Rulers

August 2023

1

Australia: Former governor of Tasmania (1987-95) Sir Phillip Bennett dies.
Côte d'Ivoire: Former president (1993-99) Henri Konan Bédié dies.
Tunisia: Ahmed Hachani is appointed by President Kaïs Saïed and sworn in as prime minister.

2

Congo (Kinshasa): Interior Minister Peter Kazadi appoints the deputy governor, Julie Kalenga Kabongo, as acting governor of Kasaï Oriental.
Nigeria: President Bola Tinubu nominates 19 additional ministers (see July 27), and another on August 4. On August 7 parliament approves 45 of the 48 nominees. On August 16 the portfolios are announced with Yusuf Tuggar as foreign minister, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar as defense minister, Sai'du Alkali as interior minister, and Wale Edun as finance minister. The ministers are sworn in on August 21.

3

Canada: Edith Dumont is appointed as lieutenant governor of Ontario.
Myanmar: In a cabinet reshuffle, Gen. Tin Aung San becomes defense minister and Lt.Gen. Yar Pyae minister of home affairs.
South Sudan: President Salva Kiir dismisses Finance Minister Dier Tong Ngor and appoints Bak Barnaba Chol in his place.
Thailand: A parliamentary vote for prime minister is further postponed. On August 16 it is scheduled for August 22. On that date Srettha Thavisin is elected (482-165 with 81 abstentions); he is endorsed by the king on August 23.
United States: In mayoral elections in Nashville, Freddie O'Connell (Democrat) wins 27.1% of the vote, Alice Rolli (Republican) 20.2%, Matthew Wiltshire (Democrat) 17.0%, and Jeff Yarbro (Democrat) 12.2%. A runoff will be held on September 14.
Uzbekistan: Jamshid Kuchkarov is appointed finance minister.

4

Congo (Kinshasa): The government adopts a 54th 15-days extension of the state of siege in the provinces of Ituri and Nord-Kivu (beginning August 15). On August 16 a consultative commission of parliament votes in favour of lifting the state of siege. However, on August 30 President Félix Tshisekedi decrees a 55th extension.
Haiti: Former provisional president (2004-06) Boniface Alexandre dies.
Russia: Mikhail Nikolayev, former chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (1989-90), chairman of the Supreme Council (1990-91), president (1991-2002), and prime minister (1992-93) of the Yakut A.S.S.R./Sakha, dies.

6

Japan: In gubernatorial elections in Saitama, incumbent Motohiro Ono wins 80.2% of the vote and Yuma Shibaoka 12.9%. Turnout is 23.8%.

7

Cambodia: King Norodom Sihamoni approves the nomination of Hun Manet as prime minister. On August 22 parliament approves (unanimously) Hun and a cabinet including Sok Chenda Sophea as foreign minister, Tea Seiha as defense minister, Sar Sokha as interior minister, and Aun Pornmoniroth remaining finance minister; the government is sworn in the same day.
Guinea-Bissau: Prime Minister Nuno Gomes Nabiam resigns. President Umaro Sissoco Embaló appoints Geraldo Martins as prime minister (taking office August 8). His government is named August 12 (taking office August 13) with Carlos Pinto Pereira as foreign minister, Nicolau dos Santos as defense minister, Adiato Djaló Nandigna as interior minister, and Suleimane Seidi as finance minister.
Niger: Ali Lamine Zène is named prime minister. A cabinet is named on August 10, with Yaou Sangaré Bakary as foreign minister, Gen. Mody Salifou as defense minister, Gen. Mohamed Toumba as interior minister, and the prime minister holding the finance portfolio.
Vanuatu: In a cabinet reshuffle, Matai Seremaiah becomes foreign minister. On August 10 the government parties boycott a parliament sitting where a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Ishmael Kalsakau was to be moved; due to a lack of quorum it is delayed to August 16. On that date the motion gets 26 votes, with 23 against, falling one vote short of the 27 needed. On August 25 the Supreme Court rules that 26 votes constituted the absolute majority required (because one of the 52 seats is vacant) but stays the application of its decision until August 28 to allow possible appeals. On August 28 the parliament speaker lodges an appeal.

8

São Tomé and Príncipe: President Carlos Vila Nova accepts the resignation of Foreign Minister Alberto Neto Pereira. On August 9 Gareth Guadalupe, minister of the presidency of the Council of Ministers and parliamentary affairs, is additionally given the foreign affairs portfolio.

9


Gardner
Australia: Margaret Gardner is sworn in as governor of Victoria.
Pakistan: Parliament is dissolved at the advice of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, whose government thus comes to an end. Sharif and opposition leader Raja Riaz have three days to agree on a caretaker prime minister. On August 12 Anwarul Haq Kakar is chosen for the position (sworn in August 14). On August 17 the caretaker cabinet is sworn in with Jalil Abbas Jilani as foreign minister, Anwar Ali Haider as defense minister, Sarfaraz Bugti as interior minister, and Shamshad Akhtar as finance minister.

