Rulers

April 2011

1

French Polynesia: Parliament votes (29-0) a no-confidence motion against the government of President Gaston Tong Sang. As designated in the motion, Oscar Temaru immediately becomes the new president. On April 5, Temaru presents his government with Antony Géros as vice-president and Pierre Frébault as finance minister.
Mexico: Ángel Aguirre Rivero takes office as governor of Guerrero and Francisco Olvera Ruiz as governor of Hidalgo.
New Caledonia: Parliament elects a new government with Harold Martin as president. For a third time, the government collapses on the same date with the resignation of some of its members.

Berti
Tamagnini
San Marino: Maria Luisa Berti (We Sammarinese) and Filippo Tamagnini (Christian Democrat) take office as captains-regent.
Switzerland: Urs Hofmann becomes Landammann of Aargau.

3


Kazykhanov
Andorra: In parliamentary elections, the Democrats for Andorra win 55.1% of the national-constituency vote (21 of 28 seats), the Social Democratic Party 34.8% (5), Andorra for Change 6.7% (0), and the Greens 3.4% (0); the Lauredian Union, only running in one parish constituency, wins 2 seats. Turnout is 74.1%. On April 28 Jaume Bartumeu becomes a member of parliament and due to constitutional incompatibility ceases to be head of government; Finance Minister Pere López becomes acting head of government.
Kazakhstan: In presidential elections, incumbent Nursultan Nazarbayev wins 95.5% of the vote. Turnout is 89.9%. In a cabinet reshuffle, Yerzhan Kazykhanov is appointed foreign minister on April 11 and Maj.Gen. Kalmukhanbet Kasymov interior minister on April 12.

Sidibé
Maïga
Mali: Cissé Mariam Kaïdama Sidibé is appointed prime minister. On April 6 her cabinet is announced with Soumeylou Boubèye Maïga as foreign minister and Lassine Bouaré as finance minister; Natié Pléa remains defense minister and Gen. Sadio Gassama internal security minister.
Mayotte: Daniel Zaïdani is elected president of the General Council.

Safar
Syria: President Bashar al-Assad asks Adel Safar to form a new cabinet. Its composition is announced on April 14, with Muhammad Ibrahim al-Shaar as interior minister and Muhammad al-Jleilati as finance minister.

4

Brazil: Former governor of Maranhão (2007-09) Jackson Kepler Lago dies.
Papua New Guinea: Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare begins a 14-day suspension from office handed down to him by a leadership tribunal on March 24 after being found guilty of official misconduct. Sam Abal becomes acting prime minister. Somare does not return to office after the period of suspension, announcing on April 19 that he is taking an indefinite medical leave.

Abregov
Gerter
Russia: The president of Kabardino-Balkariya, Arsen Kanokov, dismisses the government of Prime Minister Aleksandr Merkulov and appoints Adib Abregov as acting prime minister. On April 18 the local parliament elects Ivan Gerter as prime minister.
United States: Former governor of Tennessee (1987-95) Ned Ray McWherter dies.

5

Central African Republic: Former prime minister (1976-78) and president (1993-2003) Ange-Félix Patassé dies.
Kuwait: Sheikh Nasser Muhammad Al Ahmad Al Sabah is reappointed as prime minister.

Obeidi
Libya: Abdul Ati al-Obeidi is appointed foreign minister.
Mexico: Marcos Covarrubias Villaseñor takes office as governor of Baja California Sur and Roberto Borge Angulo as governor of Quintana Roo.

6


Wood
Bolivia: María Cecilia Chacón takes office as defense minister, replacing Rubén Saavedra.
Cyprus: In a cabinet reshuffle in North Cyprus (approved by President Dervis Eroglu on April 7), Nazim Çavusoglu is named interior minister.
Estonia: A new government is sworn in with Mart Laar as defense minister and Ken-Marti Vaher as interior minister.
Indonesia: In gubernatorial elections in Sulawesi Tengah, Longki Djanggola wins 54.4% of the vote, former governor Aminuddin Ponulele 16.2%, Rendy M. Affandy Lamadjido 11.6%, Sahabuddin Mustapa 9.1%, and Achmad Yahya 8.7%.

7

Isle of Man: Adam Wood is sworn in as lieutenant governor.

Jahjaga
Kosovo: Atifete Jahjaga is elected (80 votes, against 10 for Suzana Novoberdaliu) and sworn in as president.
The Netherlands: Former queen's commissioner of Friesland (1970-82) Hedzer Rijpstra dies.

Issoufou
Rafini
Bazoum
Niger: Mahamadou Issoufou takes office as president. He appoints Brigi Rafini as prime minister. The government formed on April 21 includes Mohamed Bazoum as foreign minister, Karidjo Mahamadou as defense minister, Abdou Labo as interior minister, and Ouhoumoudou Mahamadou as finance minister.

8


Chernov
Australia: Alex Chernov is sworn in as governor of Victoria.
Djibouti: In presidential elections, incumbent Ismail Omar Guelleh wins 80.6% of the vote and Mohamed Warsama Ragueh 19.4%. Turnout is 69.7%.

Davis
Montserrat: Adrian Davis is sworn in as governor.

9

Nigeria: In parliamentary elections, the People's Democratic Party wins 152 of 279 seats in the House of Representatives and 53 of 85 in the Senate, the Action Congress 53 and 18, the Congress for Progressive Change 31 and 6, and the All Nigeria People's Party 23 and 4.

