice president, Doku Umarov. On June 27 Umarov names Shamil Basayev as vice president and government chairman.
Russia: Former head of the republic of Altay (2002-06) Mikhail Lapshin dies.
Slovakia: In parliamentary elections, the Smer (Direction) party wins 29.1% of the vote (50 of 150 seats), Prime Minister Mikulás Dzurinda's Slovak Democratic and Christian Union-Democratic Party 18.4% (31), the Slovak National Party 11.7% (20), the Party of the Hungarian Coalition 11.7% (20), the People's Party-Movement for a Democratic Slovakia 8.8% (15), and the Christian Democratic Movement 8.3% (14). Turnout is 54.7%. On June 19 President Ivan Gasparovic asks Smer leader Robert Fico to form a government.

18

Mexico: Former governor of Michoacán (1962-68) Agustín Arriaga Rivera dies.

19


Yarin
Russia: President Arsen Kanokov of Kabardino-Balkariya accepts the resignation of Prime Minister Gennady Gubin and names Anuar Chechenov as acting prime minister, while submitting to parliament his nomination of Andrey Yarin as new prime minister. Yarin is approved by parliament on June 22 (94-2).

20

Canada: Mayann E. Francis is appointed as the next lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia.
Guam: Former governor (1961-63) Bill Daniel dies.
Montenegro: A defense ministry is set up. Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic will hold the office of defense minister until the parliamentary elections to be held in the autumn.

22

Congo (Kinshasa): Former foreign minister of Zaire (1987-88) Ekila Liyonda dies.
Vatican City: Secretary of State Angelo Cardinal Sodano resigns. He is to be succeeded on September 15 by Tarcisio Cardinal Bertone.

23

Papua New Guinea: John Hickey is sworn in as finance minister.
Poland: Prime Minister Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz sacks his finance minister, Zyta Gilowska, and designates Pawel Wojciechowski to succeed her; he is formally appointed on June 24.
United States: Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta resigns, effective July 7.

24

Venezuela: President Hugo Chávez names Gen. Raúl Baduel as the next defense minister.

N. Minh Triet

N. Tan Dung

P. Gia Khiem
Vietnam: President Tran Duc Luong and Prime Minister Phan Van Khai resign. On June 27 Nguyen Minh Triet is approved as president by the National Assembly. He then nominates Nguyen Tan Dung as prime minister, who is confirmed the same day. On June 28 the legislature approves the prime minister's recommendations for several cabinet positions, including Pham Gia Khiem as foreign minister, Phung Quang Thanh as defense minister, and Vu Van Ninh as finance minister.

27

Taiwan: Parliament fails to approve a recall motion against President Chen Shui-bian (119 votes for, 0 against, 14 invalid votes, and 88 members absent; 148 votes were required to adopt the motion).

28

Romania: Prime Minister Calin Popescu-Tariceanu's government defeats (235-145) a no-confidence motion in parliament.
Tunisia: Former foreign minister (1987-88) Mahmoud Mestiri dies.
United States: The Senate approves (by voice vote) the nomination of Henry M. Paulson, Jr., as treasury secretary. On June 29 John Snow formally resigns as treasury secretary, and Deputy Secretary Robert M. Kimmitt becomes acting secretary until Paulson is sworn in.

29

Kuwait: Parliamentary elections are held. There are no parties, but 36 of the 50 elected candidates are described as reformers. Turnout is 66.4%.
The Netherlands: Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende announces the resignation of his government, formally tendered on June 30.
Taiwan: Ho Chih-chin is appointed finance minister.

30

Portugal: Foreign Minister Diogo Freitas do Amaral resigns. Prime Minister José Sócrates proposes Defense Minister Luís Amado as foreign minister and Nuno Severiano Teixeira to take over the defense portfolio, a choice that is approved the same day by President Aníbal Cavaco Silva.