February 2011

1

Jordan: King Abdullah II dismisses the government of Prime Minister Samir al-Rifai and designates Marouf al-Bakhit as new prime minister. In the government sworn in on February 9, Bakhit also serves as defense minister; there is no change in other key ministries.
Mexico: Rafael Moreno Valle takes office as governor of Puebla.
Pakistan: Pir Karam Ali Shah is sworn in as governor of Gilgit-Baltistan.

3

Bosnia and Herzegovina: The Republika Srpska government of Prime Minister Aleksandar Dzombic takes office.
Malaysia: Former chief minister of Johor (1982-86) Datuk Abdul Ajib bin Ahmad dies.

Khanal

Nepal: Parliament elects a prime minister on the 17th attempt as Jhalanath Khanal secures 368 of 601 votes, against 122 for Ram Chandra Poudel and 67 for Bijaya Kumar Gachhadar. Khanal is sworn in on February 6. On February 12 he appoints Bharat Mohan Adhikari as finance minister.

4

Haiti: Former prime minister (1988) Martial Célestin dies.
Kyrgyzstan: Parliament approves Melis Mambetzhanov as finance minister.
Myanmar: The parliament elects Prime Minister Thein Sein as president. He wins 408 of 659 votes, against 171 for Tin Aung Myint Oo and 75 for Sai Mauk Kham, who become first and second vice president respectively.

6

Cape Verde: In parliamentary elections, the African Party for the Independence of Cape Verde wins 51.4% of the vote (38 of 72 seats), the Movement for Democracy 41.8% (32), and the Democratic and Independent Cape Verdean Union 4.5% (2). Turnout is 71.7%.
Fiji: Former president (2000-09) Ratu Josefa Iloilo dies.
Japan: In gubernatorial elections in Aichi, Hideaki Omura (50% of the vote) defeats Kazuhiko Shigetoku (18.2%), Shinichiro Misono (16.2%), and Michiyo Yakushiji (10.8%). Turnout is 52.5%.
Kuwait: The resignation of Interior Minister Sheikh Jabir Al Khaled Al Sabah is accepted and Sheikh Ahmad Al Humoud Al Sabah is appointed in his place.
Mexico: In gubernatorial elections in Baja California Sur, Marcos Covarrubias Villaseñor (National Action Party) wins 40.3% of the vote, Ricardo Barroso Agramont (Institutional Revolutionary Party) 33.5%, and Luis Armando Díaz (Party of the Democratic Revolution) 21.4%. Turnout is 60.1%.
Russia: The prime minister of Chuvashia, Nina Suslonova, resigns. Aleksandr Ivanov is appointed acting prime minister.

7

Botswana: Edwin Batshu becomes acting defense minister.

Ivanova

Russia: The head of the republic of Kalmykia, Aleksey Orlov, accepts the resignation of Prime Minister Oleg Kichikov. The following day he appoints Lyudmila Ivanova as acting prime minister. The parliament approves her as prime minister on February 15.
Togo: Col. Dokissima Gnama Latta is named security minister, replacing Col. Atcha Titikpina.

8

Pakistan: Masood Kausar is appointed governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He is sworn in on February 10.

11

Cook Islands: John Carter is named high commissioner, to take office in August.
Egypt: The resignation of President Hosni Mubarak is announced, power being taken over by the Armed Forces Supreme Council, headed by Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, the defense minister.

Khar

Pakistan: A new cabinet is sworn in, including Hina Rabbani Khar as minister of state for foreign affairs.

12

Mauritania: Thiam Diombar becomes finance minister in a cabinet reshuffle.
Pakistan: Former chief minister of Sindh (1949-50) and governor of West Pakistan (1969) Yusuf Haroon dies.

13

Chad: In parliamentary elections, the ruling Patriotic Salvation Movement wins 110 of 188 seats and two allies 21. Turnout is 56.6%.
Pakistan: Former governor of Sindh (1984-87) Jahandad Khan dies.

Kefi

Tunisia: Foreign Minister Ahmed Ounaïes resigns. On February 21 Mouldi Kefi is appointed as new foreign minister.

14

Palestine: Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and his cabinet resign. Fayyad is immediately asked to form a new cabinet.