10

India: The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi survives a no-confidence vote in parliament (rejected by voice vote).
Montenegro: President Jakov Milatovic names Milojko Spajic as prime minister-designate.
Spain: The assembly of Aragón elects Jorge Azcón as president of the Diputación General (36-31). He takes office August 11.

11

Australia: Former premier of Queensland (1987-89) Mike Ahern dies.
Pakistan: The governor of Sindh, Kamran Tessori, dissolves the provincial assembly at the advice of Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, who will stay in office until the appointment of a caretaker chief minister. On August 15 Tessori approves the appointment of Maqbool Baqar to the post (sworn in August 17).

12

Malaysia: Results of state elections (BN-PH=Barisan Nasional-Pakatan Harapan alliance, PN=Perikatan Nasional): Nigeria: Former governor of Kwara (1984-85) Salaudeen Latinwo dies.
Pakistan: The governor of Balochistan, Malik Abdul Wali Kakar, dissolves the provincial assembly at the advice of Chief Minister Abdul Quddus Bizenjo, who will stay in office until the appointment of a caretaker chief minister. Ali Mardan Khan Domki is sworn in to that post on August 18.

13

Argentina: In gubernatorial elections in Santa Cruz, Claudio Vidal (Por Santa Cruz) is elected with 46.5% of the vote, while Pablo Grasso (Unión por la Patria) wins 43.8%.

14

Canada: Former lieutenant governor of Ontario (2002-07) James K. Bartleman dies.
Latvia: Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins announces his resignation (submitted to the president on August 17). On August 24 Evika Silina is tasked with forming a new government.

15


Peña
Ramírez
Paraguay: Santiago Peña is sworn in as president and his government, including Rubén Ramírez Lezcano as foreign minister (see June 5), takes office.

16

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Former chairman of the Presidency (2002) Beriz Belkic dies.

18

United States: Former governor of Minnesota (1979-83) Albert H. Quie dies.

20

Ecuador: In the first round of presidential elections, Luisa González wins 33.6% of the vote, Daniel Noboa 23.4%, Christian Zurita (replacement for assassinated candidate Fernando Villavicencio, whose name still appears on the ballot) 16.4%, and Jan Topic 14.7%. Turnout is 80.8%.
Guatemala: In the presidential runoff, Bernardo Arévalo wins 60.9% of the vote and Sandra Torres 39.1%. Turnout is 45.0%.

22

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Parliament elects Srdjan Amidzic as finance minister.
Denmark: Troels Lund Poulsen is appointed defense minister.
Spain: King Felipe VI proposes Alberto Núñez Feijóo as candidate for prime minister. On August 23 the parliamentary vote is set for September 27.

23

Brazil: Former acting governor of Rio de Janeiro (2016, 2018-19) Francisco Dornelles dies.
Congo (Brazzaville): Former foreign minister (1992-95) Benjamin Bounkoulou dies.

24

Zimbabwe: In presidential elections held August 23-24, incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa of the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (ZANU-PF) wins 52.6% of the vote and Nelson Chamisa of the Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) 44.0%. Turnout is 68.9%. In parliamentary elections, ZANU-PF wins 136 of 210 constituency seats and CCC 73. (With 60 seats reserved for women, the total is 270.)

25

Argentina: Former governor of Catamarca (1973-76) Hugo Alberto Mott dies.

26

Eswatini: Parliamentary primary elections take place to choose candidates for the secondary elections on September 29.
Gabon: In presidential elections, incumbent Ali Bongo Ondimba (Gabonese Democratic Party) wins 64.3% of the vote and Albert Ondo Ossa (Alternation 2023) 30.8%. On August 30, minutes after the results were announced, a military group called Committee of Transition and Restoration of Institutions says they have taken power and that the election results are cancelled and state institutions dissolved; Gen. Brice Oligui Nguema is named as president of the committee.

27

United States: Former governor of Tennessee (1995-2003) Don Sundquist dies.

28

Libya: Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Muhammad Dbeibah suspends Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush from her office and appoints Fathallah al-Zani as acting foreign minister.

30

Mauritius: Maneesh Gobin is named foreign minister in a cabinet reshuffle.
Tanzania: In a cabinet reshuffle (taking effect immediately, with a swearing-in ceremony to be held on September 1), January Makamba becomes foreign minister and Stergomena Lawrence Tax defense minister.

31

Azerbaijan: The president of Artsakh, Araik Arutyunyan, says he will resign on September 1. He also dismisses the minister of state, Gurgen Nersisyan, and appoints Samvel Shahramanyan to the post.
Madagascar: Former prime minister (1998-2002) Tantely Andrianarivo dies.
South Sudan: President Salva Kiir dismisses the acting foreign minister, Deng Dau Deng Malek, and appoints James Pitia Morgan as foreign minister.
United Kingdom: Defence Secretary Ben Wallace officially resigns. Grant Shapps is named in his place.