Index Ra

Raab, Claes Jakob friherre (b. Aug. 5, 1747, Karlskrona, Blekinge, Sweden - d. June 2, 1804, Ryssby socken, Kalmar, Sweden), governor of Blekinge (1789-1800); son of Adam Johan friherre Raab.

D. Raab

Raab, Dominic (Rennie) (b. Feb. 25, 1974, Buckinghamshire, England), British foreign secretary (2019-21) and deputy prime minister and justice secretary (2021-22, 2022-23). He was also secretary of state for exiting the European Union (2018).

J. Raab

Raab, Julius (b. Nov. 29, 1891, Sankt Pölten, Austria - d. Jan. 8, 1964, Vienna, Austria), chancellor of Austria (1953-61). He was also minister of trade and transport (1938). He was chairman of the Austrian People's Party in 1952-60.

Raaben, Rudolf (Samoilovich) fon (b. April 22 [April 10, O.S.], 1843 - d. af. 1917), governor of Bessarabia (1899-1903).

Raalte, Eduard Ellis van (b. April 30, 1841, The Hague, Netherlands - d. March 23, 1921, The Hague), justice minister of the Netherlands (1905-08).

Raasløff, Waldemar Rudolph (b. Nov. 6, 1815, Altona, Holstein [now part of Hamburg, Germany] - d. Feb. 14, 1883, Passy, France), war minister of Denmark (1866-70). He was also chargé d'affaires (1857-62) and minister (1864-66) to the United States and navy minister (1869-70).

Raatikainen, Kaisa (b. Sept. 10, 1928, Viitasaari, Finland - d. Feb. 26, 2007, Espoo, Finland), interior minister of Finland (1984-87).

Rabaeus, Bengt (b. May 4, 1917, Vara, Sweden - d. July 31, 2010), secretary-general of the European Free Trade Association (1972-75). He was also Swedish ambassador to Algeria (1963-66).

Rábago (Maldonado), Antonio (b. 1861, Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico - d. March 22, 1915, Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico), governor of Chihuahua (1913) and Tamaulipas (1913).

Rabár, Ferenc (b. June 4, 1929, Budapest, Hungary - d. Dec. 29, 1999, Budapest), finance minister of Hungary (1990). Serving in Prime Minister József Antall's centre-right government, Hungary's first democratically elected government after Communism, he was a member of the cabinet's junior coalition partner, the Christian Democratic People's Party.

Rabary

Rabary Njaka, Henry (b. Sept. 14, 1965, Antananarivo, Madagascar), foreign minister of Madagascar (2017-18).

Rabas

B. Rabbani

Rabas, Michal (b. June 9, 1964, Pardubice, Czechoslovakia [now in Czech Republic] - d. Nov. 5, 2007), governor of Pardubický kraj (2004-07).

Rabasa (Mishkin), Emilio Óscar (b. Jan. 23, 1925, Mexico City, Mexico - d. June 14, 2008, Mexico City), foreign minister of Mexico (1970-75). He was ambassador to the United States in 1970.

Rabbani, Burhanuddin (b. 1940, Faizabad, Badakhshan province, Afghanistan - d. [suicide attack] Sept. 20, 2011, Kabul, Afghanistan), president of Afghanistan (1992-96, 2001).

M. Rabbani

Rabbani, Mullah Mohammad (b. 1956, Pashmol, Kandahar province, Afghanistan - d. April 16, 2001, Rawalpindi, Pakistan), Afghan leader. He was among the first wave of Taliban who swept into Kabul in September 1996, driving warring Islamic factions led by former defense chief Ahmad Shah Masood and Pres. Burhanuddin Rabbani from the capital. Mohammad Rabbani is believed to have ordered the execution of Afghanistan's former Communist leader Mohammad Najibullah, who had been living in a UN compound in Kabul since 1992. Najibullah was dragged from the compound, tortured, and hanged. His body was left hanging in the city for two days before it was taken down. Rabbani was considered a powerful man in the Taliban movement, heading the governing ministers' council, second only to the reclusive leader Mullah Mohammad Omar. Rabbani was a strong advocate of the hardline Islamic rule practiced by the Taliban.

S. Rabbani

C. Rabemananjara

Rabbani, Salahuddin (b. May 10, 1971, Kabul, Afghanistan), foreign minister of Afghanistan (2015-19); son of Burhanuddin Rabbani. He was also ambassador to Turkey (2010-12).

Rabbé (Tejada), Luis (Armando) (b. May 26, 1956), Guatemalan politician. He was minister of communications (2000-01), a presidential candidate (2007), and president of Congress (2015-16).

Rabelo, Manuel (b. Jan. 11, 1878, Barra Mansa, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - d. Nov. 8, 1945, Rio de Janeiro), federal interventor in São Paulo (1931-32).

Rabelo, Marcos Franco (b. April 25, 1861, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil - d. Oct. 19, 1929, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), governor of Ceará (1912-14).

Rabemananjara, Charles (b. June 9, 1947, Ampatsakana, Antananarivo, Madagascar), interior minister (2005-09) and prime minister (2007-09) of Madagascar.

J. Rabemananjara

Rabemananjara, Jacques (Félicien) (b. June 23, 1913, Maroantsetra, Toamasina province, Madagascar - d. April 2, 2005, Paris, France), foreign minister (1967-72) and vice president (1971-72) of Madagascar and member of the presidential triumvirate acting for Philibert Tsiranana (1970). He was sentenced first to death, then to hard labour for life, for his alleged participation in the 1947 revolt in Madagascar, then was imprisoned in France, released but put under surveillance in 1956, and finally amnestied in October 1959. Following his return to Madagascar in July 1960 he became minister of the national economy in October 1960, was elected mayor of Tamatave in January 1965, and appointed minister of agriculture, water, forestry, lands, and food in August 1965, before becoming foreign minister in July 1967. After the 1972 revolution Rabemananjara, who was also a noted playwright and poet, went into voluntary exile in France. He returned in 1992 to run for president, but won only 2.9% of the vote.

Rabenoro, Césaire (b. Aug. 27, 1923 - d. Jan. 24, 2002, Soavinandriana, Madagascar), foreign minister of Madagascar (1991-93). He was also ambassador to the United Kingdom, Greece, Israel, and Italy (1967-70) and minister of public health and population (1970-71) and trade, food supply, industry, and mines (1971-72).

Rabetafika, Joseph Albert Blaise (b. Feb. 3, 1932, Tananarive [now Antananarivo], Madagascar - d. Dec. 17, 2000), Malagasy diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1968-93) and ambassador to Canada (1970-89) and Cuba (1974-93).

Rabetaliana(-Schachenmann), Hanta (b. Feb. 25, 1963, Nancy, France), chief of Haute Matsiatra region (2004-08).

Rabin

Rabin, Yitzhak (b. March 1, 1922, Jerusalem, Palestine - d. Nov. 4, 1995, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel), prime minister of Israel (1974-77, 1992-95). He joined the Palmach, the commando unit of the Haganah (Jewish defense forces), in 1941 and fought in the 1948 war of independence. He became army chief of staff in 1964 and conceived the strategies of swift mobilization of reserves and destruction of enemy aircraft on the ground that helped Israel win the Six-Day War (1967). On retirement from the army, he became ambassador to the United States (1968-73). He was elected to the Knesset (parliament) as a member of the Labour Party in December 1973 and joined Prime Minister Golda Meir's cabinet as minister of labour in March 1974. After Meir resigned in April, he became party leader and, in June, Israel's first native-born prime minister. During the 1977 electoral campaign, he stepped down as prime minister and Labour leader owing to a controversy over technical irregularities in his finances. He was defense minister in the Labour-Likud coalition governments of 1984-90, taking a hardline position during the Palestinian intifada. In February 1992 he regained the leadership of the Labour Party in a membership vote. After Labour's victory in the June general elections, he again became prime minister. Negotiations with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) culminated in September 1993 in a historic accord in which Israel recognized the PLO and agreed to limited Palestinian self-rule in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Along with his foreign minister Shimon Peres and PLO leader Yasir Arafat, he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1994. While attending a peace rally he was assassinated by a Jewish extremist opposed to Israel's concessions to the PLO.

Rabinowitz, Yehoshua (b. Nov. 13, 1911, Vishneva, Russia [now in Belarus] - d. Aug. 14, 1979, Jerusalem), finance minister of Israel (1974-77). He was also mayor of Tel Aviv (1969-74) and minister of housing (1974).

Raborn

Raborn, William F(rancis), Jr. (b. June 8, 1905, Decatur, Texas - d. March 6, 1990, Washington, D.C.), director of the Central Intelligence Agency (1965-66). A Navy aviator, he served aboard aircraft carriers in World War II and commanded the carrier Bennington after the war. In 1955, he was chosen to head Navy missile development and brought in the nuclear-tipped Polaris missile on time and on budget. It was the first solid-fuel long-range missile launchable from a submerged submarine. The retired vice admiral was appointed by Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson to head the CIA in 1965.

Rabuka

Rabuka, Sitiveni (Ligamamada), byname Steve Rabuka (b. Sept. 13, 1948, Nakobo, Cakaudrove province, Fiji), Fijian leader. He commanded the Fiji contingent in Lebanon in 1980 and Fiji's 2nd Battalion with the Sinai Peacekeeping Force in 1984. In between, he served as general staff officer in charge of training; in 1985 he became staff officer (Operations and Training) and was ranked third in the Fijian army. On May 14, 1987, he led a coup that overthrew the recently elected coalition government of Timoci Bavadra. Although Rabuka justified the coup as being necessary to preserve the peace between Indians and ethnic Fijians and to protect the land rights and political power of the latter, his move paved the way for some of the worst violence in the islands' history. On September 25 he staged a second military takeover in his effort to consolidate a power base. This move evoked angry responses, particularly from Australia and New Zealand, which imposed economic sanctions on Fiji. He called a meeting of diplomats from major countries on September 28, but they were prepared to recognize only Gov.-Gen. Ratu Sir Penaia Ganilau as head of state. Despite the opposition, Rabuka declared Fiji a republic in October, ending its 113-year link with the British crown. Rabuka's rank as lieutenant colonel had been confirmed in 1982, and after the first coup he was promoted to full colonel and made commander of the Fiji military forces by the governor-general. Following the second coup, he was made brigadier-general and became head of an Interim Military Government. As internal and foreign confidence in Fiji continued to decline and the country neared economic collapse, he admitted defeat and on December 5 announced that he would relinquish power to a civilian government. In 1991 he left the armed forces and was deputy prime minister and minister of home affairs. He subsequently served as elected prime minister (1992-99, 2022- ) and has also been foreign minister (1994, 2022- ) and leader of the opposition (2018-20).

Rabun, William (b. April 8, 1771, Halifax, North Carolina - d. Oct. 24, 1819, Powelton, Hancock county, Ga.), governor of Georgia (1817-19).

Rabwoni, James (b. Aug. 14, 1928, Bulera village, Bukuku sub-county, Kabarole district, Uganda - d. Dec. 24, 2009, Pretoria, South Africa), member of the Regency of Toro (1995-2002).

Racan

Racan, Ivica (b. Feb. 24, 1944, Ebersbach, Sachsen, Germany - d. April 29, 2007, Zagreb, Croatia), prime minister of Croatia (2000-03). He was secretary of the Central Committee of the League of Communists (1989-90) and president of the Social Democratic Party (1990-2007).

Racedo, Eduardo (b. Oct. 14, 1843, Paraná, Entre Ríos, Argentina - d. Dec. 31, 1918, Buenos Aires, Argentina), governor of Entre Ríos (1883-87) and war minister of Argentina (1887-90, 1910).

Racero Mayorca, David Ricardo (b. Oct. 11, 1986, Bogotá, Colombia), Colombian politician. He was president of the Chamber of Representatives (2022-23).

Rachaiah, B(asavaiah) (b. Aug. 10, 1922 - d. Feb. 14, 2000), governor of Himachal Pradesh (1990), Kerala (1990-95), and Goa (1994).

Rachmat, Basuki (b. Nov. 14, 1921, Senoti district, Tuban regency, Netherlands East Indies [now in Jawa Timur, Indonesia] - d. Jan. 9, 1969, Jakarta, Indonesia), home affairs minister of Indonesia (1966-69).

Racicot

Racicot, Marc (F.) (pronounced like roscoe) (b. July 24, 1948, Thompson Falls, Mont.), governor of Montana (1993-2001). A Republican, he worked in the Montana attorney general's office for 12 years, then successfully ran for the post himself in 1988. He ran for governor in 1992 after incumbent Republican Stan Stephens retired. Democrats, who then held both houses of the legislature by wide margins, had a spirited primary contest, with state Rep. Dorothy Bradley the winner; Racicot was nominated by a wide margin. In an unusually civil and specific campaign, both called for a 4% sales tax to be voted on in referendum, but Bradley favoured more government while Racicot called for downsizing. He won 51%-49%, and Republicans captured the state House. The sales tax was turned down, but he cut spending and state employment and turned the deficit into a surplus, reformed the expensive workmen's comp law, sponsored a 7% income tax rebate, and proposed welfare reforms. He supported a successful campaign finance referendum and persuaded voters to elect large Republican majorities to both houses in 1994. He was famously unassuming, lobbying legislators himself, speaking at a high school commencement with just one graduate, keeping his phone number listed and driving his own car, declining a salary increase though he was the nation's lowest paid governor. Like many mountain state Republicans, he wanted to revive the Tenth Amendment reserving powers to the state and opposed what he considered unwise federal policies like allowing the herd of bison in Yellowstone National Park to grow too large. He was reelected in 1996, beating former state senator Judy Jacobson, who was chosen only eight days before the election after the original nominee, Chet Blaylock, died of a heart attack. He was chairman of the Republican National Committee in 2002-03.

Racovita, Constantin Mihai (b. c. 1700 - d. Feb. 6 [Jan. 26, O.S.], 1764, Bucharest, Walachia [now in Romania]), prince of Moldavia (1749-53, 1756-57) and Walachia (1753-56, 1763-64); son of Mihai Ion Racovita.

Racovita, Ioan Mihail (b. March 7, 1889, Bucharest, Romania - d. [in prison] June 28, 1954, Sighet [now Sighetu Marmatiei], Romania), war minister of Romania (1944).

Racovita, Mihai Ion (b. c. 1666 - d. af. 1750), prince of Moldavia (1703-05, 1707-09, 1716-26) and Walachia (1730-31, 1741-44); son-in-law of Constantin Cantemir.

Racovita, Stefan Mihai (b. c. 1707 - d. af. 1782), prince of Walachia (1764-65); son of Mihai Ion Racovita.

Rácz, Jenö (b. May 26, 1907, Debrecen, Hungary - d. Jan. 26, 1981, Budapest, Hungary), finance minister of Hungary (1946-47).

Rácz, Pál (b. Jan. 4, 1928, Bors, Romania - d. March 22, 1986, Budapest, Hungary), Hungarian diplomat. He was ambassador to Egypt and Yemen (1964-68) and Libya (1967-68), minister (1964-68) and ambassador (1968) to Sudan, minister to Ethiopia (1964-65), and permanent representative to the United Nations (1980-86).

Raczkiewicz, Wladyslaw (b. Jan. 28, 1885, Kutaisi, Russia [now in Georgia] - d. June 6, 1947, Ruthin, Denbighshire, Wales), interior minister (1921, 1925-26, 1935-36) and president in exile (1939-47) of Poland. He was also governor of Nowogródzkie (1921-24), Wilenskie (1924-25 [government delegate], 1926-30), Krakowskie (1935), and Pomorskie (1936-39) województwa and marshal of the Senate (1930-35).

Raczko, Andrzej (b. Feb. 27, 1953, Kutno, Poland), finance minister of Poland (2003-04).

E.A. Raczynski

Raczynski, Eduard (Bernard) Andrzej (Maria) hrabia, English Count Edward Bernard André Maria Raczynski (b. Dec. 19, 1891, Zakopane, Poland - d. July 30, 1993, London, England), Polish diplomat; brother of Roger Adam hrabia Raczynski. He joined the Polish foreign service in 1919, beginning in Copenhagen, then serving as first secretary in the Polish legation in London (1922-26). Thereafter he was deputy chief and then chief of the Eastern Department in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Warsaw. In 1932-34 he was Polish minister in Geneva, representing Poland at the League of Nations. He was ambassador in London in 1934-45, signing the Anglo-Polish pact that brought the U.K. into the war when Poland was invaded in 1939. A central figure in the Polish government-in-exile based in London during and after World War II, he served as foreign minister in 1941-43. In 1945 Britain recognized the postwar Communist government established in Warsaw. Raczynski refused to join it and wrote to Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden: "The Polish nation will never give up its rights to an independent existence and will never cease to struggle for it." Remaining active in émigré politics, he was chairman of the Polish Research Centre in London (1940-67), helped set up an alternative government-in-exile that existed from 1954 to 1972, and eventually served one term as president-in-exile (1979-86). On his 100th birthday he received an honorary knighthood from the queen.

Raczynski, Roger Adam (Antoni Maria) hrabia (b. Dec. 8, 1889, Warsaw, Poland - d. Nov. 10, 1945, Athens, Greece), governor of Poznanskie województwo (1929-34). He was also Polish minister to Romania (1938-40).

Rada (Vélez), Alfredo (Octavio) (b. June 3, 1965, La Paz, Bolivia), interior minister of Bolivia (2007-10). He was also minister of the presidency (2018-19).

Rada y Gamio, Pedro José (b. Aug. 15, 1873, Arequipa, Peru - d. May 25, 1938, Lima, Peru), prime minister (1926-29) and foreign minister (1926-30) of Peru. He was also president of the Chamber of Deputies (1921-22), minister of development and public works (1921, 1925-26) and interior and police (1922-24), and mayor of Lima (1922).

Radama I, also called Lehidama (b. 1792, Ambohimanga, Madagascar - d. July 27, 1828), king of Imerina (1817-28).

Radavidson Andriamparany, Benjamin (b. Oct. 5, 1961, Antananarivo, Madagascar), Malagasy politician. He was minister of economy and planning (2002), economy, finance, and budget (2002-07), and national education and scientific research (2007-08) and a minor presidential candidate (2013, 2018).

Ráday de Ráda, Gedeon gróf (b. May 4, 1841, Pécel, Hungary - d. Dec. 26, 1883, Vienna, Austria), defense minister of Hungary (1882-83).

Ráday de Ráda, Gedeon gróf (b. Oct. 18, 1872, Pest [now part of Budapest], Hungary - d. Sept. 22, 1937, Iklad, Hungary), interior minister of Hungary (1921); son of the above.

Radayev

Radayev, Valery (Vasilyevich) (b. April 2, 1961, Blagodatnoye, Saratov oblast, Russian S.F.S.R.), governor of Saratov oblast (2012-22).

Radbruch, Gustav (Lambert) (b. Nov. 21, 1878, Lübeck, Germany - d. Nov. 23, 1949, Heidelberg, West Germany), justice minister of Germany (1921-22, 1923). He was also known as a legal philosopher.

Radchenko, Volodymyr (Ivanovych) (b. Oct. 23, 1948, Kiev, Ukrainian S.S.R. - d. Jan. 4, 2023), interior minister of Ukraine (1994-95). He was also head of the Security Service (1995-98, 2001-03), secretary of the National Security and Defense Council (2003-05), and a deputy prime minister (2007).

Radcliffe, Percy (b. Nov. 14, 1916 - d. December 1991), chairman of the Executive Council of the Isle of Man (1971-77, 1981-85).

Radda

Radda, Dikko Umaru (b. Sept. 10, 1969, Hayin Gada [now in Katsina state], Nigeria), governor of Katsina (2023- ).

Radegonde

Radegonde, (Louis) Sylvestre (Michel) (b. March 16, 1956, La Digue, Seychelles), foreign (and tourism) minister of Seychelles (2020- ). He was also high commissioner to the United Kingdom (1989-93) and ambassador to France (2017-20).

Radenkovic, Damnjan (b. Sept. 12, 1939), president of the Assembly (1991-92) and of the Executive Council (2000) of Vojvodina.

Raders, Reinier Frederik baron van (b. Oct. 22, 1794, Doesburg, Gelderland, Netherlands - d. Nov. 14, 1868, The Hague, Netherlands), administrator of Curaçao (1836-45) and governor-general of Dutch Guiana (1845-52).

Radescu, Nicolae (b. March 30, 1874, Calimanesti, Romania - d. May 16, 1953, New York City), prime minister and acting interior minister of Romania (1944-45).

Radetsky, Vitaliy (Hryhorovych) (b. Jan. 1, 1944, Khristinovka [Khrystynivka], Cherkassy [Cherkasy] oblast, Ukrainian S.S.R.), defense minister of Ukraine (1993-94). He was also chief of the National Academy (from 2008, National University) of Defense (2005-09).

Radev, Aleksandur (Petrov) (b. March 7 [Feb. 24, O.S.], 1864, Bitola, Ottoman Empire [now in North Macedonia] - d. June 4, 1911, Vienna, Austria), Bulgarian politician. He was minister of justice (1901-02) and education (1902-03).

M. Radev

R. Radev

Radev, Muravey (Georgiev) (b. May 6, 1947, Sofia, Bulgaria), finance minister of Bulgaria (1997-2001).

Radev, Rumen (Georgiev) (b. June 18, 1963, Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria), president of Bulgaria (2017- ). He was also commander of air force (2014-16).

Radhakishun, Harry Sharuh (b. July 23, 1921, Paramaribo, Suriname - d. Jan. 3, 1983, Amsterdam, Netherlands), deputy prime minister and finance minister of Suriname (1969-73). He was also minister of agriculture, livestock, and fisheries (1963-67).