10

Argentina: In gubernatorial elections in Salta, incumbent Juan Manuel Urtubey (Frente Justicialista Renovador de la Victoria) wins 57.9% of votes, Alfredo Olmedo (Frente Olmedo Gobernador) 25%, and Walter Wayar (Wayar Gobernador) 8.5%.
Japan: Results of gubernatorial elections: Maldives: Ahmed Inaz is appointed finance minister.
Peru: In the first round of presidential elections, Ollanta Humala wins 31.7% of the vote, Keiko Fujimori 23.6%, Pedro Pablo Kuczynski 18.5%, Alejandro Toledo 15.6%, and Luis Castañeda Lossio 9.8%. Turnout is 83.7%. The runoff is to take place June 5.

11

Côte d'Ivoire: Forces supporting Alassane Ouattara as president capture his rival Laurent Gbagbo.
India: In state elections in Assam held April 4 and 11, the Indian National Congress wins 78 of 126 seats, the All India United Democratic Front 18, the Bodoland People's Front 12, the Asom Gana Parishad 10, and the Bharatiya Janata Party 5.
San Marino: Former captain-regent (1961-62, 1966-67, 1975-76) Giovanni Vito Marcucci dies.

12

Mexico: Former governor of Veracruz (1980-86) Agustín Acosta Lagunes dies.

13

Austria: Finance Minister Josef Pröll resigns. On April 21 Maria Fekter is sworn in as finance minister and Johanna Mikl-Leitner as interior minister.
India: In state elections in Kerala, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) wins 45 of 140 seats, the Indian National Congress 38, the Muslim League Kerala State Committee 20, the Communist Party of India 13, and the Kerala Congress (M) 9. In Tamil Nadu, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam wins 150 of 234 seats, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 23, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) 10, the Communist Party of India 9, and the Indian National Congress 5. In Puducherry, the All India N.R. Congress wins 15 of 30 seats, the Indian National Congress 7, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 5, and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam 2.

14

Switzerland: Laura Sadis becomes president of the Council of State of Ticino.

15

Brazil: Former governor of Pará (1987-91) Hélio da Mota Gueiros dies.

Tiao
Burkina Faso: The cabinet of Prime Minister Tertius Zongo is dissolved. On April 18 Luc Adolphe Tiao is appointed prime minister. A new government is formed on April 21 including Djibrill Bassolé as foreign minister, President Blaise Compaoré as defense minister, and Jérôme Bougouma as territorial administration and security minister; Lucien Marie Noël Bembamba remains finance minister.

Walker
Guernsey: Air Marshal Peter Walker is sworn in as lieutenant governor.

16

Canada: Former premier of Saskatchewan (1971-82) Allan Blakeney dies.
Malaysia: In parliamentary elections in Sarawak, the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition wins 55.4% of the vote (55 of 71 seats), the Democratic Action Party 20% (12), and the Parti Keadilan Rakyat 17.4% (3). Turnout is 70%.
Nigeria: In presidential elections, incumbent Goodluck Jonathan (People's Democratic Party) wins 58.9% of the vote, Muhammadu Buhari (Congress for Progressive Change) 32%, Nuhu Ribadu (Action Congress of Nigeria) 5.4%, and Ibrahim Shekarau (All Nigeria People's Party) 2.4%.

17

Finland: In parliamentary elections, the National Coalition Party wins 20.4% of the vote (44 of 200 seats), the Social Democratic Party 19.1% (42), the True Finns 19% (39), the Centre Party 15.8% (35), the Left Alliance 8.1% (14), the Green League 7.2% (10), the Swedish People's Party 4.3% (9), and the Christian Democrats 4% (6); additionally there is one MP representing Åland. Turnout is 67.3%.
Mexico: Former governor of Baja California (1965-71) Raúl Sánchez Díaz Martell dies.

18

Central African Republic: Faustin Archange Touadéra is reappointed as prime minister. On April 20 he forms a government with Sylvain Ndoutingaï as finance minister, other key portfolios being unchanged.
Congo (Kinshasa): Hubert Kabasubabo is elected governor of Kasaï Occidental, defeating Patrice Aimé Sesanga by 29 votes to 24.
United States: Former Maryland governor (1987-95) William D. Schaefer dies.

19

Cuba: Raúl Castro is elected first secretary of the Communist Party.

Haseloff
Germany: The Landtag of Sachsen-Anhalt elects Reiner Haseloff as minister-president (57-46).
Nigeria: Interior Minister Emmanuel Iheanacho is suspended and Labour Minister Emeka Wogu takes over the portfolio.
Solomon Islands: In a cabinet reshuffle, Clay Forau Soalaoi replaces James Tora as national security minister.

21

Albania: Prime Minister Sali Berisha names Bujar Nishani as interior minister. He takes office April 25.
Czech Republic: Jan Kubice becomes interior minister in a cabinet reshuffle.

23

The Netherlands: Former foreign minister (1973-77, 1981-82) Max van der Stoel dies.

24

Vanuatu: Prime Minister Sato Kilman and his cabinet lose a no-confidence vote in parliament. Serge Vohor is elected as prime minister and announces his cabinet with Joe Natuman as foreign minister, Bakoa Kaltongga as finance minister, and Patrick Crowby as internal affairs minister.

25

Chad: In presidential elections, incumbent Idriss Déby Itno wins 88.7% of the vote, Albert Pahimi Padacké 6%, and Nadji Madou 5.3%. Turnout is 64.2%.

26

Nigeria: Winners of gubernatorial elections (ACN=Action Congress of Nigeria, ANPP=All Nigeria People's Party, APGA=All Progressive Grand Alliance, CPC=Congress for Progressive Change, PDP=People's Democratic Party):

27

French Guiana: Denis Labbé is named prefect.

28

Guinea-Bissau: Former governor of Portuguese Guinea (1973-74) José Manuel Bettencourt Rodrigues dies.
United States: President Barack Obama nominates Leon Panetta as defense secretary and Gen. David Petraeus as CIA director.

30

Laos: In parliamentary elections, 132 members of the National Assembly are elected. Turnout is 99.6%.