17

Latvia: Interior Minister Linda Murniece resigns, effective February 28. On February 21 Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis accepts the resignation but asks her to remain in office until June 6.
New Caledonia: The government of President Philippe Gomès collapses with the resignation of the ministers of the Caledonian Union.

18

Philippines: Erlinda F. Basilio is named acting foreign secretary as Alberto Romulo takes an indefinite leave of absence. On February 24 Albert del Rosario is named as new acting foreign secretary.
Uganda: In presidential elections, incumbent Yoweri Museveni (National Resistance Movement) wins 68.4% of the vote, Kizza Besigye (Forum for Democratic Change) 26%, Norbert Mao (Democratic Party) 1.9%, and Olara Otunnu (Uganda People's Congress) 1.6%. Turnout is 59.3%.

19

Germany: Former governing mayor of West Berlin (1977-81) Dietrich Stobbe dies.

20

Germany: In state elections in Hamburg, the Social Democratic Party wins 48.4% of the vote (62 of 121 seats), the Christian Democratic Union 21.9% (28), the Greens 11.2% (14), the Free Democratic Party 6.7% (9), and The Left 6.4% (8). Turnout is 57.3%.
Saint Kitts and Nevis: Sir Fred Phillips, former administrator (1966-67) and governor (1967-69) of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla, dies.

21

Australia: Alex Chernov is appointed as governor of Victoria, to take office in April.
United States: Former governor of Delaware (1969-73) Russell W. Peterson dies.

22

Pacolli

Hoxhaj

Kosovo: Parliament elects Behgjet Pacolli, the only candidate, as president (62-4; in two earlier rounds of voting, when 80 votes were necessary, the voting was 54-11 and 58-7 respectively) and reelects Hashim Thaçi as prime minister (65-1). In the new government Enver Hoxhaj becomes foreign minister, Agim Çeku defense minister, and Bedri Hamza finance minister; Bajram Rexhepi continues as internal affairs minister.
Libya: Public Security Minister Abdel Fattah Younis resigns.
United States: In mayoral elections in Chicago, Rahm Emanuel wins 55.2% of the vote, Gery Chico 24%, Miguel del Valle 9.3%, and Carol Moseley Braun 9%. Emanuel is to take office May 16.

23

Guernsey: Lieutenant Governor Sir Fabian Malbon departs.
Panama: Former foreign minister (1969-76) Juan Antonio Tack dies.
United States: The mayor of Dallas, Tom Leppert, resigns effective February 25. Dwaine Caraway then becomes interim mayor.

25

Ireland: In parliamentary elections, Fine Gael wins 36.1% of first-preference votes (76 of 166 seats), Labour 19.4% (37), Fianna Fáil 17.4% (20), independents 12.6% (15), and Sinn Féin 9.9% (14). Turnout is 70%.
Papua New Guinea: Michael Ogio is sworn in as governor-general.

Ilyukhin

Temrezov

Russia: President Dmitry Medvedev accepts the resignation of the governor of Kamchatka kray, Aleksey Kuzmitsky, and appoints Vladimir Ilyukhin as acting governor. On February 26 Medvedev accepts the resignation of the president of Karachayevo-Cherkessia, Boris Ebzeyev, and appoints Rashid Temrezov as acting president. On February 28 Medvedev nominates incumbent Ramzan Kadyrov as head of the republic of Chechnya, Temrezov as president of Karachayevo-Cherkessia, Ilyukhin as governor of Kamchatka kray, and incumbent Sergey Morozov as governor of Ulyanovsk oblast.
Sint Maarten: Former administrator (1968-75) Reinier O. van Delden dies.

26

China: Wang Guosheng is elected governor of Hubei.

27

France: Foreign Minister Michèle Alliot-Marie resigns. In a cabinet reshuffle, Alain Juppé is named foreign minister, Gérard Longuet defense minister, and Claude Guéant interior minister. Guéant takes office February 28, the two others to follow on March 1.

Essebsi

Tunisia: Prime Minister Mohamed Ghannouchi resigns and is replaced by Béji Caïd Essebsi.
Turkey: Former prime minister (1996-97) Necmettin Erbakan dies.

28

Liberia: Former foreign minister (1983-86) Ernest Eastman dies.