P. Radhakishun

Radhakishun, Pretaapnarian (Shawh Radhecheran) (b. 1935 - d. Jan. 6, 2001, Paramaribo, Suriname), Suriname politician. He was prime minister in 1986-87 and served as vice president (head of government) from 1996 to 2000 under Pres. Jules Wijdenbosch. The Wijdenbosch administration was forced to call elections a year early in 2000, as citizens of the South American former Dutch colony formed massive protests to call for the president's resignation over the economy's decline. Radhakishun, in response to the calls to step down, told reporters, "I'm not going anywhere." Still, the elections took place in May and the Wijdenbosch administration lost to Radhakishun's former party - the New Front coalition led by Ronald Venetiaan. Radhakishun had been a leader of one of the parties in the New Front, but in 1996 he defected to serve under Wijdenbosch. Shortly before his death, President Venetiaan confirmed that he had ordered Wijdenbosch and Radhakishun to account for millions of dollars allegedly spent under a secret security fund. Radhakishun had denied having such a fund. Wijdenbosch said he followed procedures.

C.P. Radhakrishnan

Radhakrishnan, C.P. (b. May 4, 1957, Tiruppur, Madras [now Tamil Nadu], India), governor of Jharkhand (2023-24), Telangana (2024), and Maharashtra (2024- ) and lieutenant governor of Puducherry (2024).

S. Radhakrishnan

Radhakrishnan, (Sir) Sarvepalli (b. Sept. 5, 1888, Tiruttani, Madras province [now in Tamil Nadu state], India - d. April 17, 1975, Madras [now Chennai], India), president of India (1962-67). One of modern India's most respected scholars, he was in Geneva as a member of the Committee on Intellectual Cooperation of the League of Nations (1931-39), led the Indian UNESCO delegation (1946-51) and was chairman of UNESCO's Executive Board (1948-49), was a member of the assembly which drafted the Indian constitution (1947-49), was ambassador to the U.S.S.R. (1949-52), and served as vice president of India (1952-62) - and chancellor of the University of Delhi (1953-62) - before becoming president. He urged his countrymen to work for a classless and casteless society. While India's first president, Rajendra Prasad, more than once attempted to assert powers which Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru denied were properly his and was as often rebuffed, Radhakrishnan took the opposite view, that the president's powers were ultimately no more than the right to be informed and to advise. He was knighted in 1931 but no longer used the title after India became independent.

Radi, Abdelwahed (b. Jan. 4, 1935, Salé, Morocco - d. March 26, 2023), justice minister of Morocco (2007-10). He was also president of the House of Representatives (1998-2007, 2010-11).

Radic, Jure (b. Sept. 15, 1953, Baska Voda, Croatia - d. Sept. 10, 2016, Zagreb, Croatia), a deputy prime minister of Croatia (1994-2000). He was also minister of science (1992), development and reconstruction (1994-2000), and immigration (1999-2000) and chief of staff of the president's office (1992-94).

Radic, Stjepan (b. July 11, 1871, Desno Trebarjevo, Hungary [now in Croatia] - d. Aug. 8, 1928, Zagreb, Yugoslavia [now in Croatia]), Croatian politician. An admirer of the Czechoslovak leader Tomás Masaryk, Radic and his brother Antun founded the Croat People's Peasant Party (HPSS) in 1904. A member of the National Council which represented the South Slavs of the Habsburg monarchy in the months before the creation of Yugoslavia (1918), he was deeply suspicious of the motives of Nikola Pasic and of the Serbs in general. He was imprisoned in 1919, and on his release (1920) he sought foreign support for an autonomous Croatian republic. In July 1923 he went abroad to seek support for a Croatian peasant republic, visiting Moscow and affiliating the HPSS with the Communist Peasant International, but returned disappointed to Zagreb in August 1924. The Belgrade government accused him of cooperation with the Comintern and in January 1925 disbanded the party, and imprisoned him and the other HPSS leaders until July 1925 when, in an apparent volte-face, he accepted the constitution and agreed to cooperate with the Serbian Radical Party. He served for some months as minister of education (1925-26). In 1927, unexpectedly collaborating with Svetozar Pribicevic, a Serbian Democratic leader, he formed the peasant-democratic alliance that demanded a federalist reorganization of Yugoslavia. On June 20, 1928, Punisa Racic, a Montenegrin deputy of the Radical Party, shot down the Croat leaders during a parliamentary sitting. Two, including Radic's nephew Pavle, died instantly, three others, including Radic, were seriously wounded. His death soon afterwards brought an end to any semblance of Croat-Serb cooperation and precipitated the establishment of the royal dictatorship.

Radicová

Radicová, Iveta, née Karafiátová (b. Dec. 7, 1956, Bratislava, Czechoslovakia [now in Slovakia]), prime minister of Slovakia (2010-12). She was also minister of labour, social affairs, and family (2005-06) and defense (2011-12) and a presidential candidate (2009).

Radishchev, Afanasy (Aleksandrovich) (b. Sept. 14 [Sept. 3, O.S.], 1796, Ilimsk, Irkutsk province, Russia - d. Nov. 7 [Oct. 26, O.S.], 1881, Verkhneye Ablyazovo, Saratov province [now Radishchevo, Penza oblast], Russia), governor of Podolia (1842-46), Vitebsk (1847-48), and Kovno (1848-51).

Radisic

Radisic, Zivko (b. Aug. 15, 1937, Mt. Kozara, Yugoslavia [now in Bosnia and Herzegovina] - d. Sept. 5, 2021, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina), Bosnian politician. He was mayor of Banja Luka in 1977-82. In 1998 he was elected as the Serb member on the three-man inter-ethnic presidency, ousting incumbent Momcilo Krajisnik of the SDS party. Radisic was the president of the Bosnian Serb Socialist Party, a branch of Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic's ruling party. In the election, Radisic was the joint candidate of the Western-backed three-party Sloga (Unity) coalition led by Bosnian Serb president Biljana Plavsic. His victory over Krajisnik was seen by the international community as a step forward in strengthening the peace process. In contacts with Western officials, Radisic said that he fully accepted the Dayton peace accords which created a single Bosnian state with two entities. While having little previous experience of government, he was seen by western officials as a pragmatic leader. He also supported economic reforms. In 1999 he temporarily suspended his participation in the collective presidency in protest at the decision of the international arbiter to proclaim the disputed northern town of Brcko a neutral district. He remained on the presidency until 2002, serving two terms as chairman (1998-99, 2000-01).

Radivojevic, Velimir (b. Feb. 10, 1938, Stulac, Vrnjacka Banja municipality, Yugoslavia [now in Serbia]), a deputy prime minister of Serbia (1991).

Radix, (Bernard) Kendrick, Kendrick also spelled Kenrick (b. Nov. 25, 1941, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago - d. Nov. 13, 2001), Grenadian politician. He was minister of legal affairs (1979-83), permanent representative to the United Nations (1979-80), ambassador to the United States (1979-80), and leader of the Maurice Bishop Patriotic Movement (1984-88).

Radkiewicz, Stanislaw (b. Jan. 19, 1903, Kossovo, Russia [now Kosava, Belarus] - d. Dec. 13, 1987, Warsaw, Poland), public security minister of Poland (1944-54). He was also minister of state farms (1954-56).

Radmanovic

Radmanovic, Nebojsa (b. 1949, Gracanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina), chairman of the presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2006-07, 2008-09, 2010-11, 2012-13). He was also chairman of the House of Representatives (2020, 2022, 2024).

Radmilovic, Stanko (b. July 21, 1936, Oljasi, near Slavonska Pozega, Yugoslavia [now in Croatia] - d. Nov. 24?, 2018), president of the Executive Council of Serbia (1989-91).

Radocsay, László (b. Nov. 18, 1878, Stefanföld, Hungary [now Krajisnik, Vojvodina, Serbia] - d. Nov. 14, 1968, Budapest, Hungary), justice minister of Hungary (1939-44).

Radoi, Gheorghe (b. May 6, 1926, Parincea, Bacau county, Romania - d. 2001, Bucharest, Romania), a deputy premier of Romania (1965). He was also minister of machine-building (1963-65).

Radojevic, Velimir (b. Feb. 15, 1956, Bijelo Polje, Montenegro), defense minister of Yugoslavia (2002-03). He was president of the city government (1989-93) and mayor (1993-97) of Bijelo Polje, several times deputy to the Montenegrin assembly, and federal minister without portfolio in Zoran Zizic's government (2000-01).

Radojicic

Radoslavov

Radojicic, Igor (b. Sept. 13, 1966, Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina), interim president of the Republika Srpska (2007).

Radolov, Aleksandur (Hristov) (b. June 15, 1883, Cerkesli, Ottoman Empire [now Slavyantsi, Bulgaria] - d. [executed] Feb. 1, 1945), interior minister of Bulgaria (1921-22). He was also minister of justice (1920-21), railways, posts, and telegraphs (acting, 1921), and commerce, industry, and labour (1922-23).

Rados, Jozo (b. Nov. 3, 1956, Seonica, Bosnia and Herzegovina), defense minister of Croatia (2000-02).

Radoslavov, Vasil (Hristov) (b. July 27 [July 15, O.S.], 1854, Lofça, Ottoman Empire [now Lovech, Bulgaria] - d. Oct. 21, 1929, Berlin, Germany), prime minister (1886-87, 1913-18), finance minister (1886-87), interior minister (1886-87, 1899-1900, 1913-15), and foreign minister (1914-18) of Bulgaria. He was also minister of justice (1884-86, 1886, 1894) and education (1894).

Radovic, Miljan (b. Sept. 25, 1933, Zirci, Yugoslavia [now in Montenegro] - d. June 16, 2015, Belgrade, Serbia), secretary of the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Montenegro (1986-89).

Radovic, Miras (b. July 27, 1959, Kolasin, Montenegro), justice minister of Montenegro (2006-10).

Radowitz, Joseph Maria (Ernst Christian Wilhelm) von (b. Feb. 6, 1797, Blankenburg, Brunswick [now in Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany] - d. Dec. 25, 1853, Berlin, Prussia [now in Germany]), foreign minister of Prussia (1850).

Radowitz, Joseph Maria (Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig) von (b. May 19, 1839, Frankfurt [Germany] - d. Jan. 15, 1912, Berlin, Germany), acting foreign minister of Germany (1879-80); son of Joseph Maria (Ernst Christian Wilhelm) von Radowitz; son-in-law of Ivan Ozerov. He was also minister to Greece (1874-75) and ambassador to the Ottoman Empire (1882-92) and Spain (1892-1908).

Radrodro, Ratu Jone Filipe, Fijian diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1983-85) and ambassador to the United States (1983-86).

Rådström Baastad, Lena (Therese), née Larsson (b. April 4, 1974, Örebro, Sweden), governor of Örebro (2023- ).

Radu, Constantin (b. April 19, 1926, Adjud, Vrancea county, Romania), a deputy prime minister of Romania (1987-88). He was also first secretary of the party committee and chairman of the executive committee of Bucharest (1988-89).

Radu, Ion (b. April 1, 1934, Puchenii Mari, Prahova county, Romania - d. 1995, Bucharest, Romania), a deputy prime minister of Romania (1988-89). He was also first secretary of the party committees and chairman of the executive committees of Dolj (1982-84) and Brasov (1985-87) counties.

Radulescu, Gheorghe, byname Gogu Radulescu (b. Sept. 5, 1914, Bucharest, Romania - d. 1991, Bucharest), a deputy premier of Romania (1963-79). He was also minister of internal trade (1956-57), trade (1959-62), and external trade (1962-63) and a vice president of the State Council (1979-89).

Radulovic, Branislav, acting justice minister of Montenegro (2001).

Dj. Radulovic

Radulovic, Djordje (b. Aug. 31, 1984, Titograd [now Podgorica], Montenegro), foreign minister of Montenegro (2020-22).

Radulovic, Milos (b. Feb. 22, 1929, Spuz, Yugoslavia [now in Montenegro] - d. Oct. 15, 2017, Podgorica, Montenegro), acting president of Yugoslavia (1993). He was president of the Chamber of Republics (1992-96).

Radulovic, Slobodan (b. Jan. 27, 1943, Mamula island, Montenegro - d. Oct. 24/25, 2014, Belgrade, Serbia), a deputy prime minister of Serbia (1994-98).

Radunovic, Darko (b. March 31, 1960, Titograd [now Podgorica], Montenegro), finance minister of Montenegro (2016-20).

B. Rae

Rae, Bob, byname of Robert Keith Rae (b. Aug. 2, 1948, Ottawa, Ont.), premier of Ontario (1990-95); son of Saul F. Rae. He was elected in 1978 to the House of Commons as the member for the Toronto riding of Broadview, and he was reelected in 1979 and 1980 as the member for the riding of Broadview-Greenwood. He was named housing critic and then finance critic for the federal New Democratic Party (NDP) caucus. From 1979 to 1982 he served as vice-chairman of the Canada-United States Interparliamentary Committee. In late 1979 he introduced the no-confidence motion in the House of Commons that defeated Joe Clark and his Progressive Conservative government. On Feb. 7, 1982, Rae was elected leader of the Ontario NDP. Later that year he was elected to the provincial legislature for the riding of York South. In 1987 the NDP finished a poor second in the Ontario provincial election, and there were calls for Rae's resignation. In 1989 he considered running for the leadership of the federal NDP because there seemed to be a brighter future for him in federal than in provincial politics. On Sept. 6, 1990, however, all this was forgotten. The NDP won a majority in the Ontario general election and formed its first government in Ontario history. On October 1 Rae was sworn in as Ontario's first NDP premier. A committed federalist, he also took on the post of intergovernmental affairs minister because he believed that people wanted to hear about federal-provincial relations from the premier. The NDP lost the elections of 1995 and he resigned as leader in 1996. He later broke with the NDP and in 2006 unsuccessfully ran for the leadership of the federal Liberal Party. In 2008-13 he was again a member of the House of Commons and in 2011-13 was interim leader of the Liberal Party. In 2020 he was appointed permanent representative to the United Nations.

Rae, Maitland Easton (b. March 16, 1880 - d. 19...), British political agent and consul in Muscat and Oman (1921-23).

Rae, Saul F(orbes) (b. Dec. 31, 1914, Hamilton, Ont. - d. Jan. 9, 1999, Ottawa, Ont.), Canadian diplomat. He was ambassador to Mexico and Guatemala (1967-72) and the Netherlands (1976-79) and permanent representative to the United Nations (1972-76).

Ræder, Nicolai Ditlev Ammon (b. Sept. 16, 1817, Brandvold [now part of Kongsvinger municipality], Hedmarkens amt [now in Innlandet fylke], Norway - d. July 22, 1884), governor of Nordre Bergenhus (1870-75) and Bergen (1875-84).

Raeli, Matteo (b. Dec. 23, 1812, Noto, Kingdom of Sicily [Italy] - d. Nov. 26, 1875, Noto), justice minister of Italy (1869-71).

Ræstad, Arnold (Christopher) (b. Feb. 15, 1878, Kristiania [now Oslo], Norway - d. Sept. 18, 1945, Oslo), foreign minister of Norway (1921-22).

Ráez (Gómez), Ernesto L(eonidas) (b. April 12, 1872, Huancayo, Peru - d. March 15, 1955, Huancayo), finance minister of Peru (1911-12). He was also prefect of Huancayo (1899-1900).

Rafael, Gideon (b. March 5, 1913, Berlin, Germany - d. Feb. 10, 1999, Jerusalem), Israeli diplomat. He was ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg (1957-60) and the United Kingdom (1973-77) and permanent representative to the United Nations (1967-68).

Rafaralahy, Richardin Redeck (b. 1962, Antsohihy, Mahajanga province, Madagascar), chief of Sofia region, Madagascar (2005-08).

Rafaravavitafika

Rafaravavitafika, Rasata (b. 1987?), foreign minister of Madagascar (2024- ).

Råfelt, Johan (b. 1712, Stockholm, Sweden - d. July 6, 1763), governor of Närke och Värmland (1756) and Älvsborg (1756-63).

Raffarin

Raffarin, Jean-Pierre (b. Aug. 3, 1948, Poitiers, France), prime minister of France (2002-05). One of the few French leaders to have first pursued a career in the private sector, he began his political career as a supporter of Pres. Valéry Giscard d'Estaing and later was vice-president of Liberal Democracy - a pro-market party that eventually joined Pres. Jacques Chirac's Union for a Popular Movement (UMP). He was president of the Regional Council of Poitou-Charentes (1988-2002), a senator, and minister for small business (1995-97) under President Chirac. After Chirac's reelection in 2002, the relatively unknown Raffarin was chosen as prime minister because of his reputation as an unassuming provincial. It was Raffarin who coined the phrase la France d'en-bas - the ordinary people down below - with whom he identified. With good humour and broad shoulders, he loyally absorbed attacks more properly directed at his master Chirac until his authority had all but ebbed away. In 2003 he oversaw changes of the pensions and health insurance systems which were radical by French standards and triggered widespread opposition from trade unions and the left. He also pushed through a new decentralization programme. But heavy defeats for the ruling UMP at regional and European elections in 2004 prompted Chirac to order a slowdown of controversial reforms and a switch to a more "social" domestic agenda. Raffarin survived a reshuffle but his powers were circumscribed. As a new wave of social protests broke out in 2005, his popularity took a nosedive. He reached a disapproval rating of 76%, the highest in the Fifth Republic. The long-suffering Raffarin finally bowed out after the debacle of the failed referendum on the EU constitution.

Raffles, Sir (Thomas) Stamford (Bingley) (b. July 6, 1781, at sea, off Port Morant, Jamaica - d. July 5, 1826, London, England), lieutenant governor of the East Indies (1811-16) and Bencoolen (1818-24); knighted 1817.

Rafi, Mohammad (b. c. 1946), defense minister (1979-82, 1986-88) and a vice president (1988-92) of Afghanistan. He was also minister of public works (1978-79) and a deputy premier (1982-86).

Rafini

Rafini, Brigi (b. 1953, Iférouane, Niger), prime minister of Niger (2011-21). He has also been minister of agriculture and environment (1988-89) and executive secretary of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (2021- ).

Rafn, Caspar Conrad (b. Sept. 4, 1763, Viborg, Denmark - d. Aug. 15, 1830, Randers, Denmark), governor of Nordre Trondhjems amt (1805-15).

Rafsanjani

Rafsanjani, Ali Akbar Hashemi(-), until about 1979 Ali Akbar Hashemi-Bahramani (b. Aug. 23, 1934, Bahraman village, near Rafsanjan, Kerman region, Iran - d. Jan. 8, 2017, Tehran, Iran), president of Iran (1989-97). He became a disciple of Ruhollah Khomeini in 1958 and acquired the Shi`ite Muslim title of hojatolislam (a rank below ayatollah). He was in Qom immediately preceding and during the religious unrest and riots of 1963 that led to the expulsion of Khomeini from Iran. He then became Khomeini's chief fundraiser inside the country. In 1964 he himself was arrested for antistate activities. He was arrested on a number of other occasions, serving his longest jail term in 1975-77 on charges of links with left-wing terrorists. After the shah's overthrow and Khomeini's return in 1979, he emerged as a leading member of the Revolutionary Council and became acting interior minister. He was elected to the Majlis (parliament) in 1980 and served as its speaker for the next nine years, gradually becoming the second most powerful figure in Iran's government. In 1987 he was appointed to the Council of Guardians, which ensures legislation conforms to the constitution and Islamic law. Intimately involved in the prosecution of the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88), he helped persuade Khomeini to agree to the ceasefire of August 1988. In 1989 he was elected president with over 90% of the vote. He quickly garnered increased powers for a previously weak executive office and skillfully promoted pragmatic policies in the face of resistance from Islamic hardliners. He was reelected in 1993. In 1997 he became president of the Expediency Council, a powerful arbitration body. He withdrew from parliament in 2000 after receiving an unexpectedly poor election result. In 2005 he unsuccessfully ran for president again. He was often, but not always, considered to be an ayatollah. In 2007-11 he was chairman of the Assembly of Experts. In 2013 he was disqualified from standing for president by the Council of Guardians.

Raftery, Peter Albert (b. June 8, 1929 - d. June 10, 1996), administrator of the British Indian Ocean Territory (1981-82). He was also British high commissioner to Botswana (1986-89).

Ragaglini, Cesare Maria (b. Feb. 6, 1953, Massa, Italy), Italian diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (2009-13) and ambassador to Russia (2013-17).

Ragchaa, Tümenbayaryn (b. Jan. 21, 1917, Uvs province, Mongolia - d. Feb. 21, 2015), a deputy premier (1960-72) and a first deputy premier (1972-87) of Mongolia. He was also chairman of the State Planning Commission (1960-68).

Ragheb

Ragheb, Ali Abu al-, Arabic `Ali Abu al-Raghib (b. 1946, Amman, Transjordan [now Jordan]), prime minister of Jordan (2000-03). He was also minister of industry and trade (1991, 1995-97) and energy and mineral resources (1991-93).

Raghib Pasha, (Ismail), Arabic (Isma`il) Raghib Basha (b. 1819, Greece - d. ...), prime minister and foreign minister of Egypt (1882).

Raghoebarsing, (Kermechend) Stanley (b. Sept. 6, 1956, Paramaribo, Suriname), finance minister of Suriname (2022- ). He was also minister of planning and development cooperation (2000-05) and agriculture, livestock, and fisheries (2005-10).

Raghuvir, Anisetti (b. March 22, 1929 - d. July 21, 2007, Hyderabad, India), governor of Assam (1989-90). He was chief justice of the Gauhati High Court (1988-91).

Ragimov, Aga Verdi Khadzhi (Yarali ogly) (b. 1895, Balakhani, Baku province, Russia [now in Azerbaijan] - d. 1936), executive secretary of the Communist Party committee (1920s/30s) and chairman of the Central Executive Committee (1934-36) of the Nakhichevan A.S.S.R.

Ragimov, Kamran (Nabi ogly) (b. 1928 - d. 2007), first secretary of the Communist Party committee of the Nakhichevan A.S.S.R. (1975-83). He was also minister of education of the Azerbaijan S.S.R. (1983-88).

Ragimov, Mamed Ali (Ali ogly), chairman of the Central Executive Committee (1937-38) and of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet (1938-40?) of the Nakhichevan A.S.S.R.

Ragimov, Ragim (Karam ogly) (b. 1920, Kivrak, Nakhichevan [now in Azerbaijan] - d. 2009), chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Nakhichevan A.S.S.R. (1955-59). He was also minister of education of the Azerbaijan S.S.R. (1959-61) and rector of Azerbaijan Polytechnic Institute (1981-86) and Azerbaijan National Economic Institute (1986-2001).

Ragimov, Sadykh (Gadzhiyar Ali ogly) (b. Sept. 27 [Sept. 14, O.S.], 1914, Balakhani, Baku province, Russia [now in Azerbaijan] - d. June 11, 1975, Baku, Azerbaijan S.S.R.), chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Azerbaijan S.S.R. (1954-58). He was also minister of textile industry (1946-49), light industry (1949-52, 1965-75), public utilities and housing (1953), and consumer goods industry (1953-54), chairman of the Executive Committee of Gyandzha oblast (1952-53), and chairman of the State Committee for Supervision of Safety in Industry and Mining (1958-61).

Raglan, George FitzRoy Henry Somerset, (3rd) Baron (b. Sept. 18, 1857 - d. Oct. 24, 1921), lieutenant governor of the Isle of Man (1902-18). He succeeded as baron in 1884.

Raguz

Raguz, Martin (b. March 2, 1958, Stolac, Bosnia and Herzegovina), prime minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina (2000-01). He was also minister of labour and social policy (1992-93) and human rights and refugees (1999-2000) and president of the Croat Democratic Union 1990 (2013-15).

Rahaingosoa (Andriamaroseheno), Louise Odette (b. Sept. 10, 1953, Bealanana, Mahajanga province, Madagascar), chief of Sofia region, Madagascar (2004-05). She was also culture minister of Madagascar (2002-04).

Rahal, Abdelatif (b. April 14, 1922, Nedroma, Tlemcen, Algeria - d. Dec. 29, 2014), interior minister of Algeria (1991). He was also ambassador to France (1963-64), permanent representative to the United Nations (1970-77), and minister of higher education and scientific research (1977-79).

Raharimboahangy, Lalaina Josie Brigitte, Madagascar diplomat. She was chargé d'affaires at the United Nations (2019-20).

Rahawi

Rahawi, Ahmad (Ghaleb Nasser) al-, prime minister of Yemen (2024- ).

Raheen, Sayed Makhdoom (b. 1946, Kabul, Afghanistan), Afghan politician. He was information and culture minister (2001-06, 2010-15) and ambassador to India (2006-10).

Rahhali, Sidi Mohamed (b. 1942, Rabat, Morocco), Moroccan diplomat. He was chargé d'affaires at the United Nations (1990) and ambassador to Nigeria (1991-96), Pakistan (1996-97), and Ethiopia (1999-2005).

Rahim, Abubakar Abdul (b. Feb. 7, 1920, Quilon [Kollam], Kerala, India - d. Aug. 31, 1995, Quilon), governor of Meghalaya (1989-90).

Rahim, Arbab Ghulam (b. Sept. 15, 1956), chief minister of Sindh (2004-07).

Rahim, Q.A.M.A. (b. Dec. 24, 1942, Naogaon, India [now in Bangladesh] - d. May 31, 2021, Dhaka, Bangladesh), secretary-general of SAARC (2002-05). He was also Bangladesh's high commissioner to Pakistan (1993-98) and Australia (1998-99).

Rahim (bin) Thamby Chik, Tan Sri (Haji Abdul) (b. 1950), chief minister of Malacca (1982-94). He received the titles Dato' (1983), Datuk Seri (1984), Datuk Amar (1984), and Tan Sri (1990).

Rahimi, Amin Hossein (b. 1968, Malayer, Hamadan, Iran), justice minister of Iran (2021- ). He was also head of the Supreme Audit Court (2013-16).

Rahimi, Mohammad Asif (b. 1959, Kabul, Afghanistan), Afghan politician. He was agriculture minister (2008-14) and governor of Herat (2015-18). In 2020 he became ambassador to the Netherlands.

Rahimi, Mohammad Reza (b. 1949, Serishabad, Kurdistan, Iran), a vice president (2008-09) and first vice president (2009-13) of Iran. He was also governor of Kurdistan (1993-97) and head of the Supreme Audit Court (2004-08).

Rahimi, Mohammad Reza, acting defense minister of Iran (1984-85).

Rahman, A(bu) S(aleh) M(ohammad) Mostafizur (b. Jan. 8, 1934 - d. Nov. 30, 1996), foreign minister of Bangladesh (1991-96). He was also minister of home affairs (1978-81) and commerce (1981-82).

Rahman, (Mohammad) Atiqur (b. June 24, 1918 - d. June 2, 1996, Lahore, Pakistan), martial law administrator (1969) and governor (1970) of West Pakistan and governor of Punjab (1970-71).

L. Rahman

M.H. Rahman

Rahman, Latifur (b. March 1, 1936, Jessore, Bengal, India [now in Bangladesh] - d. June 6, 2017, Dhaka, Bangladesh), chief adviser and foreign minister of Bangladesh (2001). He became a judge of the Appellate Division on Jan. 15, 1990, and was chief justice from Jan. 1, 2000, to March 1, 2001.

Rahman, Marlis (b. June 9, 1942, Bukittinggi, Netherlands East Indies [now in Sumatera Barat, Indonesia] - d. July 28, 2018, Padang, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia), governor of Sumatera Barat (2009-10).

Rahman, Mashiur, byname Jadu Mia (b. July 1924, Rangpur district, Bengal, India [in present Nilphamari district, Bangladesh] - d. March 12, 1979, Dacca [now Dhaka], Bangladesh), senior minister of Bangladesh (1978-79).

Rahman, Mohammad Habibur (b. May 1930, Dayarampur village, Murshidabad district, Bengal [now in West Bengal], India - d. Jan. 11, 2014, Dhaka, Bangladesh), chief adviser of Bangladesh (1996). He was acting chief justice from December 1990 to October 1991 and chief justice in February-May 1995.

M. Rahman

Rahman, (Sheikh) Mujibur, also called Sheikh Mujib, or Bangabandhu ("friend of Bengal") (b. March 17, 1920, Tungipara village, Faridpur district, Bengal, India [now in Gopalganj district, Bangladesh] - d. Aug. 15, 1975, Dacca [now Dhaka], Bangladesh), Bangladeshi leader. Although jailed briefly as a teenager for agitating for Indian independence, he began his formal political career in 1949 as a co-founder of the Awami League, which advocated political autonomy for East Pakistan, the detached eastern part of the nation of Pakistan. For a short time he held office in the United Front government of 1954, but his separatist politics led him into trouble with successive regimes. His imprisonment in 1966-68, for allegedly plotting against the Punjabi-dominated Pakistan government, incited mob violence that led to the downfall of Pres. Mohammad Ayub Khan in 1969. In the elections of December 1970, the Awami League took all but two of East Pakistan's seats, and thus a majority of all seats, in the National Assembly. After he and Pres. Agha Mohammad Yahya Khan failed to agree on a formula for Bengali autonomy, civil war broke out in March 1971. East Pakistan was proclaimed an independent republic called Bangladesh, with Mujib, newly imprisoned in West Pakistan, as the first president. The troops sent from West Pakistan to regain control of the eastern province were defeated with the help of India in December. In January 1972 he was released, stepped down as president, and became prime minister. In January 1975, faced with a disintegrating economy and widespread corruption in his government, he took tighter control and assumed the presidency again, now with sweeping executive authority. Just seven months later he was killed, along with most of his family, during a military coup.

Rahman, Reaz (b. July 1940), Bangladeshi diplomat. He was ambassador to Italy (1983-86) and Algeria (1986-88) and permanent representative to the United Nations (1994-96).

Rahman, (Mohammad) Saifur (b. Oct. 6, 1932, Baharmardan village, Moulvibazar district, Bengal, India [now in Bangladesh] - d. [car crash] Sept. 5, 2009, Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh), finance minister of Bangladesh (1979-82, 1991-96, 2001-06).

Rahman, Shah Azizur (b. Nov. 23, 1925, Kushtia, Bengal, India [now in Bangladesh] - d. 1988), prime minister of Bangladesh (1979-82). He was also minister of labour and industrial welfare (1978-79).

Ziaur Rahman

Rahman, Ziaur, posthumously called Shahid (martyr) Ziaur Rahman (b. Jan. 19, 1936, Bagbari, Bogra district, East Bengal, India [now in Bangladesh] - d. May 30, 1981, Chittagong, Bangladesh), president of Bangladesh (1977-81). He came to political prominence following the August 1975 military coup in which Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the new nation's first leader, was killed. He was appointed chief of army staff by the new president, Khundaqar Mushtaq Ahmed, and attained still greater powers under Ahmed's successor, Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem. When Sayem resigned the presidency for health reasons in April 1977, General Zia was the heir apparent. He promised reform and a return to democratic elections, but an attempted coup in November 1977 slowed the process. Nevertheless, eight months later Bangladesh's first elections held under universal suffrage took place. The results endorsed Zia's policies. During Zia's presidency, Bangladesh's relations with Pakistan improved, though there were continued border tensions with India. Zia was assassinated during a coup attempt led by Maj.Gen. Mohammad Abdul Manzoor, who in 1971 had fought beside him in the battle to win independence for Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan).

Zillur Rahman

Rahula

Rahman, (Mohammad) Zillur (b. March 9, 1929, Bhairab, Bengal, India [now in Kishoreganj district, Bangladesh] - d. March 20, 2013, Singapore), president of Bangladesh (2009-13). He was also minister of local government, rural development, and cooperatives (1996-2001).

Rahmani, (Mohammad) Arsala (b. 1937 [by other sources, 1940], Khaliq Dad Babai district, Paktika province, Afghanistan - d. [assassinated] May 13, 2012, Kabul, Afghanistan), acting prime minister of Afghanistan (1994-95). He was minister of religious affairs (1992-95) and deputy prime minister (1993-95).

Rahmani-Fazli, Abdolreza (b. 1959, Shirvan, Khorasan [now in Khorasan-e Shomali], Iran), interior minister of Iran (2013-21). He was also president of the Supreme Audit Court (2008-13).

Rahming, Elliston (b. 1954), Bahamian diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (2013-17). In 2022 he was named ambassador to Cuba.

Rahula, Barys (Dzmitryevich) (Boris Dmitriyevich Ragula) (b. Jan. 1, 1920, Turets, Belorussia - d. April 22, 2005, London, Ont.), acting chairman of the Rada of the Belorussian People's Republic in exile (1997). He lived in Canada from 1954.

Rai, Amrit Bahadur (b. April 4, 1970), Nepalese diplomat. He was ambassador to South Africa (2014-18) and permanent representative to the United Nations (2019-23).

Rai, Balram Singh (b. Feb. 8, 1921, Beterverwagting, East Coast Demerara, British Guiana [now Guyana] - d. January 2022, Oxford, England), home affairs minister of British Guiana (1961-62). He was also minister of education (1959-61).

Rai, Daroga Prasad (b. September 1922 - d. 1981), chief minister of Bihar (1970).

Rai, Max (Hufanen) (b. Jan. 15, 1954), Papua New Guinean diplomat. He was ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands (1997-2003) and China (2003-07) and permanent representative to the United Nations (2016-24).

Rai, Rajani (Kaushalprasad) (Kaushalprasad is husband's name) (b. Feb. 14, 1931, Bombay [now Mumbai], India - d. Aug. 30, 2013, Nagpur, India), lieutenant governor of Pondicherry (1998-2002).

Raiberti, Flaminius (b. April 13, 1862, Nice, France - d. Dec. 16, 1929, Nice), French minister of war (1920-21) and marine (1922-24).

Raicevic, Tomica (b. 1943, Vitomirica, near Pec, Yugoslavia [now in Kosovo]), finance minister of Yugoslavia (1996-97).

Raichev, Raiko (Strahilov), also spelled Rayko Raychev (b. March 29, 1955, Tsarkva village, Bulgaria), Bulgarian diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (2007-11).

Raid, Johan, surname until 1935 Reinhold (b. June 22, 1885, Ranna, Tartu county, Russia [now in Estonia] - d. July 4, 1964, Uppsala, Sweden), interior and justice minister of Estonia (1931-32).

Raifikesht, Vladimir (Fyodorovich) (b. April 15, 1951), head of the administration of Altay kray (1991-94).

Raik, Katri (b. Oct. 26, 1967, Tartu, Estonian S.S.R.), interior minister of Estonia (2018-19).

Raikem, Jean-Joseph (b. April 28, 1787, Liége, Bishopric of Liége [now Liège, Belgium] - d. Jan. 24, 1875, Liége), justice minister of Belgium (1831-32, 1839-40). He was also chairman of the Chamber of Representatives (1832-39, 1842-43).

Raikes, Arthur Edward Harington (b. Feb. 5, 1867 - d. March 3, 1915), first minister of Zanzibar (1906-08).

Raikov

Raikov (Nikolov), Marin, also spelled Raykov (b. Dec. 17, 1960, Washington, D.C.), interim prime minister and foreign minister of Bulgaria (2013); son of Raiko Nikolov. He was ambassador to France (2001-05, 2010-13), Italy (2013-18), and the United Kingdom (2019-24).

Raimond, Jean-Bernard (b. Feb. 6, 1926, Paris, France - d. March 7, 2016, Neuilly-sur-Seine, France), foreign minister of France (1986-88). He was also ambassador to Morocco (1973-77), Poland (1982-84), the Soviet Union (1985-86), and the Vatican (1988-91).

Raimondo, Gina (Marie) (b. May 17, 1971, Smithfield, R.I.), governor of Rhode Island (2015-21) and U.S. commerce secretary (2021- ).

Rainer, (Anders) Ove (b. Sept. 14, 1925, Gävle, Gävleborg, Sweden - d. Jan. 27, 1987), justice minister of Sweden (1982-83). He was also director-general of posts (1973-82).

Rainford, Roderick (George) (b. April 7, 1940), secretary-general of the Caribbean Community (1983-92). He was also governor of the Bank of Jamaica (1992-93).

Rainier

Rainier III, in full Rainier Louis Henri Maxence Bertrand Grimaldi (b. May 31, 1923, Monaco - d. April 6, 2005, Monaco), prince of Monaco (1949-2005). He was the son of Prince Pierre, Count de Polignac, and Princess Charlotte de Monaco, daughter of Louis II, prince of Monaco. He became a Grimaldi (i.e., received his mother's family name) in accord with a sovereign ordinance of March 18, 1920. Educated in England, Switzerland, and the University of Montpellier in France, he served in the French army (1944) during World War II and after the war studied at the University of Paris. His mother having renounced her rights to succession in 1944, Rainier succeeded as ruling prince upon the death of Louis II in 1949. He brought Hollywood glamour to Monaco by marrying (April 18, 1956) U.S. actress Grace Kelly, who became Princess Grace de Monaco (b. Nov. 12, 1929, Philadelphia, Pa. - d. in an automobile accident Sept. 14, 1982, Monte Carlo, Monaco); they had three children - Caroline (b. 1957), Albert (b. 1958), and Stéphanie (b. 1965). He led Monaco into an age of skyscrapers, international banking, and business. By the 1990s, gambling accounted for less than 5% of Monaco's annual income, the bulk of revenue coming from value added tax, tourism, commerce, and industry. Billionaires and millionaires poured in, drawn by the absence of income tax and the protection offered by the presence of policemen and security cameras on almost every street. Critics said the property boom had turned the former coastal beauty spot into a "little Manhattan." In 1993 Monaco gained the political recognition he sought for his principality with its entry into the United Nations.

Rainiharo (b. 17... - d. Feb. 10, 1852), prime minister of Madagascar (1833-52).

Rainilaiarivony

Rainitsimbazafy

Rainivoninahitriniony

Rainilaiarivony (b. Jan. 30, 1828 - d. July 17, 1896, Mustapha Supérieur [now part of Algiers], Algeria), prime minister of Madagascar (1864-95); son of Rainiharo and husband of the queens Rasoherina, Ranavalona II, and Ranavalona III.

Rainitsimbazafy (b. 1835? - d. Nov. 20, 1905, Tananarive [now Antananarivo], Madagascar), prime minister of Madagascar (1895-96).

Rainivoninahitriniony (b. 1821 - d. 1869, Ambohimandroso, Madagascar), prime minister of Madagascar (1852-64); son of Rainiharo.

Rais, (Mirza) Mohsen (Khan) (b. 1896, Tehran, Persia [now Iran] - d. 19...), foreign minister of Iran (1933-34, 1938, 1944, 1950-51). He was also chargé d'affaires in France (1931), minister to Germany and the Netherlands (1935-38), Balkan countries (1939-41), France (1941-42), and Iraq (1943-44, 1944-47), minister of posts, telegraphs, and telephones (1942-43), ambassador to the United Kingdom (1947-50, 1961-62), France (1953-57, 1962-63), and the Netherlands (1960-61), and governor-general of Azarbaijan (1958-60) and Tehran (1964-...).

Rais, Stefan (b. Aug. 8, 1909, Zliechov Gápel, Hungary [now Gápel, Valaská Belá municipality, Slovakia] - d. April 25, 1975, Bratislava, Slovakia), justice minister of Czechoslovakia (1950-53).

Rais Yatim, Datuk Seri (b. April 15, 1942, Jelebu, Negeri Sembilan, Malaya [now in Malaysia]), chief minister of Negeri Sembilan (1978-82) and foreign minister of Malaysia (1986-87, 2008-09). He was also president of the Dewan Negara (2020-23). He received the titles Dato' (1978), Dato' Seri Utama (July 18, 2001), and Datuk Seri (Oct. 24, 2005).

Raisani, Nawab (Mohammad) Aslam (Khan) (b. July 5, 1955), chief minister of Balochistan (2008-13).

Raisi

Raisi, Hojatolislam Ebrahim, Raisi in full Raisol-Sadati (b. Dec. 14, 1960, Mashhad, Iran - d. [helicopter crash] May 19, 2024, Dizmar forest, northwestern Iran), president of Iran (2021-24). He was also attorney general (2014-16) and chief justice (2019-21). He was an unsuccessful presidential candidate in 2017.

Raja, K(utimukkula) A(lagar Raja) A(yyaswami) (b. Feb. 24, 1916, Rajapalaiyam [now in Tamil Nadu], India - d. ...), chief commissioner (1972-75) and lieutenant governor (1975-79) of Arunachal Pradesh and lieutenant governor of Mizoram (1980-81).

Raja, Poosapati S(anjeevi) Kumaraswamy (b. June 1898, Rajapalayam, Ramnad district, Madras province [now in Tamil Nadu state], India - d. March 16, 1957, Madras [now Chennai], India), chief minister of Madras (1949-52) and governor of Orissa (1954-56).

Rajab, Muhammad al-Zaruq (b. 1940), finance minister (1972-81) and secretary of the General People's Congress (1981-84) and General People's Committee (1984-86) of Libya. He was also governor of the Central Bank (1987-90, 2011).

Rajacic, Ilija (b. July 28, 1923, Banatsko Karadjordjevo, Yugoslavia [now in Vojvodina, Serbia] - d. Jan. 15, 2005, Novi Sad, Vojvodina), Yugoslav politician. He was prefect of Zrenjanin district in the 1950s, chairman of the Executive Council of Vojvodina in 1963-67 (and, ex officio, member of the Executive Council of Serbia in 1963-65), and president of the People's Assembly of Vojvodina in 1967-73 (and ex-officio member of the Presidency of Yugoslavia in 1971-73). He was forced to resign as a supporter of Marko Nikezic's liberal wing in the Serbian Communist Party and an advocate of closer ties of Vojvodina with Serbia.

Rajagopalachari, Chakravarti, byname Rajaji (b. Dec. 8, 1878, Thorapalli village, near Hosur, Salem district, Madras province [now in Tamil Nadu state], India - d. Dec. 25, 1972, Madras [now Chennai], Tamil Nadu), chief minister of Madras (1937-39, 1952-54), governor of West Bengal (1947-48), and governor-general (1948-50) and home affairs minister (1950-51) of India.

Rajah, Arumugam Ponnu (b. July 23, 1911, Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan, Federated Malay States [now in Malaysia] - d. Sept. 28, 1999, Singapore), Singaporean politician. He was speaker of parliament (1964-66) and high commissioner to the United Kingdom (1966-71) and Australia and Fiji (1971-73).

Raja´i

Raja´i, Mohammad Ali (b. 1933, Kazvin, Iran - d. Aug. 30, 1981, Tehran, Iran), prime minister (1980-81) and president (1981) of Iran. He joined the Iranian Liberation Movement in 1960 and was imprisoned three times for his political activities and tortured by the security police, Savak; in 1980 he exhibited the scars on his feet to the UN Security Council. He headed the Ministry of Education in the first cabinet formed after the 1979 revolution. As a leading member of the clergy-dominated Islamic Republican Party (IRP), he was elected by the Majlis (parliament) on Aug. 11, 1980, as the second prime minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran. For more than nine months following the resignation of Mehdi Bazargan, Iran had had no prime minister. Three candidates for the post proposed by Pres. Abolhassan Bani-Sadr were rejected by the IRP, and Raja´i became prime minister against the advice of the president. He soon came in conflict with Bani-Sadr over his choice of ministers; only two-thirds of those originally put forward by Raja´i were included in the cabinet approved by the Majlis on September 10. Six weeks after Raja´i became prime minister, Iraq launched its attack against Iran. According to Tehran radio, he replied to an offer of Soviet military assistance by telling the Soviet ambassador that "Iran is not ready to exchange its independence for Soviet aid." In New York City in October to address the UN Security Council, Raja´i declared that "a fair settlement can be found only if the aggressor is conquered and punished, this is our final position." When Bani-Sadr fell from power in 1981, Raja´i was elected president by an overwhelming majority. But less than a month after taking office, he was killed by a bomb blast at the prime minister's office in Tehran.

Rajalin, Johan friherre von (b. Nov. 19, 1715, Karlskrona, Blekinge, Sweden - d. Nov. 25, 1786, Karlskrona), governor of Blekinge (1769-83). He became friherre (baron) in 1771.

Rajalin, Salomon Mauritz friherre von (b. Aug. 23, 1757, Karlskrona, Blekinge, Sweden - d. Sept. 23, 1825, Stockholm, Sweden), governor of Saint-Barthélemy (1785-87), Gotland (1787-1812), and Gävleborg (1812-13); son of Johan friherre von Rajalin.

Rajamäki, Kari (Juhani) (b. Oct. 15, 1948, Anjala [now part of Kouvola], Finland), interior minister of Finland (2003-07).

Rajamannar, Pakala Venkata (b. May 10, 1901, Rajahmundry [now in Andhra Pradesh], India - d. Oct. 1, 1979, Madras [now Chennai], India), acting governor of Madras (1957-58). He was chief justice of Madras High Court (1948-61).

Rajaonarimampianina

Rajaonarivelo

Rajaonarimampianina (Rakotoarimanana), Hery (Martial) (b. Nov. 6, 1958, Antsofinondry, Madagascar), finance minister (2009-13) and president (2014-18) of Madagascar. He was an unsuccessful presidential candidate in 2018.

Rajaonarivelo, Pierrot (Jocelyn) (b. June 17, 1946, Île Sainte-Marie, Madagascar), foreign minister of Madagascar (2011-13). He was also ambassador to the United States (1989-97), a deputy prime minister (1997-2002), and minister of state in charge of economy and industry (2011).

Rajapakse, Basil (Rohana) (b. June 23, 1954), finance minister of Sri Lanka (2021-22); brother of Chamal Rajapakse, Gotabaya Rajapakse, and Mahinda Rajapakse. He was also minister of economic development (2010-15).

Rajapakse, Chamal (Jayantha) (b. Oct. 30, 1942), Sri Lankan politician. He was minister of irrigation and water management (2007-10), ports and aviation (2007-10), health, nutrition, and indigenous medicine (2018), Mahaweli, agriculture, irrigation, rural development, internal trade, food security, and consumer welfare (2019-20), and irrigation (2020-22) and speaker of parliament (2010-15).

Rajapakse, (Renuka) Damayanthi, acting secretary-general of SAARC (2012). She was Sri Lankan ambassador to Sweden (2015-18) and Egypt (2019-20).

G. Rajapakse

Rajapakse, (Nandasena) Gotabaya, also spelled Rajapaksa (b. June 20, 1949, Palatuwa, Matara district, Southern province, Ceylon [now Sri Lanka]), president (2019-22) and defense minister (2020-22) of Sri Lanka; brother of Chamal Rajapakse and Mahinda Rajapakse. Defense secretary under Mahinda Rajapakse's presidency in 2005-15, he came to be known as "The Terminator" for his ruthless crushing of Tamil rebels to end a decades-long civil war. He denied allegations that at least 40,000 minority Tamil civilians were killed by troops under his command during the closing months of the war, but the accusations bolstered his tough-guy image in the eyes of the majority Sinhalese. He was also considered the architect of "white van" abductions under Mahinda, when dissidents and journalists were grabbed in unmarked vehicles and disappeared, allegedly the victims of extrajudicial killings. He made no bones about winning the 2019 elections with the overwhelming support of his own majority Sinhala-Buddhist community. Soon after coming to power he drastically cut taxes to win over his financial backers. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hammered tourism and overseas remittances - both mainstays of the economy - leaving the country facing a foreign-exchange crisis. His banning of agrochemicals in April 2021, reversed six months later, led to crop failures. The country defaulted on its debt for the first time in its history in May 2022 and declared bankruptcy in July. After protesters angry over power blackouts, shortages of basic goods, and rising prices stormed the presidential palace, Rajapakse fled via Maldives to Singapore, from where he emailed his resignation. He returned to Sri Lanka in September.

Rajapakse, Sir Lalita (Abhaya) (Lalita also spelled Lalitha), original name Louis Alexander Rajapakse (b. May 3, 1900 - d. May 25, 1976), justice minister of Ceylon (1947-53); knighted 1952. He was also ambassador to France (1965-66) and high commissioner to the United Kingdom (1967-69).

M. Rajapakse

Rajapakse, (Percy) Mahinda, also spelled Rajapaksa (b. Nov. 18, 1945, Weeraketiya, Hambantota district, Southern province, Ceylon [now Sri Lanka]), prime minister (2004-05, 2018, 2019-22) and president (2005-15) of Sri Lanka; brother of Chamal Rajapakse. He turned to politics at the age of 24, entering parliament from the district of Hambantota, a constituency his father had represented between 1947 and 1960. He was in the forefront of many a struggle to safeguard workers' rights; in 1992, he led a 182-km protest walk from the capital Colombo to the deep south Kataragama. He was a controversial minister in Pres. Chandrika Kumaratunga's cabinet from 1994 to 2001. As labour minister he moved to introduce a labour charter, but his reforms were resisted by employers who pressured Kumaratunga to oust him from the ministry. His labour charter was not implemented. In 1997 he was shifted to the fisheries ministry where he became even more popular among the public by setting up houses for fishermen who had been living in temporary dwellings for decades. Despite his work as fisheries minister, the country's Buddhist clergy, who oppose fishing as a sin, took the extraordinary step of conferring an honour on him for his services to the country as a politician. In 2002 he became the leader of the opposition and in 2004 prime minister of a coalition government. In 2005 he was elected president, mainly with the votes of the majority Sinhala community, while his opponent Ranil Wickremesinghe drew the bulk of votes of the minority Tamil community - including areas in the north and east, where there was a boycott campaign by the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). He also took the defense and finance portfolios in the new cabinet. After the 26-year civil war ended with the defeat of the LTTE in 2009, he was reelected in 2010. He pushed through laws increasing presidential powers and filled the government with family members and friends. In 2015 he was defeated by Maithripala Sirisena, a former ally who broke with him in 2014. Rajapakse's new party, Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, pulled off a stunning victory in local elections in February 2018. In October 2018 Sirisena appointed him prime minister after dismissing Wickremesinghe in a constitutionally questionable move. He was also appointed minister of finance and economic affairs. But Wickremesinghe had a majority in parliament, and when Sirisena's attempt to dissolve it was struck down by the Supreme Court, Rajapakse resigned in December. He again became prime minister (and minister of defense, finance, economic and policy planning, Buddha Sasana, cultural affairs, religious affairs, urban development, water supply, and housing) after his brother Gotabaya was elected president in 2019. Following a strong win in 2020 parliamentary elections, he retained his position as prime minister (keeping the portfolios of finance, Buddha Sasana, religious and cultural affairs, and urban development and housing; in 2021 he exchanged these for economic policies and plan implementation). In 2022 he resigned after a hard-hitting economic crisis led to weeks of sometimes violent protests.

Rajapakse, (Lakshman) Namal, also spelled Rajapaksa (b. April 10, 1986, Colombo, Sri Lanka), Sri Lankan politician; son of Mahinda Rajapakse. He was minister of youth and sports (2020-22) and development coordination and supervision (2021-22) and a minor presidential candidate (2024).

Rajapakse, Shashindra (Kumara), also spelled Rajapaksa (b. June 28, 1976), chief minister of Uva (2009-15); son of Chamal Rajapakse; nephew of Basil Rajapakse, Gotabaya Rajapakse, and Mahinda Rajapakse.

Rajapov, Matkarim (b. 1937, Mayly-Dzhengel, Turkmen S.S.R. [now in Dashoguz velayat, Turkmenistan] - d. Oct. 24, 2004), economy and finance minister of Turkmenistan (1996-2000). He was also head of the Central Statistics Office (1984-87) and chairman of the State Committee for Statistics (1987-90) and the State Planning Committee (1990) of the Turkmen S.S.R. and minister of state property (1992-93) and nature protection (2001-04) and a deputy prime minister (1992-93, 1994-96) of Turkmenistan.

Rajaratnam, Sinnathamby (b. Feb. 25, 1915, Ceylon [now Sri Lanka] - d. Feb. 22, 2006, Singapore), foreign minister of Singapore (1965-80). One of the founder members of the People's Action Party, he was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in 1959 and served in the Kampong Glam constituency for 29 years. Soon after being elected, he was appointed minister of culture (1959-65). In 1963 he made the first television speech to be broadcast to Singaporeans. As Singapore's first foreign minister, he worked from scratch to set up the Foreign Service and formulated a foreign policy to put then little-known Singapore on the map of international politics. At home he introduced the policy of multiracialism, insisting that the three main races be accorded equal importance and significance. Based on this sentiment he penned the Singapore Pledge: "We the citizens of Singapore pledged ourselves as one united people. Regardless of race, language, or religion..." He was also minister of labour (1968-71) and second deputy prime minister (1980-85); his last government post was that of senior minister (1985-88).

Rajasa, (Muhammad) Hatta (b. Dec. 18, 1953, Palembang, Sumatera Selatan, Indonesia), acting finance minister of Indonesia (2013). He was also minister of state for research and technology (2001-04), minister of transportation (2004-07), state secretary (2007-09), and coordinating minister for economic affairs (2009-14).

Rajasekharan

Raje

Rajasekharan, Kummanam (b. Dec. 23, 1952, Kummanam village, Kottayam district, Travancore-Cochin [now Kerala], India), governor of Mizoram (2018-19).

Rajbhandari, Gehendra Bahadur (b. November 1923, Patna, India - d. Aug. 23, 1994), foreign minister (1968-71) and first minister (1970-71) of Nepal. He was also minister of home and panchayat affairs (1967-68) and information and broadcasting (1967-69) and ambassador to Bangladesh (1982-87).

Raje (Scindia), Vasundhara (b. March 6, 1953, Bombay [now Mumbai], India), chief minister of Rajasthan (2003-08, 2013-18); daughter of Sir George Jivaji Rao Scindia. She was also Indian minister of state (independent charge) for small-scale industries, personnel, training, pensions, atomic energy, and space (1999-2003), administrative reforms and public grievances (2001-03), and planning (2001-03).

Rajendran

Rajeshwar

Rajendran, M(oberly) M(anoah) (b. April 12, 1935, Anantapur [now in Andhra Pradesh], India - d. Dec. 23, 2023, Chennai, India), governor of Orissa (1999-2004).

Rajeshwar, Thanjavelu, or T.V. Rajeshwar (b. Aug. 28, 1926, Salem [now in Tamil Nadu], India - d. Jan. 14, 2018, Delhi, India), lieutenant governor of Arunachal Pradesh (1983-85) and governor of Sikkim (1985-89), West Bengal (1989-90), Uttar Pradesh (2004-09), and Rajasthan (2004). He was also director of the Intelligence Bureau of India (1980-83).

Rajh, Arnold (b. Aug. 10, 1907, Bingula, near Sremska Mitrovica, Austria-Hungary [now in Serbia] - d. Oct. 9, 1992, Belgrade, Serbia), justice minister of Yugoslavia (1963-65).

Rajk, László (b. March 8, 1909, Székelyudvarhely, Hungary [now Odorheiu Secuiesc, Romania] - d. [executed] Oct. 15, 1949, Budapest, Hungary), interior minister (1946-48) and foreign minister (1948-49) of Hungary.

Rajkhowa

Rajkhowa, J(yoti) P(rasad) (b. Jan. 11, 1944), governor of Arunachal Pradesh (2015-16).

Rajneri, Julio (Raúl) (b. Sept. 28, 1927, General Roca, Río Negro province, Argentina), justice and education minister of Argentina (1986-87).

A. Rajoelina

Rajoelina, Andry (Nirina) (b. May 30, 1974), president of the High Authority of Transition (2009-14) and president (2019-23, 2023- ) of Madagascar. A former disc jockey, nicknamed "TGV" (after the French high-speed train) for his quick-fire personality, he was elected mayor of Antananarivo in December 2007, defeating the ruling party's candidate. On Dec. 13, 2008, the government closed down his private television network "Viva" after it broadcast an interview with former president Didier Ratsiraka. In 2009, accusing Pres. Marc Ravalomanana of being a dictator starving his people, Rajoelina used his charisma to mount a brazen challenge for the country's top office. In January he called for a general strike that turned violent and claimed dozens of lives. On January 31 he proclaimed himself in charge of Madagascar's affairs. On February 3 the government removed him as mayor. On February 7 he announced the setup of a transitional government. Turmoil and uncertainty persisted until March 17, when Ravalomanana gave up, having lost the support of the army. Rajoelina, who had turned the initials of his nickname into his movement's name: Tanora Gasy Vonona, or Young Dynamic Madagascan, repeatedly condemned what he said were shrinking freedoms on the island and also fiercely criticized a massive project to lease vast swathes of farmland to South Korean industrial giant Daewoo. He promised to organize a fresh presidential election within two years. The existing constitution, however, required a president to be at least 40, which ruled him out. In 2014 he handed over power to elected president Hery Rajaonarimampianina. In the 2018 elections, however, he defeated both Ravalomanana and Rajaonarimampianina. In 2023 he was easily reelected in a poll boycotted by most of the opposition after media reports had revealed he had acquired French nationality in 2014, by which he should have lost his Madagascan nationality under local law.

P. Rajoelina

Rajoelina, Patrick (b. 1954), foreign minister of Madagascar (2021-22).

Rajoy

Rajoy (Brey), Mariano (b. March 27, 1955, Santiago de Compostela, Spain), prime minister of Spain (2011-18). In 1977 he joined what would later become the Popular Party (PP). He was elected to the parliament of Galicia in 1981 and to the national parliament in 1986. In the PP government of Prime Minister José María Aznar he was minister of public administration (1996-99), education and culture (1999-2000), the presidency (2000-01, 2002-03), and interior (2001-02) and first deputy prime minister (2000-03). In 2003 Aznar handpicked Rajoy as the party's new leader; he took over in 2004, when the PP was expected to claim another victory in the general elections, but it was defeated. Rajoy again failed to lead the PP to victory in 2008. As the European sovereign debt crisis continued to escalate, however, the PP ousted the ruling Socialists in a landslide victory in 2011, winning the biggest parliamentary majority in nearly three decades. Rajoy, a social conservative, was especially outspoken about curbing abortion rights and in his opposition to same-sex marriages. Nevertheless, he helped lead the party from the hard right to centre-right. Many hoped that Rajoy and the PP would help steer the country out of spiraling recession, but at first the turmoil intensified; he had to handle a nationwide banking crisis, involving the creation of a so-called bad bank, and introduced unpopular austerity measures as unemployment reached 25% in 2012. In the December 2015 elections, he fell short of a majority, but no alternative government could be formed. New elections in June 2016 did not materially change the situation, and he was ultimately confirmed in October 2016 when the Socialists abstained from the vote. In 2017 he imposed direct rule on Catalonia after its attempt at secession. In 2018 his government was brought down by a Socialist censure motion following a corruption scandal involving the PP. He then resigned the party leadership and his parliamentary seat.

Raka, Gibran Rakabuming (b. Oct. 1, 1987, Surakarta, Indonesia), vice president of Indonesia (2024- ); son of Joko Widodo. He was also mayor of Surakarta (2021-24).

Rakcevic, Zarko (b. March 27, 1961, Titograd [now Podgorica], Montenegro), a deputy prime minister of Montenegro (2001-03).

Rakhimbayev

Rakhimbayev, Abdullo (Rakhimbayevich) (b. June 1896, Khodzhent, Turkestan, Russian Empire [now Khudzhand, Tajikistan] - d. [executed] May 7, 1938), chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the Turkestan A.S.S.R. (1920-21, 1922), chairman of the Council of People's Commissars (1933-37) and of the Central Executive Committee (1936-37) of the Tadzhik S.S.R., and co-chairman of the Central Executive Committee of the U.S.S.R. (1934-37).

Rakhimov, Murtaza (Gubaydullovich) (b. Feb. 7, 1934, Tavakanovo, Bashkir A.S.S.R., Russian S.F.S.R. [now Bashkortostan, Russia] - d. Jan. 11, 2023, Ufa, Bashkortostan), chairman of the Supreme Council (1990-93) and president (1993-2010) of Bashkortostan.

Rakhimov, Saidakhmad (Boriyevich) (b. Nov. 14, 1960), finance minister of Uzbekistan (2004-05). He was also chairman of the Audit Chamber (2002-03).

Rakhimova, Bikhodzhal (Fatkhitdinovna) (b. Dec. 27, 1941, Yava, Leninabad oblast, Tadzhik S.S.R.), Soviet politician. She was a deputy prime minister (1991).

Rakhmanov, Akmamet (Rakhmanovich) (b. 1965, Kipchak village, near Ashkhabad, Turkmen S.S.R. [now in Akhal velayat, Turkmenistan]), interior minister of Turkmenistan (2004-07).

Rakhmanov, Amangeldy (b. July 25, 1944, Peshenaly, Mary oblast, Turkmen S.S.R.), Turkmen diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1992-95) and ambassador to China and South Korea (1995-2001).

Rakhmanov, Gasan (Ali Pasha ogly) (b. ... - d. [in prison] Sept. 25, 1938), first secretary of the Communist Party committee of the Nakhichevan A.S.S.R. (1936-37).

Rakhmanov, Usain (Serdar ogly) (b. 1902 - d. April 21, 1938), chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of the Azerbaijan S.S.R. (1933-37).

Rakhmatov, Mirzo (Rakhmatovich) (b. May 1, 1914, Dzhafar village, Semirechye oblast, Russia [now in Kazakhstan or Kyrgyzstan] - d. Aug. 20, 1998, Dushanbe, Tajikistan), chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Tadzhik S.S.R. (1956-63). He was also Soviet ambassador to Yemen (Sana) (1966-72) and Mauritania (1972-75).

Rakhmatov, Sharif (b. 1910, Ryn, Fergana oblast, Russia [now in Gorno-Badakhshan, Tajikistan] - d. ...), chairman of the Executive Committee of Gorno-Badakhshan autonomous oblast (1947-49, 1953-57).

Rakhmetullin, Akan (Akasovich) (b. Feb. 2, 1967, Alma-Ata, Kazakh S.S.R. [now Almaty, Kazakhstan]), Kazakh diplomat. He was ambassador to Pakistan (2019-21) and permanent representative to the United Nations (2022-24).

Rakhmon

Rakhmon, Emomali, until 2007 Emomali (Sharipovich) Rakhmonov (b. Oct. 5, 1952, Dangara, Kulyab oblast, Tadzhik S.S.R. [now Danghara, Khatlon viloyat, Tajikistan]), president of Tajikistan (1992- ). A trade-union and Communist Party activist and administrator in Soviet times, he was chairman of the Executive Committee of Kulyab oblast in 1992. He is a hardline leader who came to power as Tajikistan was sliding into civil war following independence. Closely associated with Kulyabi paramilitary forces and the disgraced ex-president Rakhmon Nabiyev, he managed to have himself appointed chairman of the Supreme Council in 1992 and was directly elected president under a new constitution in 1994. Propped up by 25,000 Russian troops, he signed a peace accord with opposition forces in 1997. In 1998 he joined the People's Democratic Party of Tajikistan. Reelected in 1999, 2006, 2013, and 2020, he ruled in an authoritarian manner, placed tight curbs on opposition and Islamic fundamentalist activities, and developed close links with Russia and Uzbekistan.

Rákosi

Rákosi, Mátyás, original surname (until 1904) Rosenfeld (b. March 14, 1892, Ada, Hungary [now in Vojvodina, Serbia] - d. Feb. 5, 1971, Gorky, Russian S.F.S.R. [now Nizhny Novgorod, Russia]), Hungarian leader. An early adherent of Social Democracy, he was taken prisoner on the Russian front in 1915 and returned to Hungary as a Communist in 1918. In March-August 1919 he served as commissar for socialist production in the Communist government of Béla Kun, on the fall of which he escaped to Moscow. He was entrusted with various missions abroad. In 1924 he was dispatched to refound a Hungarian Communist Party, but he was apprehended by the Hungarian police in 1925 and, after a trial in which he defended himself with great courage and fluency, was sentenced in 1927 to 8½ years in prison from the date of his arrest. On the expiration of this term he was rearrested and sentenced (1934) to life imprisonment on new charges. In 1940 he was allowed to go to Moscow in exchange for some Hungarian battle flags captured by Russia in 1848-49. He returned with the Soviet army at the end of 1944 and became general secretary of the Hungarian Workers' (Communist) Party (1945-56). In 1945 he was also a member of the High National Council, the collective head of state. He soon consolidated political power in his hands, serving as deputy prime minister (1945-52) and prime minister (1952-53). Following Stalin's death in 1953, he was partially demoted in favour of the reform-minded Imre Nagy. In 1955 he was able to effect the dismissal of Nagy, but in July 1956 he was forced to resign from his party position by Nikita Khrushchev in order to placate the Yugoslav leader Marshal Tito, whom Rákosi had offended. His Stalinist methods and his subservience to Moscow had made him widely unpopular, and shortly before revolution broke out in October 1956, he fled again to the U.S.S.R. In 1962 he was stripped of his membership in the Hungarian party.

Rakotoarijaona

J. Rakotomalala

Rakotoarijaona, Désiré (b. June 19, 1934), prime minister of Madagascar (1977-88). He was also finance minister (1975) and a minor presidential candidate (1996).

Rakotomalala, Joël (b. March 29, 1929, Tanandrana, Madagascar - d. [helicopter crash] July 30, 1976, near Antsirabe, Madagascar), prime minister of Madagascar (1976). He was also minister of information (1972-75) and posts and telecommunications (1975).

Rakotomalala, Louis (b. Sept. 11, 1901 - d. July 1, 1968), Malagasy diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations and ambassador to the United States (1960-68).

Rakotomavo

Rakotoniaina

Rakotonirina

Rakotomavo, Pascal (Joseph) (b. April 1, 1934, Antananarivo, Madagascar - d. Dec. 14, 2010, Réunion), finance minister (1982-89) and prime minister (1997-98) of Madagascar and governor of Antananarivo (2001-02).

Rakotondramboa, Noël (b. Dec. 24, 1941 - d. Sept. 20, 2012), Malagasy diplomat. He was chargé d'affaires at the United Nations (1993-95).

Rakotoniaina, Justin (b. 1933, Imasombahoaka village, Madagascar - d. November 2001), prime minister of Madagascar (1976-77). He was also ambassador to Algeria (1973-75) and education minister (1975-76).

Rakotonirina, Léon Jean Richard (b. April 9, 1963, Farafangana, Madagascar), defense minister (2019-23) and acting foreign minister (2022-23) of Madagascar.

Rakotovahiny

Rakotovahiny, Emmanuel (b. Aug. 16, 1938, near Toliara, Madagascar - d. July 1, 2020), prime minister of Madagascar (1995-96). He was also minister of rural development (1972-75, 1993-95).

Rakotovao

Rakovsky

Rakotovao, Rivo (b. May 25, 1960, Mahamasina, Antananarivo, Madagascar), acting president of Madagascar (2018-19). He was president of the Senate (2017-21).

Rakotovao-Razakaboana (b. Jan. 11, 1933, Antsirabe, Madagascar - d. Oct. 11, 1994), finance minister of Madagascar (1975-82).

Rakovsky, Khrystyan (Georgiyovych) (Ukrainian), Russian Khristian Georgiyevich Rakovsky, original (Bulgarian) name Krustyo Georgiev Stanchev (b. Aug. 13, 1873, Kotel settlement, Bulgaria - d. [executed] Sept. 11, 1941, Oryol, Russian S.F.S.R.), chairman of the Council of People's Commissars and people's commissar for foreign affairs of the Ukrainian S.S.R. (1919, 1920-23). He was Soviet ambassador to the United Kingdom (1923-25) and France (1925-27). He was arrested in 1937 and given a 20-year prison sentence in 1938; when the German Wehrmacht arrived in Oryol in 1941, all political prisoners were executed.

Rakovszky de Nagyrákó et Kelemenfalva, Iván (b. Feb. 5, 1885, Budapest, Hungary - d. Sept. 9, 1960, Jászapáti, Hungary), interior minister of Hungary (1922-26). He was also minister of religion and education (1944).

Rakowski

Rakowski, Mieczyslaw (Franciszek) (b. Dec. 1, 1926, Kowalewko, Bydgoszcz province, Poland - d. Nov. 8, 2008, Warsaw, Poland), prime minister of Poland (1988-89). An officer in the Polish Army in 1945-49, he joined the Communist party in 1946 and from 1975 was a member of its Central Committee. In 1958-82 he was deputy editor-in-chief and then editor-in-chief of the prestigious weekly Polityka. In those years he was, in the eyes of popular opinion, a "liberal-minded" party man. In 1981 he became vice-president of the Council of Ministers and was appointed chairman of a committee dealing with the free trade union Solidarity. Subsequently, his popular image as a liberal changed completely, especially after a television appearance at the Lenin Shipyard in which he displayed considerable arrogance and contempt toward workers. After his appointment in 1985 as a deputy speaker of the Sejm (parliament), his political career seemed to decline. However, in 1987 he was elected to the Politburo and a secret document called "Rakowski's view" was circulated, including an accurate appraisal of the Polish political and economic situation. His appointment as prime minister in 1988 still came as a surprise. Viewed as an opportunist and a staunch opponent of Solidarity, he was not generally popular. Although a hardline Communist, he was convinced that far-reaching economic reforms were badly needed in Poland and that the free market economy should be introduced. One of his first "economic" moves was to close down the unprofitable Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk, the cradle of Solidarity. This was widely recognized as a political rather than an economic move and met strong protest by the shipyard's employees, one of whom was Lech Walesa. In 1989 he resigned as premier and was elected first secretary of the Communist party, which dissolved itself in 1990.

Rakusan, Vít (b. June 16, 1978, Kolín, Czechoslovakia [now in Czech Republic]), first deputy prime minister and interior minister of the Czech Republic (2021- ). He has also been chairman of Mayors and Independents (2019- ).

Ralahalu, Karel Albert (b. Jan. 6, 1946), governor of Maluku (2003-13).

Rålamb, Bror friherre (b. Oct. 2, 1668, Stockholm, Sweden - d. March 27, 1734, Vasa [Vaasa], Finland), governor of Österbotten (1733-34); son of Claes friherre Rålamb (1622-1698); half-brother of Hans friherre Rålamb.

Rålamb, Claes friherre (b. May 8, 1622, Stockholm, Sweden - d. March 14, 1698, Stockholm), governor of Uppland (1660-65) and Stockholm city (1673-78). He was made friherre (baron) in 1674.

Rålamb, Claes friherre (b. April 12, 1682 - d. Nov. 19, 1751, Vätö socken [now part of Norrtälje municipality], Stockholm county, Sweden), governor of Halland (1737-45); son of Hans friherre Rålamb; nephew of Bror friherre Rålamb.

Rålamb, Claes Gustaf friherre (b. Jan. 29, 1705, Stockholm, Sweden - d. March 20, 1765, Stockholm), governor of Södermanland (1751-61); son of Gustaf friherre Rålamb; cousin of Claes friherre Rålamb (1682-1751). He was also president of the Swedish Board of Trade (1761-62).

Rålamb, Claes Hans friherre (b. July 3, 1784, Löt socken [now part of Enköping municipality], Uppsala, Sweden - d. Feb. 9, 1867, Uppsala, Sweden), governor of Stockholm (1830-42); great-grandson of Claes friherre Rålamb (1682-1751).

Rålamb, Gustaf friherre (b. Oct. 5, 1675 - d. July 23, 1750, Stockholm, Sweden), governor of Skaraborg (1723-27); son of Claes friherre Rålamb (1622-1698); half-brother of Hans friherre Rålamb and Bror friherre Rålamb.

Rålamb, Hans friherre (b. March 1, 1652, Lövstaholm, Stockholm county, Sweden - d. Jan. 25, 1712, Stora Åby socken, Östergötland, Sweden), governor of Kopparberg (1706, 1709-10); son of Claes friherre Rålamb (1622-1698).

Rallis, Dimitrios (Georgiou) (b. 1844, Athens, Greece - d. Aug. 19, 1921, Athens), prime minister of Greece (1897, 1903, 1905, 1909, 1920-21); son of Georgios (Alexandrou) Rallis. He was also minister of education (1875), justice (1882-83, 1915-16, 1920-21), interior (1893, 1905), marine (1897), finance (1903, 1905, 1909, 1916), foreign affairs (1903, 1905, 1920-21), and communication (1915-16) and president of the Vouli (1903).

Rallis, Georgios (Alexandrou) (b. 1805, Constantinople, Ottoman Empire [now Istanbul, Turkey] - d. April 7, 1883, Gastein [now Bad Gastein], Austria), justice minister (1841-43, 1848-49, 1857-60), finance minister (1842-43, provisional), and foreign minister (1849, provisional) of Greece. He was also president of the Supreme Court (1849-61).

G. (I.) Rallis

Rallis, Georgios (Ioannou) (b. Dec. 26, 1918, Athens, Greece - d. March 15, 2006, Athens), prime minister of Greece (1980-81); son of Ioannis Rallis; grandson of Dimitrios Rallis and Georgios Theotokis; nephew of Ioannis Theotokis. In 1950 he went into politics, being elected to parliament thereafter under the banner of the main right-wing party in its different mutations - Populist Party, Greek Rally, and Konstantinos Karamanlis's National Radical Union, which he helped found in 1955. He served in several cabinet posts from 1954 - minister of the presidency of the government (1954-56, 1974, 1974-77), communications and public works (1956-58), interior (1961-63, 1974), public order (1967), social welfare (1967), education (1976-77), coordination (1977-78, 1980-81), and foreign affairs (1978-80). Being a staunch anti-Communist he quit the party with others after disagreeing over the reform of the electoral law, which, he prophesied, would bolster the extreme left. Although his prophecy was vindicated, he rejoined Karamanlis in 1961 and was reelected. After the 1967 military coup, he was arrested repeatedly for his anti-regime activity. With the collapse of the dictatorship in 1974, he joined the first national unity government under Karamanlis, and when the New Democracy party won a landslide victory he became Karamanlis's closest cabinet aide. When in May 1980 parliament elected Karamanlis president of the republic, Rallis was chosen by New Democracy to succeed him as party leader and prime minister. The vote in the party's parliamentary caucus was 88 for Rallis against 84 for his sole adversary, Defense Minister Evangelos Averoff-Tossizza, a favourite of the party's right wing. Rallis's political moderation and candour guaranteed that the party would abide by Karamanlis's middle-of-the-road policies, and this tipped the scales in his favour. However, he lost the 1981 elections to the Panhellenic Socialist Movement, and thereafter he was replaced as party leader. He ran for parliament for the last time in April 1990.

Rallis, Ioannis (Dimitriou) (b. 1878, Athens, Greece - d. Oct. 26, 1946, Athens), foreign minister (1932-33) and prime minister (1943-44) of Greece; son of Dimitrios Rallis. He was also minister of marine (1920-21), economy (1921-22), interior (1933, 1944), communication (1933), aviation (1933-34), agriculture (1943-44), national defense (1943-44), labour (1943-44), and provisioning (1943). He was arrested in 1945 and sentenced to life imprisonment by a Greek court for his collaboration with the German occupation.

Ralph, Richard (Peter) (b. April 27, 1946), governor of the Falkland Islands (1996-99). He was also British ambassador to Latvia (1993-96), Romania and Moldova (1999-2002), and Peru (2003-06).

Ralston, James (Layton) (b. Sept. 27, 1881, Amherst, N.S. - d. May 22, 1948, Montreal, Que.), defence minister (1926-30, 1940-44) and finance minister (1939-40) of Canada. He was also minister of pensions and national health (1930).

Ralston, Samuel M(offett) (b. Dec. 1, 1857, near New Cumberland, Tuscarawas county, Ohio - d. Oct. 14, 1925, near Indianapolis, Ind.), governor of Indiana (1913-17). He was also a U.S. senator from Indiana (1923-25).

Ram, Jagjivan (b. April 5, 1908, Chandwa, near Arrah, Bihar, India - d. July 6, 1986, New Delhi, India), Indian politician. He joined the Congress party in 1931 and became involved in social work, seeking to improve the condition of the untouchables; he also inaugurated the agricultural labour movement in Bihar. He was parliamentary secretary to the government of Bihar (1937-39) and vice-president of the Bihar branch of the All-India Trade Union Congress (1940-46). He became a member of the All-India Congress Committee and during World War II was twice imprisoned by the British (1940 and 1942-43). In 1946 he became the youngest member of the provisional government. After independence he held a number of ministerial posts, including labour (1947-52), communications (1952-56), transport and railways (1956-62), transport and communications (1962-63), labour, employment, and rehabilitation (1966-67), agriculture and irrigation (1974-77), and, perhaps most effectively, defense (1970-74, 1977-79). Breaking with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1977 over her "state of emergency" rule, he formed the Congress for Democracy, which, in alliance with the Janata Party, defeated Gandhi in that year's general elections. He wanted to be prime minister, but lost out to Morarji Desai. His Congress for Democracy then merged with Janata. He was deputy prime minister for some time in 1979, then became leader of the opposition. In 1980 he left the Janata Party and joined the Congress (U) party of Devaraj Urs, and in 1981 he formed his own Congress (J) party.

Ram Lal, Thakur, earlier known as Ram Lal Chauhan (b. Jan. 15, 1929, Barthata village, Simla district [now Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh], India - d. July 6, 2002, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh), chief minister of Himachal Pradesh (1977, 1980-83) and governor of Andhra Pradesh (1983-84).

E. Rama

L. Rama

Rama, Edi (Kristaq), until 2002 byname of Edvin Rama (b. July 4, 1964, Tiranë, Albania), prime minister (2013- ) and foreign minister (2019-20) of Albania; nephew of Spiro Koleka. He was also minister of culture, youth, and sports (1998-2000) and mayor of Tiranë (2000-11).

Rama, Luan (Mersin) (b. March 9, 1966, Peshkopi, Albania), defense minister (2002) and interior minister (2002-03) of Albania.

N.T. Rama Rao

Rama Rao, N(andamuri) T(araka) ("NTR") (b. May 28, 1923, Nimmakuru, Krishna district [now in Andhra Pradesh], India - d. Jan. 18, 1996, Hyderabad, India), Indian politician. He entered government service in 1948 as a subregistrar but soon gave this up to become an actor. He also produced and directed films himself. An enthusiastic and successful campaigner for worthy causes, during India's border conflict with China in 1962 and the war with Pakistan in 1965, Rama Rao was active in raising money for national defense funds. In 1968 Pres. Zakir Husain conferred on him the Badmashri (Lotus) order. In March 1982 he turned to politics and founded the Telugu Desam ("Land of the Telugus") party to bring back, in his own words, "the 3,000-year-old heritage of the Telugu people." After a nine-month-long campaign in which he traveled more than 35,000 km and was seen and heard by 30 million people, his party emerged victorious in the January 1983 legislative assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh. He became chief minister of the state, but was forced to quit the following year after a conflict with Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He was reinstated later in 1984. Reelected in 1985, he served a four-year term before retiring. He made another comeback in 1994 but quit the state post in 1995 amid a row over the role of his new wife in the affairs of the state. His son-in-law, Chandrababu Naidu, toppled him as chief minister by wooing many lawmakers and some of his sons to his side. Thousands of people poured into the state capital of Hyderabad on hearing the news of Rama Rao's death. The state government, led by his estranged family, declared a seven-day mourning period.

Rama Rao, V. (b. Dec. 11, 1935, near Masulipatam [now Machilipatnam, Andhra Pradesh], India - d. Jan. 17, 2016, Hyderabad, India), governor of Sikkim (2002-07).

Ramachandran, (M.) D(eivanayagam R.) (b. Jan. 31, 1934, Maducarai, French India [now in Puducherry, India] - d. Dec. 8, 2024, Puducherry), chief minister of Pondicherry (1980-83, 1990-91).

Ramachandran, (Vaikom Narayani) Janaki (b. 1923, Vaikom [now in Kerala], India - d. May 19, 1996, Madras [now Chennai], India), chief minister of Tamil Nadu (1988); wife of Marudur Gopala Ramachandran.

Ramachandran, Marudur Gopala(menon) ("MGR") (b. Jan. 17, 1917, Kandy, Ceylon [now Sri Lanka] - d. Dec. 24, 1987, Madras [now Chennai], Tamil Nadu, India), Indian politician. He was a film star who dominated the cinema in India in his early career. He never lost his star appeal and commanded the kind of adulation normally associated only with much younger stars. He became heavily involved in politics in the 1950s and built up support through his fan clubs. Throughout his life he campaigned for the rights of Tamils, and in the 1980s he was closely identified with the Tamil separatist movement in Sri Lanka. In 1972 he founded the All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam Party, which promoted the Tamil cause. As chief minister (1977-87) of Tamil Nadu, he introduced some highly controversial populist tactics, including a relaxation of the prohibition laws on alcohol in 1980 and the introduction of free meals for over eight million children and pensioners in 1982.

Ramadan, Barma, foreign minister of Chad (1979). He was also permanent representative to the United Nations (1981-85) and ambassador to Belgium (1993-2000).

Ramadan, Taha Yassin, until the late 1970s known as Taha al-Jazrawi (b. 1938, Mosul, Iraq - d. [executed] March 20, 2007, Baghdad, Iraq), vice president of Iraq (1991-2003). He was also minister of industry (1970-76) and public works and housing (1976-79) and first deputy premier (1979-91).

Ramadhar, Prakash, justice minister of Trinidad and Tobago (2015). He was also minister of legal affairs (2010-15).

Ramadier, Jean (Paul) (b. Dec. 1, 1913, Paris, France - d. Feb. 19, 1968, Montpellier, Hérault, France), lieutenant governor of Niger (1954-56), governor of French Guinea (1956-58), and high commissioner of French Cameroons (1958); son of Paul Ramadier.

P. Ramadier

Ramadier, Paul (b. March 17, 1888, La Rochelle, France - d. Oct. 14, 1961, Rodez, France), prime minister of France (1947). He was elected mayor of Decazeville, a small town in the southwest, in 1919 and held the office until his death. In 1928-40 he represented Villefranche-de-Rouergue in the Chamber of Deputies. He served as undersecretary in the public works ministry in 1936-37 in Léon Blum's first cabinet and as minister of labour twice in 1938 in the cabinets of Camille Chautemps and Édouard Daladier. During World War II he refused to support the Vichy regime and worked for the Résistance. He was minister of supply in 1944-45 and of justice in 1946-47. In 1947 he became premier of the first government of the Fourth Republic, and the only one to have included all parties in the National Assembly, though it was dominated by the tripartite coalition of his Socialists, the Popular Republican Movement, and the Communists which had held power since the liberation. The government had to cope with a succession of crises involving food shortages, labour unrest, and native resistance to French colonialism in Indochina, and with squabbles between the coalition members. He resigned in response to a growing loss of support for his government. He was later minister of state (1948) and defense minister (1948-49). He lost his seat at Aveyron in the 1951 general election but regained it in 1956, and in 1956-57 held the post of minister of financial and economic affairs under Guy Mollet. Ramadier, who opposed the return of Gen. Charles de Gaulle, was, like many other notable Fourth Republic politicians, defeated in the 1958 election and retired from national politics. He was also France's representative at the International Labour Organization in 1948-61, and its chairman in 1951-52.

Ramaema, Elias Phisoana (b. Nov. 10, 1933, Mapoteng, Basutoland [now Lesotho] - d. Dec. 11, 2015, Maseru, Lesotho), chairman of the Military Council of Lesotho (1991-93). He was arrested on Jan. 30, 1999, over the stabbing of Irish aid volunteer Ken Hickey, 75, on January 21 in Maseru.

Ramafole, Motlatsi (b. Sept. 5, 1962, Maseru, Basutoland [now Lesotho]), Lesotho diplomat. He was ambassador to Ethiopia (2005-09), permanent representative to the United Nations (2009-12), and government secretary (2012-14, 2023).

Ramaharo (d. Nov. 25, 1890, Ivato, Ambositra, Madagascar), finance minister (1862-63) and foreign minister (1864-79) of Madagascar. He was also chief secretary (1863-64).

Ramahatra

Ramakoae

Ramahatra, Victor (b. Sept. 6, 1945, Antananarivo, Madagascar), prime minister of Madagascar (1988-91). He was also minister of public works (1982-88). He was arrested on June 24, 2002, being charged with treason for allegedly helping to mount a foiled mercenary operation to assassinate Pres. Marc Ravalomanana.

Ramaker, Jacob (b. June 29, 1939, Amsterdam, Netherlands), Dutch diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1997-98) and ambassador to Austria (1999-2004).

Ramakoae, 'Matsepo (Molise-) (b. March 3, 1954), foreign minister of Lesotho (2020-22).

Ramalho, Joaquim da Silva (b. Feb. 11, 1836, São Miguel [now Biguaçu], Santa Catarina, Brazil - d. May 6, 1879, São Miguel), acting president of Santa Catarina (1878, 1878-79).

Ramalho, Joaquim Ignacio Ramalho, barão de (b. Jan. 6, 1809, São Paulo, Brazil - d. Aug. 15, 1902), president of Goiás (1845-48). He was made baron in 1887.

Ramalho, José Cardoso, Júnior (b. April 7, 1866, Amazonas province [now state], Brazil - d. Sept. 18, 1952, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), acting governor of Amazonas (1898-1900).

Ramanantsoa

Ramanantsoa, Gabriel (b. April 13, 1906, Tananarive [now Antananarivo], Madagascar - d. May 9, 1979, Paris, France), president of Madagascar (1972-75). He trained as an officer at the Saint-Cyr military academy in France and fought with the French Army in World War II and later in Indochina. He also took part in Madagascar's independence negotiations in 1960. He was appointed chief of staff of the new state's armed forces and remained uninvolved in politics until asked to assume power in May 1972 during the emergency that followed student riots that year. In October a referendum confirmed him as head of state in succession to Philibert Tsiranana, the nation's first president. General Ramanantsoa's renegotiation of cooperation agreements with France and his withdrawal of Madagascar from the franc currency area was seen as giving Madagascar a new independence from the former colonial power. But in 1975 he was obliged by internal unrest to hand over power to Col. Richard Ratsimandrava.

Ramanathan, P(athmanathan) (b. Sept. 1, 1932 - d. Dec. 7, 2006), governor of Western province, Sri Lanka (2000-02).

Ramangasoavina, Alfred (b. Nov. 2, 1917, Moramanga, Madagascar - d. ...), finance minister (1957-58) and justice minister (1960-69) of Madagascar. He was also minister of equipment (1958-59), industry and planning (1959-60), information, tourism, and traditional arts (1969-70), and commerce, supply, industry, and mines (1970-71), and public health and population (1971-72), a vice president (1971-72), and a deputy prime minister (1991-93).

Ramani, Radhakrishna (b. Oct. 21, 1901, Madras [now Chennai], India - d. Sept. 30, 1970, New York City), Malaysian diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1964-68).

Ramanujam, Gopala (b. May 28, 1915, Edirkottai village, Madras province [now in Tamil Nadu state], India - d. June 26, 2001), governor of Goa (1994-95), Orissa (1995-98), and Andhra Pradesh (1997).

Ramaphosa

Ramaphosa, (Matamela) Cyril (b. Nov. 17, 1952, Johannesburg, South Africa), deputy president (2014-18) and president (2018- ) of South Africa. As a student organizer in the 1970s he was imprisoned for spells of 11 and 6 months. He was a successful organizer of the National Union of Mineworkers (becoming its general secretary in 1982) and, with a strong power base in Johannesburg's Soweto township, became secretary-general of the African National Congress (1991-97). He was a chief negotiator in the constitutional talks with the South African government that led to the first universal-suffrage elections in May 1994, and was subsequently elected by parliament to chair the assembly that would write the country's new permanent constitution. In July 1996 he announced his resignation from active politics to concentrate on a business career. He became one of the richest men on the continent. Returning to politics, he was elected vice president of the ANC in 2012, whereby he was poised to become the country's deputy president, and subsequently to succeed Jacob Zuma as president. He was forced into a careful balancing act; he served Zuma, tarred by accusations of corruption and incompetence, and also delivered occasional, cautious criticism. In 2017 he was elected president of the ANC, which positioned him to be the party's presidential candidate in 2019, but he succeeded earlier when the party pressured Zuma to resign in 2018. In 2020-21 he was president of the African Union. In the 2024 elections the ANC lost the majority it held for 30 years and he had to form a coalition with the Democratic Alliance and smaller parties.

Ramaroson

Ramaroson, Hyppolite (Rarison) (b. Sept. 28, 1951, Tananarive [now Antananarivo], Madagascar), head of the military directorate (2009) and foreign minister (2010-11) of Madagascar. In 2002 he became secretary of state for agriculture, livestock, fisheries, and ocean resources. In 2009 Pres. Marc Ravalomanana's public support collapsed and Andry Rajoelina made a bid for power. Finally the embattled Ravalomanana resigned and transferred power by ordonnance to a directorate to be headed by the military's highest-ranking officer, Vice-Admiral Ramaroson. The military categorically rejected setting up such an authority, but did so for the sole purpose of issuing their own ordonnance transferring power to Rajoelina.

Ramathuba

Ramatlakane

Ramatlhodi

Ramathuba, Phophi (Constance) (b. Aug. 15, 1973, Elim, Transvaal [now in Limpopo], South Africa), premier of Limpopo (2024- ).

Ramatlakane, Leonard (b. Feb. 16, 1953), acting premier of Western Cape (2004).

Ramatlhodi, Ngoako (Abel) (b. Aug. 21, 1955, Tauatswala village, near Potgietersrus, Transvaal [now in Limpopo province], South Africa), premier of Northern (from 2002, Limpopo) province (1994-2004). He was also South African minister of mineral resources (2014-15) and public service and administration (2015-17).

Ramay

Ramay, Mohammad Haneef (b. 1930, Chak No. 5, near Sheikupura, Punjab, India [now in Pakistan] - d. Jan. 1, 2006, Lahore, Pakistan), chief minister of Punjab (1974-75). He was also speaker of the Punjab assembly (1993-97).

Ramazani Baya, Raymond (b. June 17, 1943, Beni, Belgian Congo [now Congo (Kinshasa)] - d. Jan. 1, 2019, Paris, France), foreign minister of Congo (Kinshasa) (2004-07). He was also Zairian minister of information (1984-87) and ambassador to France (1990-96).

Ramazani Shadari, Emmanuel, Shadari also spelled Shadary (b. Nov. 29, 1960, Kasongo, Congo [Léopoldville (now Kinshasa)]), governor of Maniema (1997-98, c. 2002) and interior minister of Congo (Kinshasa) (2016-18). He was a presidential candidate in 2018.

Rambachan

Rambachan, Surujrattan (b. April 14, 1949, Avocat village, Trinidad and Tobago), foreign minister of Trinidad and Tobago (2010-12). He was also ambassador to Brazil (1987-90) and minister of communications (2011-12), local government (2012-13), and works and infrastructure (2013-15).

Rambally, Menissa (b. Jan. 16, 1976, Saint Lucia), Saint Lucian politician. She has been minister of tourism and civil aviation (2000-01) and social transformation, culture, and local government (2001-06) and permanent representative to the United Nations (2012-17, 2022- ).

Rambi, Sani (b. Nov. 3, 1958), internal security minister of Papua New Guinea (2007-10).

Rambonnet, Jean Jacques (b. March 8, 1864, Wijhe [now part of Olst-Wijhe], Overijssel, Netherlands - d. Aug. 3, 1943, Rotterdam, Netherlands), acting war minister of the Netherlands (1917). He was also navy minister (1913-18).

Rambuteau, Claude Philibert Barthelot, comte de (b. Nov. 9, 1781, Mâcon [now in Saône-et-Loire], France - d. April 23, 1869, Charnay-lès-Mâcon, Saône-et-Loire, France), prefect of Seine département (1833-48). He was also prefect of the départements of Simplon (1813), Loire (1814-15), and Allier, Aude, and Tarn-et-Garonne (1815).

Ramcharan

Ramcharan, Bertrand (Gangapersaud), byname Bertie Ramcharan (b. April 27, 1943, Diamond, East Bank Demerara, British Guiana [now Guyana]), acting UN high commissioner for human rights (2003-04).

Ramdat Misier, L(achmipersad) F(rederick), byname Fred Ramdat Misier (b. Oct. 28, 1926, Paramaribo, Dutch Guiana [now Suriname] - d. June 25, 2004, Paramaribo), acting president of Suriname (1982-88).

Ramdial, Ganace (b. Jan. 21, 1935 - d. July 1, 2006), Trinidad and Tobago politician. He was president of the Senate (1995-2002) and as such acted frequently as president of the republic after President A.N.R. Robinson underwent heart surgery in February 1998.

Ramdin

Ramdin, Albert (Ramchand) (b. Feb. 27, 1958, Suriname), foreign minister of Suriname (2020- ).

Ramek, Rudolf (b. April 12, 1881, Teschen, Austria [now Cieszyn, Poland, and Ceský Tesín, Czech Republic] - d. July 24, 1941, Vienna, Germany [now in Austria]), interior minister (1921, 1924-26) and foreign minister (1926) of Austria. He was also secretary of state for justice (1919-20).

Ramel, (Sten Gustaf) Fredrik (Troil friherre) (b. Dec. 9, 1872, Malmö, Sweden - d. Oct. 30, 1947, Malmö), governor of Malmöhus (1925-38) and foreign minister of Sweden (1930-32); great-grandnephew of Malte friherre Ramel. He was also minister to Norway (1913-23) and Germany (1923-25).

Ramel, Malte friherre (b. May 27, 1747, Sönnarslöv socken, Kristianstad [now in Skåne], Sweden - d. Jan. 21, 1824, Öved socken, Malmöhus [now in Skåne], Sweden), acting chancellery president of Sweden (1785-86).

Ramelow

N. Ramgoolam

Ramelow, Bodo (b. Feb. 16, 1956, Osterholz-Scharmbeck, Niedersachsen, West Germany), minister-president of Thüringen (2014-20, 2020- ). He was the first head of a German state government belonging to the Left party (governing in a coalition with Social Democrats and Greens).

Ramgoolam, Navin(chandra) (b. July 14, 1947), prime minister, defense minister, and interior minister (1995-2000, 2005-14, 2024- ) and finance minister (2024- ) of Mauritius; son of Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam. He was also leader of the opposition (1991-95, 2000-05).

S. Ramgoolam

Ramgoolam, Sir Seewoosagur (b. Sept. 18, 1900, Belle Rive, Mauritius - d. Dec. 15, 1985, Le Reduit, Mauritius), prime minister (1968-82) and governor-general (1983-85) of Mauritius. Entering local politics, he became mayor of Port Louis (1958). He built up the Labour Party, supported largely by Mauritians of Indian descent, and was a member of the Legislative Assembly from 1948. He held executive positions as liaison officer for education (1951-56) and as ministerial secretary to the Treasury (1958); he was leader of the House (1960). His party won the first elections (1959) held on universal suffrage. He became chief minister in 1961 and prime minister upon independence in 1968. While he was head of government, he also held other important portfolios; he was minister of finance (1960-68), minister of defense and internal security (1968-82), minister of information and broadcasting (1969-80), and minister of foreign affairs (1974-76). His long term of premiership was maintained after 1976 by skillful coalitions with other parties. Finally in 1982, his ruling coalition was defeated in general elections and he left government. He became governor-general the following year and died in that office. He was knighted in 1965.

Ramírez (Márquez), (Ramón) Alexis (b. Sept. 8, 1975, Mérida state, Venezuela), governor of Mérida (2012-17).

Ramírez (Valdivia), Avil (Antonio) (b. Feb. 19, 1964, León, Nicaragua), defense minister of Nicaragua (2005-07).

Ramirez, Carlos M(oises) (b. May 1, 1951, El Paso, Texas), mayor of El Paso (1997-2001).

Ramírez (Botero), Clodomiro (b. May 17, 1869, Abejorral, Antioquia, Colombia - d. Sept. 17, 1940, Medellín, Antioquia), interior minister of Colombia (1913-14). He was also governor of Antioquia (1903-04, 1912-13).

Ramírez (Pérez), Héctor (Rafael) (b. April 26, 1951), defense minister of Venezuela (2002).

Ramírez (Ortiz), José Benito (b. March 29, 1886, León, Nicaragua - d. 19...), finance minister of Nicaragua (1936-38).

Ramírez (Miranda), Margarito (b. Feb. 22, 1891, Atotonilco el Alto, Jalisco, Mexico - d. 1979), interim governor of Jalisco (1926-29) and governor of Quintana Roo (1944-58).

M.L. Ramírez

Ramírez (Blanco de Rincón), Marta Lucía, Marta also spelled Martha (b. July 4, 1954, Zipaquirá, Cundinamarca, Colombia), defense minister (2002-03), vice president (2018-22), and foreign minister (2021-22) of Colombia. She was also minister of foreign trade (1998-2002) and ambassador to France (2002). She was a presidential candidate in 2014.

Ramírez (Áreas), Norberto (b. 1800, León [now in Nicaragua] - d. July 11, 1856, León), director of Nicaragua (1849-51).

Ramírez (Durand), Óscar (Alberto), alias Feliciano (b. 1953), Peruvian rebel leader. The wayward son of a retired Peruvian army general, he left his father's home in the 1970s after a bitter political argument between them. One of the first members of the Shining Path, he joined the movement by moving to the central highlands around Ayacucho, one of the country's poorest regions where it launched its campaign of violence by throwing sticks of dynamite in 1980. One of Shining Path founder Abimael Guzmán's closest aides, he quickly became one of the movement's toughest leaders, heading the rebels in their central Andean stronghold. Feliciano headed the decimated rebel movement since the 1992 capture of Guzmán. Guzmán's capture severely weakened the movement which in the early 1990s ruled huge swathes of Peru's countryside and carried out scores of car bombs in the capital. The government soon arrested hundreds of other militants with the help of tough anti-terrorist legislation and improved military intelligence. For years Feliciano eluded capture, leading hundreds of remaining rebels in jungle bastions where they carried out sporadic but deadly attacks against security forces. He last headed a group of about 40 die-hard militants in the remote gorges along Peru's eastern Andean slopes, according to military sources. A massive army sweep led to his arrest July 14, 1999, in Peru's central jungle. Feliciano had not been seen in public for years but was a household name in Peru. Analysts saw his arrest as a mortal blow for Shining Path. Rebel militants had rallied around Feliciano, considered first and foremost a military leader, while Guzmán was known as an ideologue for the Maoists. On August 30 a military court sentenced Ramírez to life in prison.

Ramírez (Machuca), Pedro Pablo (b. Jan. 30, 1884, La Paz, Entre Ríos, Argentina - d. June 11, 1962, Buenos Aires, Argentina), war minister (1942-43) and president (1943-44) of Argentina.

Rafael Ramírez

Ramírez (Carreño), Rafael (Darío) (b. Aug. 4, 1963, Caracas, Venezuela), foreign minister (2014) and vice president of political sovereignty (2014) of Venezuela. He was also minister of energy and mines (2002-05), energy and petroleum (2005-11), and petroleum and mining (2011-14), vice president for territorial development (2009-13) and for the economic area (2013-14), and permanent representative to the United Nations (2015-17).

Ramírez (de la O), Rogelio (Eduardo) (b. July 7, 1948, Mexico City, Mexico), finance minister of Mexico (2021- ).

F. Ramírez

L.M. Ramírez

Ramírez Acuña, Francisco (Javier) (b. April 22, 1952, Jamay, Jalisco, Mexico), governor of Jalisco (2001-06) and interior minister of Mexico (2006-08). He was also mayor of Guadalajara (1998-2000), president of the Chamber of Deputies (2009-10), and ambassador to Spain (2012-13).

Ramírez Acuña, Luis Fernando (b. 1959, Oiba, Santander, Colombia), defense minister of Colombia (1999-2001). He was also minister of labour and social security (1992-94).

Ramírez Bedolla, Alfredo (b. Feb. 22, 1976, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico), governor of Michoacán (2021- ).

Ramírez Boettner, Luis María (b. March 13, 1918, Asunción, Paraguay - d. July 25, 2017), foreign minister of Paraguay (1993-96). He was ambassador to Brazil (1992-93) and the Vatican (1996-99).

Ramírez Brown, Gerónimo (Humberto) (b. Jan. 4, 1893, San Marcos, Nicaragua - d. Nov. 6, 1956, Managua, Nicaragua), interior minister of Nicaragua (1937-40). He was also minister of education (1940-44).

Ramírez de León, Ricardo Arnoldo, nom de guerre Comandante Rolando Morán (b. Dec. 29, 1930 - d. Sept. 11, 1998, Guatemala City, Guatemala), Guatemalan rebel leader. He was a top commander in the Guatemalan National Revolutionary Unit. He commanded a rebel section known as the Guerrilla Army of the Poor. Following decades of rebellion against the government, he served as a leader in negotiations that resulted in a peace agreement in December 1996. He then became secretary-general of a committee charged with organizing a new leftist party that was expected to participate in 1999 presidential elections.

Ramírez del Villar (Beaumont), Roberto (Federico) (b. May 6, 1920, Arequipa, Peru - d. May 28, 1995, Lima, Peru), justice minister of Peru (1966). He was also president of the Chamber of Deputies (1991-92).

Ramírez Frías, Tomás (A.) (b. March 7, 1876, Santiago, Chile - d. 1946), justice (and education) minister of Chile (1921).

Ramírez García, Leonel (b. March 1, 1925, Colima, Colima, Mexico - d. Sept. 12, 2003, Colima, Colima), governor of Colima (1973). He was also mayor of Colima (1968-70).

Ramírez Garrido Abreu, Graco (Luis) (b. June 26, 1949, Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico), governor of Morelos (2012-18). He was also joint interim president of the Party of the Democratic Revolution (2008).

Ramírez L.

Ramírez Lezcano, Rubén (Darío) (b. Jan. 11, 1966, Asunción, Paraguay), foreign minister of Paraguay (2006-08, 2023- ). He was also chargé d'affaires in Ecuador (1992-94).

Ramírez Marín, Jorge Carlos (b. Aug. 14, 1961, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico), Mexican politician. He was president of the Chamber of Deputies (2010-11) and minister of agrarian reform (2012-13) and agrarian, territorial, and urban development (2013-15).

Ramírez Mercado, Sergio (b. Aug. 5, 1942, Masatepe, Masaya, Nicaragua), member of the Government Junta of National Reconstruction (1979-85) and vice president (1985-90) of Nicaragua. He was active in the revolutionary student movement and a founding member of the Student Revolutionary Front (Frente Estudiantil Revolucionario) in 1962. He joined the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) in 1975 and was a key organizer of the "Group of Twelve," a broad-based political organization opposed to the Somoza regime. After his roles in the period of Sandinista rule of 1979-90, he became minority leader in the National Assembly (1990-94). He represented the "pragmatic" wing of the FSLN as opposed to Daniel Ortega's "radical" wing. After he was not reelected to its national directorate in 1994, he left the party in 1995 and formed a separate Sandinista Renewal Movement (Movimiento de Renovación Sandinista). However, as its presidential candidate he won only 0.4% of the vote, and the party won only one seat in parliament, in 1996. He then returned to his life as a writer. In 2018 he won the Cervantes Prize.

Ramírez Moreno, Augusto (b. Nov. 23, 1900, Medellín, Colombia - d. Feb. 19, 1974, Bogotá, Colombia), interior minister of Colombia (1960-61). He was also ambassador to France (1950-54).

A. Ramírez

Ramírez Ocampo, Augusto (b. Sept. 21, 1934 - d. June 14, 2011), foreign minister of Colombia (1984-86); son of Augusto Ramírez Moreno. He was mayor of Bogotá in 1982-84.

Ramírez Ortiz, Luis (Andrés) (b. June 1902 - d. Dec. 9, 1974, Lima, Peru), finance minister of Peru (1948-49).

Ramírez Pane, Rubén (b. June 3, 1920), Paraguayan diplomat. He was permanent delegate to the United Nations (1962-65) and ambassador to Uruguay (1965-71).

Ramírez Rodríguez, Pablo (b. 1886, Valparaíso, Chile - d. July 11, 1949, Santiago, Chile), finance minister of Chile (1927-29, 1945-46). He was also minister of justice (1919), agriculture, industry, and colonization (acting, 1927-30), and education (acting, 1928-29).

Ramkalawan

Ramkalawan, Wavel (John Charles) (b. March 15, 1961, Mahé island, Seychelles), president of Seychelles (2020- ). He was an unsuccessful presidential candidate in 1998, 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2015.

Ramlakhan, Robby D(ewnarain), foreign minister of Suriname (1991).

Ramlan (bin) Ibrahim, Dato' (b. Jan. 6, 1957), Malaysian diplomat. He was ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina (2004-06) and South Korea (2009-13) and permanent representative to the United Nations (2015-17).

Ramli, Rizal (b. Dec. 10, 1954, Padang, Sumatera Barat, Indonesia - d. Jan. 2, 2024, Jakarta, Indonesia), finance minister of Indonesia (2001). He was also coordinating minister for economic affairs (2000-01) and maritime affairs (2015-16).

Ramli (bin) Ngah Talib, Tan Sri (Dato' Seri DiRaja) (b. March 16, 1941, Kampung Pasir Salak, Perak, Malaya [now in Malaysia]), chief minister of Perak (1983-99). He was also speaker of the Dewan Rakyat of Malaysia (2004-08). He received the title Dato' Seri in May 1984, Tan Sri on June 7, 1989, and Dato' Seri DiRaja in April 2000.

Ramljak, Milan (b. Sept. 29, 1938, Citluk, Yugoslavia [now in Bosnia and Herzegovina] - d. Jan. 24, 2018, Zagreb, Croatia), justice minister of Croatia (1998-99). He was also a deputy prime minister (1990-92, 1998-99) and ambassador to Austria (1994-98) and Germany (2001-02).

Rammelman Elsevier, Isaäc Johannes, Jr. (b. Feb. 13, 1802, Barneveld, Gelderland, Batavian Republic [now Netherlands] - d. July 24, 1877, Amsterdam, Netherlands), governor of Curaçao (1848-54).

Ramodike, Mogoboya Nelson, byname Noko Ramodike (b. Sept. 7, 1941, Tzaneen, Transvaal [now in Limpopo], South Africa - d. May 3, 2012, Tzaneen), chief minister (1987-89) and prime minister (1989-94) of Lebowa.

Ramon, Haim (b. April 10, 1950, Jaffa [now part of Tel Aviv-Yafo], Israel), interior minister of Israel (1995-96, 2000-01). He was also minister of health (1992-94) and justice (2006), minister without portfolio (2005), and vice prime minister (2007-09).

Ramos (Trigo), Álvaro (b. March 11, 1950), foreign minister of Uruguay (1995-98). He was also minister of agriculture (1990-93).

Ramos, Angelo Francisco (b. c. 1823, Bahia province [now state], Brazil - d. 1895?), acting president of Sergipe (1863, 1865-66).

Ramos, Aristiliano Laureano (b. May 10, 1888, Lages, Santa Catarina, Brazil - d. July 17, 1976, Lages), federal interventor in Santa Catarina (1933-35); son of Belisário José de Oliveira Ramos. He was also acting mayor of Lages (1919-22).

Ramos, Belisário José de Oliveira (b. May 7, 1858, Lages, Santa Catarina, Brazil - d. Sept. 12, 1957, Lages), Brazilian politician. He was mayor of Lages (1902-11, 1914-19).

Ramos, Celso (de Oliveira) (b. Dec. 18, 1897, Lages, Santa Catarina, Brazil - d. July 6, 1996, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina), governor of Santa Catarina (1961-66); son of Vidal José de Oliveira Ramos Júnior; brother of Nereu de Oliveira Ramos.

Ramos, Demetrio (d. [executed] Nov. 20, 1944, near La Paz, Bolivia), defense minister (1940) and interior, justice, and immigration minister (1940-41) of Bolivia.

F. Ramos

Ramos, Fidel V(aldez), byname Eddie Ramos (b. March 18, 1928, Lingayen, Pangasinan province, Philippines - d. July 31, 2022, Makati, Philippines), president of the Philippines (1992-98); son of Narciso Ramos. A graduate (1950) of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., he entered the Philippine army and served in Korea and Vietnam. Pres. Ferdinand Marcos (who was his second cousin) appointed him chief of the Philippine Constabulary (the national police) in January 1972. Eight months later Marcos imposed martial law, which Ramos then was responsible for enforcing; the Constabulary arrested thousands of political dissidents. He became a major general in 1973 and deputy chief of staff of the armed forces in 1981. In 1986, after Marcos was declared the winner of a presidential election widely denounced as fraudulent, Ramos and Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile supported Marcos' opponent, Corazon Aquino. Their mutiny sparked the civilian "People Power" movement that forced Marcos into exile and propelled Aquino into the presidency. She installed Ramos as military chief of staff (1986-88) and then as defense secretary (1988-91) and he helped crush seven coup attempts against her. In 1991 he resigned and unsuccessfully sought the presidential nomination of the Democratic Filipino Struggle. On Jan. 2, 1992, he announced that he was the candidate of the new People's Power Party. Aquino, barred by the constitution from seeking a second term, endorsed him on January 26. Ramos was elected president on May 11, winning a seven-way race with only 24% of the vote. As president he ended military unrest through peace agreements with army rebels. In 1996, a peace accord was also signed with the main Muslim separatist group, the Moro National Liberation Front. His efforts to revitalize the economy resulted in rapid growth in 1994-97 and allowed the country to weather the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98.

Ramos, João Batista (b. May 7, 1910, Queluz, São Paulo, Brazil - d. May 17, 2002, Brasília, Brazil), Brazilian politician. He was minister of labour, industry, and commerce (1960) and president of the Chamber of Deputies (1966-68).

Ramos, João Gabriel, acting governor of Acre (1953).

Ramos, José Muniz (b. Sept. 22, 1939, Araripina, Pernambuco, Brazil), acting governor of Pernambuco (1982-83).

M.S. dos Ramos

Ramos, Manuel Salvador dos (b. June 25, 1956), foreign minister of São Tomé and Príncipe (2010-12, 2014-16). He was also ambassador to Angola (1997-2003).

Ramos, Mauro de Oliveira (b. Oct. 12, 1899, Lages, Santa Catarina, Brazil - d. Jan. 12, 1981, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), Brazilian politician; son of Vidal José de Oliveira Ramos Júnior; brother of Nereu de Oliveira Ramos and Celso Ramos. He was mayor of Florianópolis (1937-40).

Ramos, Narciso (Rueca) (b. Nov. 11, 1900, Asingan, Pangasinan province, Philippines - d. Feb. 3, 1986), foreign secretary of the Philippines (1965-68). He was also minister to Argentina (1949-52) and India (1952-56) and ambassador to Taiwan (1956-65). Before entering the foreign service, he served five terms as a member of the Philippine legislature.

Nereu Ramos

Ramos, Nereu de Oliveira (b. Sept. 3, 1888, Lages, Santa Catarina, Brazil - d. [air accident] June 16, 1958, São José dos Pinhais, Curitiba metropolitan region, Paraná, Brazil), governor of Santa Catarina (1935-45) and acting president of Brazil (1955-56); son of Vidal José de Oliveira Ramos Júnior. He was also vice president of Brazil and president of the Senate (1946-51), president of the Chamber of Deputies (1951-55), acting minister of education (1956), and minister of justice and interior (1956-57).

Ramos, Paulo Martins de Souza (b. May 4, 1896, Caxias, Maranhão, Brazil - d. Feb. 16, 1969, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), governor (1936-37) and federal interventor (1937-45) of Maranhão.

Ramos, (José) Saulo (Pereira) (b. June 8, 1929, Brodowski, São Paulo, Brazil - d. April 28, 2013, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo), justice minister of Brazil (1989-90).

Ramos, Vidal, Júnior (b. May 1, 1908, Lages, Santa Catarina, Brazil - d. [automobile accident] Sept. 15, 1962), Brazilian politician; son of Vidal José de Oliveira Ramos Júnior; brother of Nereu de Oliveira Ramos, Celso Ramos, and Mauro de Oliveira Ramos. He was mayor of Lages (1941-45, 1946-47, 1947-51, 1956-61).

Ramos, Vidal José de Oliveira, Júnior (b. Oct. 24, 1866, Lages, Santa Catarina, Brazil - d. Jan. 2, 1954, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), governor of Santa Catarina (1905 [acting], 1910-14); brother of Belisário José de Oliveira Ramos. He was also mayor of Lages (1895-1902).

Ramos Botero, Luis Alfredo (b. April 19, 1948, Sonsón, Antioquia, Colombia), Colombian politician. He was mayor of Medellín (1992-94), minister of foreign trade (1995-96), president of the Senate (2002-03), and governor of Antioquia (2008-11).

Ramos Cabieses, Óscar (b. Oct. 5, 1880, Lima, Peru - d. April 2, 1942, Lima), finance minister of Peru (1939-40).

Ramos González, (Jesús) Welmer (b. Jan. 13, 1961, Liberia, Guanacaste, Costa Rica), Costa Rican politician. He was minister of economy, industry, and commerce (2014-17) and a minor presidential candidate (2022).

Ramos-Horta

Ramos-Horta, José (Manuel) (b. Dec. 26, 1949, Dili, Portuguese Timor [now Timor-Leste]), foreign minister (1975, 2000-06), prime minister and defense minister (2006-07), and president (2007-12, 2022- ) of Timor-Leste. Because of his activities in the independence movement the Portuguese colonial authorities exiled him to Mozambique in 1970-71. After the 1974 coup in Portugal, he and other leaders in Timor founded the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor (Fretilin), which declared East Timor an independent nation on Nov. 28, 1975; Ramos-Horta was named foreign minister. Just nine days later, while he was preparing to address the UN General Assembly in New York, Indonesia invaded East Timor. Ramos-Horta eventually settled in Sydney, Australia, from where he became one of the primary voices for East Timor in the international arena, trying to drum up support for what seemed like a lost cause. He spoke out against human rights violations by the Indonesian military forces and promoted a peace plan to end the violence in his country. Along with Bishop Carlos F.X. Belo, he received the 1996 Nobel Prize for Peace for his efforts. By then, he had distanced himself from Fretilin, and was acting as representative abroad of the National Council of Timorese Resistance, which was headed by Xanana Gusmão. His perseverance finally bore fruit, and he returned to East Timor in 1999 when Indonesia was forced by the international community to withdraw. In 2000 he became foreign minister in a transitional UN administration, continuing in the post after independence was achieved in 2002. He was thrust into the prime minister's role in 2006 to consolidate security in the country after several weeks of unrest. In 2007 he was elected president, winning 69% of the vote in the runoff against a Fretilin candidate. In 2008 he was seriously wounded in an assassination attempt. Running for reelection in 2012, he only came third. In 2013-14 he was UN special representative for Guinea-Bissau and head of the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau. He was again elected president in 2022, defeating incumbent Francisco Guterres.

Ramos Praslow, Ignacio (b. Feb. 1, 1885, Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico - d. May 16, 1978, Mexico City, Mexico), governor of Jalisco (1920); brother-in-law of Roque Estrada Reynoso.

Ramos Sánchez, Pablo (b. Jan. 25, 1937, Gran Chaco province, Tarija department, Bolivia - d. Sept. 24, 2021, Yacuiba, Gran Chaco), prefect of La Paz (2008-10).

Ramos Santos, Matías (b. Feb. 24, 1891, San Salvador, Zacatecas, Mexico - d. March 4, 1962, Mexico City, Mexico), governor of Zacatecas (1932-36) and defense minister of Mexico (1952-58). He was also president of the National Revolutionary Party (1934-35).

Ramos-Shahani, Leticia (Valdez), née Ramos (b. Sept. 30, 1929, Lingayen, Pangasinan, Philippines - d. March 20, 2017, Taguig, Metropolitan Manila, Philippines), Philippine politician; daughter of Narciso Ramos; sister of Fidel V. Ramos. She was ambassador to Australia (1981-86) and a senator (1987-98).

Ramos y Ramos, Enrique (b. Oct. 7, 1890, Algarrobo, Málaga, Spain - d. June 26, 1958, Munich, West Germany), finance minister of Spain (1936). He was also minister of labour, health, and welfare (1936).

Ramotar

Ramotar, Donald (Rabindranauth) (b. Oct. 22, 1950, Caria Caria, British Guiana [now Guyana]), president of Guyana (2011-15).

Ramphal, Shridath (Surendranath), byname Sonny Ramphal (b. Oct. 3, 1928, New Amsterdam, British Guiana [now Guyana] - d. Aug. 30, 2024), foreign minister (1972-75) and justice minister (1973-75) of Guyana and secretary-general of The Commonwealth (1975-90). He was also attorney-general (1965-73). He was knighted in 1970, just before Guyana became a republic; he preferred not to use the title Sir.

Ramphul, Radha (Krishna) (b. Jan. 4, 1926, Curepipe, Mauritius), Mauritian diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1969-82).

Ramphul, Ritesh, foreign minister of Mauritius (2024- ); son-in-law of Rajkeswur Purryag.

Rampton, Calvin L(ewellyn) (b. Nov. 6, 1913, Bountiful, Utah - d. Sept. 16, 2007, Holladay, Utah), governor of Utah (1965-77).

Ramsamy

Ramsamy, Prega, byname of Pakeereesamy Ramsamy (b. May 5, 1950, Rose Hill, Mauritius), executive secretary (2000-05) of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). He brought to his new job a wealth of experience as a tested technocrat. He was not a stranger to the politics of integration having spent much of his career working as an expert in the field in the region. In Mauritius he was employed as an economist at the Economic Planning Ministry. After eight years in government employment, he joined the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) Secretariat in 1983 as a senior trade expert. In 1991, he was promoted Chief of Technical Cooperation and Aid Development at the organization. By the time he left in 1997 to join the SADC as Chief Economist, he had risen to the position of COMESA's Director of Development Finance and Technical Cooperation. At COMESA, he was credited with designing regional macroeconomic policies for sustainable economic growth, and developing project proposals for funding by donor agencies. He also provided policy guidelines to member states on trade liberalization, among other achievements. Ramsamy was later elevated to the position of SADC's deputy executive secretary before he took over from Kaire Mbuende in 2000 (until 2001 in an acting capacity). Close associates said he was "diplomatic" with "consensus-building" as one of his major attributes.

Ramsay, Anders Erik (b. Oct. 16, 1646 - d. May 15, 1735, Borgå socken [now Porvoo], Finland), governor of Västerbotten (1713-17).

Ramsay, Anders Henrik (b. Feb. 15, 1707, Borgå socken [now Porvoo], Finland - d. Dec. 22, 1782, Esbo socken [now Espoo], Finland), governor of Savolax och Kymmenegård (1765-74) and Nyland och Tavastehus (1774-76); grandson of Anders Erik Ramsay.

Ramsay, Anders Johan (b. Nov. 24, 1744, Sahalax socken [now part of Kangasala municipality], Finland - d. Aug. 11, 1811, Elimä socken [now part of Kouvola municipality], Finland), governor of Savolax och Karelen (1791-1803); great-grandson of Anders Erik Ramsay; brother of Otto Wilhelm Ramsay.

Ramsay, Angus (Iain) (b. 1946), administrator of the British Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus (1998-2000).

Ramsay, August (b. March 15, 1859, Dalsbruk, Finland - d. July 23, 1943, Espoo, Finland), finance minister of Finland (1919); great-great-great-great-grandson of Anders Erik Ramsay. He was also governor of the Bank of Finland (1923-24).

Ramsay, Carl August (b. Nov. 10, 1791, Kuopio, Finland - d. Dec. 8, 1855, Helsingfors [now Helsinki], Finland), governor of Viborg (1825-34); son of Anders Johan Ramsay.

Ramsay, Carl Henrik Wolter (b. March 31, 1886, Helsingfors [now Helsinki], Finland - d. July 25, 1951, Visby, Sweden), foreign minister of Finland (1943-44); son of August Ramsay. He was also minister of supply (1941-43).

Ramsay, George (b. 1812 - d. July 3, 1887, London, England), British resident in Nepal (1852-67).

Ramsay, Gustaf Adolf (b. March 23, 1794, Kuopio, Finland - d. May 8, 1859, Helsingfors [now Helsinki], Finland), governor of Kuopio (1833-54); son of Anders Johan Ramsay; brother of Carl August Ramsay.

Ramsay, Sir James Maxwell (b. Aug. 27, 1916, Hobart, Tas. - d. May 1, 1986, Cypress Gardens, Gold Coast, Qld.), governor of Western Australia (acting, 1975) and Queensland (1977-85); knighted 1976.

Ramsay, Sir John (b. Dec. 5, 1862 - d. March 2, 1942), chief commissioner of Baluchistan (1904-05 [acting], 1911-17) and British resident in Jammu and Kashmir (1910-11); knighted 1915.

Ramsay, Otto Wilhelm (b. July 5, 1743, Sahalax socken [now part of Kangasala municipality], Finland - d. Oct. 22, 1806, Esbo socken [now Espoo], Finland), governor of Kymmenegård (1789-92 [acting], 1793); great-grandson of Anders Erik Ramsay.

Ramsbotham, Sir Peter (Edward) (b. Oct. 8, 1919, London, England - d. April 9, 2010, Ovington, Hampshire, England), governor of Bermuda (1977-80); son of Herwald Ramsbotham, Viscount Soulbury. He was British high commissioner to Cyprus (1969-71) and ambassador to Iran (1971-74) and the United States (1974-77). He was knighted in 1972; he succeeded as 3rd Viscount Soulbury in 2004, but continued to be known as Sir Peter Ramsbotham.

Ramsdell, George A(llen) (b. March 11, 1834, Milford, N.H. - d. Nov. 16, 1900, Nashua, N.H.), governor of New Hampshire (1897-99).

Ramsden, James (Edward) (b. Nov. 1, 1923, Liverpool, England - d. March 29, 2020, Ripon, Yorkshire, England), British secretary of state for war (1963-64) and minister of defence for the army (1964).

Ramsey, Alexander (b. Sept. 8, 1815, near Harrisburg, Pa. - d. April 22, 1903, St. Paul, Minn.), governor of Minnesota (1849-53, 1860-63), mayor of St. Paul (1855-56), and U.S. secretary of war (1879-81).

Ramushwana

Ramushwana, Gabriel (Mutheiwana) (b. July 1, 1941, Messina, Transvaal [now Musina, Limpopo], South Africa - d. Jan. 12, 2015, Pretoria, South Africa), head of state of Venda (1990-94).

Ramzi, Mannon (Abdullayevich), original surname Abdullayev (b. 1893 - d. [executed] 1938), president of the Pamir Bureau of the Communist Party (1924-25). He was also people's commissar of education of the Uzbek S.S.R. (1927-29).

Rana, Bhim Shamsher Jang Bahadur (b. April 16, 1865 - d. Sept. 1, 1932, Kathmandu, Nepal), prime minister of Nepal (1929-32); brother of Chandra Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana.

Rana, Bir Shamsher Jang Bahadur, original name (before adoption by Jang Bahadur Rana) Nabir Jang (b. Dec. 10, 1852, Kathmandu, Nepal - d. March 5, 1901, Kathmandu), prime minister of Nepal (1885-1901).

Rana, Chandra Shamsher Jang Bahadur (b. July 8, 1863 - d. Nov. 26, 1929, Kathmandu, Nepal), prime minister of Nepal (1901-29); brother of Deva Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana.

Rana, Damodar Shamsher Jang Bahadur (b. July 1928, Tansen, Palpa district, Nepal), justice (and land reform) minister of Nepal (1978-79). He was also ambassador to the Soviet Union, Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia (1964-70) and minister of parliamentary affairs (1974-75).

Rana, Deva Shamsher Jang Bahadur (b. July 17, 1862, Kathmandu, Nepal - d. Feb. 14, 1914, Benares, India), prime minister of Nepal (1901); half-brother of Bir Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana.

Rana, Jai Pratap (b. June 6, 1937, Tansen, Palpa district, Nepal - d. March 16, 2004, Baltimore, Md.), Nepalese diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1987-91) and ambassador to the United States (2002-04).

J. av Rana

Rana, Jenis (Kristian) av (b. Jan. 7, 1953, Trongisvágur, Faeroe Islands), foreign minister of the Faeroe Islands (2019-22).

Rana, Juddha Shamsher Jang Bahadur (b. April 19, 1875, Kathmandu, Nepal - d. Nov. 20, 1952, Dehra Dun, India), prime minister of Nepal (1932-45); half-brother of Bhim Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana.

Rana, Kaiser Shamsher Jang Bahadur (b. Jan. 8, 1892, Kathmandu, Nepal - d. June 7, 1964, Kathmandu), defense minister (1951-55) and finance minister (1952-53) of Nepal; son of Chandra Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana. He was also ambassador to the United Kingdom (1947-48) and commander-in-chief (1951-53).

Rana, Madhukar Shamsher Jang Bahadur (b. July 19, 1941, Lalitpur, Nepal), finance minister of Nepal (2005); great-grandson of Juddha Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana.

Rana, Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur (b. Dec. 23, 1885 - d. Jan. 6, 1967, Bangalore [now Bengaluru], India), prime minister and foreign minister of Nepal (1948-51); son of Chandra Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana.

Rana, Padma Shamsher Jang Bahadur (b. Dec. 5, 1882 - d. April 11, 1961, Calcutta [now Kolkata], India), prime minister of Nepal (1945-48); son of Bhim Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana.

Rana, Pashupati Shamsher Jang Bahadur (b. May 7, 1941, Maharajgunj, Kathmandu, Nepal), foreign minister of Nepal (1990); grandson of Mohan Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana. He was also minister of education (1977-79), water resources (1983-86, 1995-97, 1997-98), communications (1985-86), and Panchayat and local development (1986-88).

Rana, Subarna Shamsher Jang Bahadur (b. 1910, Kathmandu, Nepal - d. Nov. 9, 1977), finance minister (1951-52, 1958-60) and prime minister (1958-59) of Nepal; grandson of Bhim Shamsher Jang Bahadur Rana. He was also president of the Nepali Congress party (1956-57), minister of planning (1958-60), and deputy prime minister (1959-60).

Ranatunga, Arjuna (b. Dec. 1, 1963, Colombo, Ceylon [now Sri Lanka]), Sri Lankan politician; son of Reggie Ranatunga. Entering politics after a successful cricket career, he became minister of ports, shipping, and aviation (2015), ports and shipping (2015-17), petroleum resources development (2017-18), and transport and civil aviation (2018-19).

Ranatunga, Prasanna (b. Jan. 1, 1967), chief minister of Western province (2009-15); son of Reggie Ranatunga; brother of Arjuna Ranatunga. He was also Sri Lankan minister of industrial export, investment promotion, and civil aviation (2019-20), tourism (2019-22), public security (2022), and urban development and housing (2022-24)

Ranatunga, Reggie (Padmasena) (b. April 23, 1937 - d. May 31, 2008, Colombo, Sri Lanka), governor of Sabaragamuwa (2005-08). He was also Sri Lankan minister of food and marketing development (2000-01).

Rance, Sir Hubert (Elvin) (b. July 17, 1898, Plymouth, Devon, England - d. Jan. 24, 1974, Aldershot, Hampshire, England), governor of Burma (1946-48) and Trinidad and Tobago (1950-55); knighted 1946.

Randal, Håkon (b. July 9, 1930, Gulen, Sogn og Fjordane [now in Vestland], Norway - d. July 22, 2012, Bømlo, Hordaland [now in Vestland], Norway), governor of Hordaland (1984-98).

Randall, Alexander W(illiams) (b. Oct. 31, 1819, Ames, N.Y. - d. July 26, 1872, Elmira, N.Y.), governor of Wisconsin (1858-62) and U.S. postmaster general (1866-69). He was also minister to the Papal State (1862).

Randazzo (Campagnon), (Aníbal) Florencio (b. March 1, 1964, Chivilcoy, Buenos Aires province, Argentina), interior minister of Argentina (2007-15).

Randhawa, M(ohinder) S(ingh) (b. Feb. 2, 1909, Zira, Ferozepur district, Punjab, India - d. March 3, 1986, Kharar, Punjab), chief commissioner of Chandigarh (1966-68).

Randolph, Beverley (b. Sept. 11, 1753, "Chatsworth," Henrico county, Virginia - d. Feb. 7, 1797, "Green Creek," Cumberland county, Va.), governor of Virginia (1788-91).

Randolph, Edmund (Jennings) (b. Aug. 10, 1753, Williamsburg, Virginia - d. Sept. 12, 1813, Clarke county, Va.), governor of Virginia (1786-88) and U.S. attorney general (1789-94) and secretary of state (1794-95); nephew of Peyton Randolph (1721-1775).

Randolph, George W(ythe) (b. March 10, 1818, Monticello, Va. - d. April 3, 1867, Edgehill plantation, Albemarle county, Va.), secretary of war of the Confederate States of America (1862); son of Thomas Mann Randolph; grandson of Thomas Jefferson.

Randolph, John, known as John Randolph of Roanoke (b. June 2, 1773, Cawsons [now part of Hopewell], Virginia - d. May 24, 1833, Philadelphia, Pa.), U.S. politician; nephew of Thomas T. Tucker. He was a member of the House of Representatives (1799-1813, 1815-17, 1819-25, 1827-29, 1833) and the Senate (1825-27). He was appointed minister to Russia in 1830, but did not present credentials.

P. Randolph

Randolph, Peyton (b. September 1721, Williamsburg, Virginia - d. Oct. 22, 1775, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), president of the U.S. Continental Congress (1774, 1775). He was king's attorney for Virginia (1748-66) and a member (1748-49, 1752-75) and speaker (1766-75) of Virginia's House of Burgesses. A member of the colonial aristocracy, he regarded himself as a spokesman for both the crown and his fellow Virginians. He wrote the protest for the house against the proposed Stamp Act in 1764 but criticized Patrick Henry's famous attack on the tax in 1765 as illogical and intemperate. Looked to for leadership during the pre-revolutionary disputes with England, he played a moderating and cautious role, but became more radical over time. By 1773 he was serving as chairman of the Virginia Committee of Correspondence. In 1774 he led the seven Virginia delegates to the first session of the Continental Congress and was elected its first president, serving again in May 1775 before John Hancock, whose views were far more radical, succeeded him.

Randolph, Peyton (b. 1779, Williamsburg, Va. - d. Dec. 26, 1828, Richmond, Va.), acting governor of Virginia (1811-12); son of Edmund Randolph.

Randolph, Philip G(rymes) (b. Nov. 1, 1801 - d. March 12, 1836), acting U.S. secretary of war (1831).

Randolph, Theodore F(itz) (b. June 24, 1826, New Brunswick, N.J. - d. Nov. 7, 1883, Morristown, N.J.), governor of New Jersey (1869-72).

Randolph, Thomas Mann (b. Oct. 1, 1768, Tuckahoe, Virginia - d. June 20, 1828, Monticello, Va.), governor of Virginia (1819-22); son-in-law of Thomas Jefferson.

Randon, Jacques Louis César Alexandre, comte de (b. March 25, 1795, Grenoble, France - d. Jan. 13, 1871, Geneva, Switzerland), war minister of France (1851, 1859-67) and governor-general of Algeria (1851-58). He became comte (count) in 1852.

Randriamandrato

Randriamandrato, Richard (James), economy and finance minister (2019-21) and foreign minister (2022) of Madagascar.

Randrianarisoa, Pierre Manganirina (b. 1956, Toamasina, Madagascar), chief of Analamanga region (2005-08).

Randwijck, Lodewijk Napoleon graaf van (b. May 2, 1807, Amsterdam, Holland [now Netherlands] - d. Dec. 4, 1891, The Hague, Netherlands), governor of Drenthe (1842-46) and Gelderland (1846) and interior minister (1846-48) and foreign minister (1848) of the Netherlands.

N. Rane

P. Rane

Rane, Narayan (Tatu) (b. April 10, 1952), chief minister of Maharashtra (1999).

Rane, Pratapsing (Raoji) (b. Jan. 28, 1939, Goa, Portuguese India [now in India]), chief minister of Goa, Daman and Diu (1980-87) and of Goa (1987-90, 1994-98, 2005, 2005-07).

Ranfurly, Thomas David Knox, (6th) Earl of (b. May 29, 1913 - d. Nov. 6, 1988), governor of the Bahamas (1953-56); grandson of Uchter John Mark Knox, Earl of Ranfurly. He succeeded as earl in 1933.

Ranfurly, Uchter John Mark Knox, (5th) Earl of (b. Aug. 14, 1856 - d. Oct. 1, 1933, London, England), governor of New Zealand (1897-1904). He succeeded as earl in 1875.

Rangarajan, Chakravarti (b. January 1932, Ariyalur, Madras province [now in Tamil Nadu state], India), governor of Andhra Pradesh (1997-2003), Orissa (1998-99), and Tamil Nadu (2001-02). He was also governor of the Reserve Bank of India (1992-97).

Rangasamy

Rangba

Rangasamy, N. (b. Aug. 4, 1950, Thelaspet, Pondicherry, French India [now in India]), chief minister of Pondicherry/Puducherry (2001-08, 2011-16, 2021- ).

Rangba, Samuel (b. 1973?), foreign minister of the Central African Republic (2015-16).

J.V. Rangel

P. Rangel

R. Rangel

Rangel (Vale), José Vicente (b. July 10, 1929, Caracas, Venezuela - d. Dec. 18, 2020, Caracas), foreign minister (1999-2001), defense minister (2001-02), and executive vice-president (2002-07) of Venezuela. He made three unsuccessful presidential bids (1973, 1978, 1983) and hosted a weekly television talk show in which he frequently denounced corruption in the public sector. During his two years as foreign minister, Rangel ruffled feathers in Washington and Bogotá with outspoken criticism of the U.S.-backed Plan Colombia, an anti-drug offensive in the neighbouring Andean nation.

Rangel, Justo de Azambuja (b. Nov. 22, 1833, Porto Alegre, Brazil - d. April 9, 1922, Mar de Espanha, Minas Gerais, Brazil), acting president of Rio Grande do Sul (1889).

Rangel, Paulo (Artur dos Santos Castro de Campos) (b. Feb. 18, 1968, Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto district, Portugal), foreign minister of Portugal (2024- ).

Rangel, Rubens (b. June 29, 1904, São Fidélis, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - d. June 19, 1974, Mimoso do Sul, Espírito Santo, Brazil), acting governor of Espírito Santo (1966-67).

Rangel Bourgoin, Luis (Enrique) (b. June 17, 1929, Tovar, Mérida, Venezuela - d. July 24, 2017, Miami, Fla.), defense minister of Venezuela (1979-80).

Rangel Briceño, Gustavo (Reyes) (b. Aug. 16, 1956), defense minister of Venezuela (2007-09).

Rangel Frías, Raúl (b. March 15, 1913, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico - d. April 8, 1993, Monterrey), governor of Nuevo León (1955-61).

Rangel Gómez, Francisco (José) (b. April 4, 1953), governor of Bolívar (2004-17).

Rangel Silva, Henry (de Jesús) (b. Aug. 28, 1961, Santiago, Urdaneta municipality, Trujillo, Venezuela), defense minister of Venezuela (2012) and governor of Trujillo (2012-21).

Rangell, Johan Wilhelm, byname Jukka Rangell (b. Oct. 25, 1894, Hauho [now part of Hämeenlinna], Finland - d. March 12, 1982, Helsinki, Finland), prime minister of Finland (1941-43). He was also governor of the Bank of Finland (1943-44).

Rani, Hudarni (b. Nov. 20, 1950 - d. April 8, 2022, Jakarta, Indonesia), governor of Bangka Belitung (2002-07).

Ranjeva

Ranjeva, Marcel (Razanakombana) (b. Jan. 15, 1944, Antananarivo, Madagascar), defense minister (1996-2002) and foreign minister (2002-09) of Madagascar.

Ranjitsinhji Vibhoji, Sir (b. Sept. 10, 1872, Sarodar, India - d. April 2, 1933, Jamnagar, India), maharaja of Nawanagar (1907-33). He first won fame as one of the world's greatest cricket players. His uncle, Vibhoji Ranmalji, had selected him for the succession at the age of 7. Later the old ruler was induced by a Sindhi concubine to adopt her son, Jashwantsinhji, but the latter died without issue in 1906, and though there were other claimants, Ranjitsinhji was recognized for the succession. As maharaja, he was a progressive ruler and statesman and set an example by the simplicity of his personal life. He modernized his capital of Jamnagar, built irrigation works, improved communications, and built up a great port at Bedi Bundar. After serving as a British army staff officer in France during World War I, becoming an honorary lieutenant colonel, he represented the Indian states at the League of Nations Assembly in Geneva in 1920, attended the first Round Table Conference to consider the constitution of India in 1930, and became chancellor of the Indian Chamber of Princes in 1932. He was made K.C.S.I. in 1917, G.B.E. in 1919, and G.C.S.I. in 1923.

Ranke-Heinemann

Ranke-Heinemann, Uta (Johanna Ingrid), née Heinemann (b. Oct. 2, 1927, Essen, Germany - d. March 25, 2021, Essen), German presidential candidate (1999). The Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS) nominated the theologian as its candidate because she was, like the PDS, a firm opponent of NATO's air campaign against Yugoslavia. But her main qualification for the job was her pedigree. Ranke-Heinemann was the daughter of West Germany's third postwar president, Gustav Heinemann of the Social Democratic Party. Ranke-Heinemann said she knew she had no chance to win, but hoped to attract some pacifist votes from the other parties.

Rankeillour, Arthur Oswald James Hope, (2nd) Baron (b. May 7, 1897 - d. May 26, 1958), governor of Madras (1940-46). He succeeded as baron in 1949.

I. Rankin

J. Rankin

Rankin, Iain (Thomas) (b. April 9, 1983, Inverness, N.S.), premier of Nova Scotia (2021).

Rankin, John (James) (b. March 1957), governor of Bermuda (2016-20) and the British Virgin Islands (2021-24). He was also British high commissioner to Sri Lanka (2011-15) and ambassador to Nepal (2015).

Rankine, Sir John (Dalzell) (b. June 8, 1907, Fiji - d. Feb. 19, 1987), resident of Zanzibar (1952-54) and governor of Western Region, Nigeria (1954-60); knighted 1954; son of Sir Richard Rankine.

Rankine, Sir Richard (Sims Donkin) (b. 1875 - d. June 24, 1961), acting governor of Nyasaland (1923-24) and resident of Zanzibar (1929-37); knighted 1932.

Rankovic, Aleksandar (b. Nov. 28, 1909, Drazevac, Serbia - d. Aug. 19, 1983, Dubrovnik, Croatia), interior minister (1946-53) and vice president (1963-66) of Yugoslavia. He was also a deputy premier (1946-53, 1953-63).

Rankovic, Jovan (b. Sept. 14, 1930, Smederevo, Yugoslavia [now in Serbia] - d. Sept. 7, 2020, Belgrade, Serbia), finance minister of Yugoslavia (2001-02).

Rann

Rann, Mike, byname of Michael David Rann (b. Jan. 5, 1953, Sidcup, Kent, England), premier of South Australia (2002-11). He has also been Australian high commissioner to the United Kingdom (2012-14) and ambassador to Italy (2014- ).

Ranocchini, Gloriana (b. 1957), captain-regent of San Marino (1984, 1989-90).

Ranoewidjojo, Soewondo (b. Oct. 27, 1905, Pasuruan, Netherlands East Indies [now in Jawa Timur, Indonesia] - d. Jan. 8, 1992), governor of Jawa Timur (1959-63).

Ransom, Epaphroditus (b. March 24, 1798, Shelburne Falls, Mass. - d. Nov. 9, 1859, Fort Scott, Kan.), governor of Michigan (1848-50).

Ransom, Matt (Whitaker) (b. Oct. 8, 1826, Warren county, N.C. - d. Oct. 8, 1904, near Garysburg, N.C.), president pro tempore of the United States Senate (1895). He was also minister to Mexico (1895-97).

Rantala, Viljo (Johannes) (b. Nov. 18, 1892, Punkalaidun, Finland - d. Dec. 31, 1980, Punkalaidun), finance minister of Finland (1951-53).

Rantanen, Jarmo (Heikki Kullervo) (b. June 20, 1944, Orivesi, Finland), interior minister of Finland (1987-91). He was also mayor of Tampere (1985-2006).

Rantanen, Paavo (Ilmari) (b. Feb. 28, 1934, Jyväskylä, Finland), foreign minister of Finland (1995). He was also ambassador to the United States (1986-88).

Rantung, C(ornelis) J(ohn) (b. Dec. 7, 1935, Banda Aceh, Netherlands East Indies [now in Aceh, Indonesia] - d. April 3, 2013, Jakarta, Indonesia), governor of Sulawesi Utara (1985-95).

Rao, Burgula Ramakrishna (b. March 13, 1899, Parakala, Mahbubnagar district, Hyderabad [now in Telangana], India - d. Sept. 14, 1967, Hyderabad, India), chief minister of Hyderabad (1952-56) and governor of Kerala (1956-60) and Uttar Pradesh (1960-62).

C.V. Rao

Rao, C(hennamaneni) Vidyasagar (b. Feb. 4, 1942, Nagaram village, Karimnagar district, Hyderabad [now in Telangana], India), governor of Maharashtra (2014-19) and Tamil Nadu (2016-17).

Rao, K(otikalapudi) V(enkata) Krishna (b. July 16, 1923, Lukulam [now in Andhra Pradesh], India - d. Jan. 30, 2016, New Delhi, India), governor of Manipur, Nagaland, and Tripura (1984-89) and of Jammu and Kashmir (1989-90, 1993-98). He was also Indian chief of army staff (1981-83).

K.C. Rao

P.S.R. Rao

Rao, Kalvakuntla Chandrashekar (b. Feb. 17, 1954, Chintamadaka village, Andhra Pradesh [now in Telangana], India), chief minister of Telangana (2014-23).

Rao, Kona Prabhakara (b. July 10, 1916, Bapatla [now in Andhra Pradesh], India - d. October 1990), governor of Pondicherry (1983-84), Sikkim (1984-85), and Maharashtra (1985-86).

Rao, N(adendla) Bhaskara (b. June 23, 1935, Guntur [now in Andhra Pradesh], India), chief minister of Andhra Pradesh (1984).

Rao, P.S. Ramamohan (b. July 31, 1934, in present Andhra Pradesh or Telangana, India), governor of Tamil Nadu (2002-04) and administrator of Pondicherry (2003-04).

P.V.N. Rao

Rao, P(amulaparti) V(enkata) Narasimha (b. June 28, 1921, Vangara village, Karimnagar district, Hyderabad [now in Telangana], India - d. Dec. 23, 2004, New Delhi, India), prime minister of India (1991-96). He was active in the independence movement during British rule. A member of the Andhra Pradesh legislative assembly in 1957-77, he supported Indira Gandhi in the Congress party split of 1969. After holding various ministerial positions in the Andhra Pradesh government from 1962, he was chief minister in 1971-73, in which post he implemented a revolutionary land-reform policy and secured political participation for the lower castes. He was elected to represent the district of Hanamkonda, Andhra Pradesh, in the Lok Sabha (Indian parliament) in 1972, 1977, and 1980 and the district of Ramtek in 1984 and served as general secretary of the All-India Congress Committee in 1975-76. After Gandhi regained national leadership in 1980, she appointed Rao foreign minister (1980-84) and minister of home affairs (1984). Under her son and successor, Rajiv Gandhi, he served as defense minister (1985), minister of human resource development (1985-88), minister of health and family welfare (1986-88), and again as foreign minister (1988-89). After the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991, the Congress (I) party chose Rao as its leader, and he became prime minister (the first ever from southern India) after the general elections in June. (He also held charge of the ministries of defense 1991 and 1993-96, labour 1991-92, external affairs 1992-93, commerce 1992-93 and 1996, law and justice 1992-96, and others.) He restructured India's economy by converting the inefficient semi-socialist structure left by Jawaharlal Nehru and the Gandhis into a free-market system. In the May-June 1996 elections Congress was roundly defeated. On September 22, he resigned as president of the party. In 2000 he was found guilty in a case of vote-buying dating from 1993, but the conviction was overturned in 2002.

Rao, R. Gundu (b. March 4, 1936 - d. Aug. 22, 1993), chief minister of Karnataka (1980-83).

Rao, (Mosalikanti) Tirumala (b. Jan. 29, 1901, Pithapuram [now in East Godavari district, Andhra Pradesh], India - d. Nov. 29, 1970), lieutenant governor of Vindhya Pradesh (1956).

Ráo, Vicente (Paulo Francisco) (b. June 16, 1892, São Paulo, Brazil - d. Jan. 19, 1978, São Paulo), justice and interior minister (1934-37) and foreign minister (1953-54) of Brazil.

Raouf, Adnan, Iraqi diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1969-70).

Raoul, Alfred (b. Dec. 13, 1938, Pointe-Noire, Middle Congo [now Congo (Brazzaville)] - d. July 16, 1999, Paris, France), prime minister (1968-70) and acting head of state (1968-69) of Congo (Brazzaville). He was also vice president in charge of state planning (1970-71) and trade, industry, and mines (1971) and ambassador to Belgium (1975-80s).

Raouya, Abderrahmane, also spelled Raouia (b. Nov. 7, 1960, Mostaganem, Algeria), finance minister of Algeria (2017-19, 2020, 2022).

Rapacki, Adam (b. Dec. 24, 1909, Zwierzyniec, Poland, Russian Empire - d. Oct. 10, 1970, Warsaw, Poland), foreign minister of Poland (1956-68). He was also minister of shipping (1947-50) and higher education (1950-56).

Rapanelli, Néstor (Mario) (b. April 23, 1929 - d. Feb. 23, 2021), economy minister of Argentina (1989).

Rapava, Avksenty (Narikiyevich) (b. May 16 [May 4, O.S.], 1899, Kortskheli, Kutaisi province, Russia [now in Georgia] - d. [executed] Nov. 15, 1955, Tbilisi, Georgian S.S.R.), acting chairman of the Central Executive Committee (1937-38) and chairman of the Council of People's Commissars (1938) of the Abkhaz A.S.S.R. He was also people's commissar/minister of interior (1938-41, 1941-43), state security (1941, 1943-48), justice (1948-51), and state control (1953) of the Georgian S.S.R.

Rapenne, Jean (Alexandre Léon) (b. June 6, 1901, Belfort, France - d. Dec. 11, 1952, Paris, France), lieutenant governor of Niger (1939-40) and governor of French Guiana (1943-44).

Raphael I Bidawid, original name Raphael Yousif Warda (b. April 17, 1922, Mosul, Iraq - d. July 7, 2003, Beirut, Lebanon), patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church (1989-2003). He entered a seminary in Mosul at the age of 11. In 1936 he was sent to Rome to study theology and philosophy. He was ordained in 1944 and elevated to bishop in 1957 at the age of 35 - at the time the youngest Catholic bishop in the world. A synod of the Chaldean Church elected him patriarch in 1989, following the death of Paul II Cheikho. He was instrumental in the ecumenical movement, especially with relations with the Assyrian Church of the East. He was an outspoken opponent of the economic embargo on Iraq, imposed after Iraq's 1990 invasion of Kuwait. Some accused him of being an apologist for Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, but he responded that he was only defending his country. During a 1991 visit to the Vatican he accused the Gulf War allies of genocide against the Iraqi people. "These nations should feel pretty guilty. It was a vendetta, a shame for humanity," he said.

Raphail, secular name Mikhail Zaborovsky (b. 1677, Zaborów, Poland [now Zboriv, Ukraine] - d. Nov. 2 [Oct. 22, O.S.], 1747, Kiev, Russia [now in Ukraine]), metropolitan of Kiev (1731-47). He was also bishop of Pskov (1725-31).

Raposo, Gilberto Mestrinho de Medeiros (b. Feb. 23, 1928, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil - d. July 19, 2009, Manaus), governor of Amazonas (1959-63, 1983-87, 1991-95). He was also mayor of Manaus (1956-58).

Rapota

Rapp

Rapota, Grigory (Alekseyevich) (b. Feb. 5, 1944, Moscow, Russian S.F.S.R.), plenipotentiary of the president in Yuzhny federal district (2007-08) and Privolzhsky federal district (2008-11).

Rapp, Comte Jean (b. April 27, 1772, Colmar, Alsace, France - d. Nov. 8, 1821, Rheinweiler, Baden [now part of Bad Bellingen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany]), governor of Danzig (1807-14).

Rappard, Anthony Gerhard Alexander ridder van (b. Oct. 5, 1799, Utrecht, Batavian Republic [now Netherlands] - d. April 1, 1869, Utrecht), interior minister of the Netherlands (1857-58). He was also minister of affairs of Reformed and other worship, except Roman Catholic (1854-57).

Rappard, (Willem Louis) Frederik (Christiaan) ridder van (b. May 3, 1798, Arnhem, Netherlands - d. June 9, 1862, Laren, Gelderland, Netherlands), finance minister of the Netherlands (1848). He became ridder (knight) in 1842.

Rappard, Willem Frederik ridder van (b. Jan. 4, 1846, Amsterdam, Netherlands - d. May 22, 1913, The Hague, Netherlands), war minister of the Netherlands (1907-08).

Rappe, Axel (Emil) friherre (b. Oct. 2, 1838, Arby socken [now part of Kalmar municipality], Kalmar, Sweden - d. Dec. 18, 1918, Stockholm, Sweden), war minister of Sweden (1892-99); son of Axel Ludvig friherre Rappe. He was also chief of the General Staff (1882-92, 1899-1905).

Rappe, Axel Ludvig friherre (b. Sept. 22, 1800, Mistelås socken [now part of Alvesta municipality], Kronoberg, Sweden - d. Jan. 10, 1875, Arby socken [now part of Kalmar municipality], Kalmar, Sweden), governor of Kristianstad (1860-66); grandson of Carl friherre Rappe.

Rappe, (Tomas) Carl friherre (b. Sept. 6, 1721, Asby, Kronoberg, Sweden - d. Oct. 3, 1790, Strömsrum, Kalmar, Sweden), governor of Kalmar (1774-90); brother of Christoffer Johan friherre Rappe. He was made friherre (baron) in 1771.

Rappe, Christoffer Johan friherre (b. Jan. 13, 1719, Dädesjö socken, Kronoberg, Sweden - d. Sept. 20, 1776, Åbo [now Turku], Finland), governor of Åbo och Björneborg (1769-76). He was made friherre (baron) in 1771.

Rarewala, Sardar Gian Singh (b. Dec. 16, 1901, Rara village, Ludhiana district, Punjab, India - d. Dec. 31, 1979), premier (1949-51) and chief minister (1952-53) of PEPSU.

Rarick, John (Richard) (b. Jan. 29, 1924, Waterford, Ind. - d. Sept. 14, 2009, St. Francisville, La.), U.S. politician. He was a Democratic representative from Louisiana (1967-75) and American Independent Party presidential candidate (1980).

Rasaki, Raji (Alagbe) (b. 1947), governor of Ogun (1986-87), Ondo (1987-88), and Lagos (1988-92).

Räsänen, Päivi (Maria) (b. Dec. 19, 1959, Sonkajärvi, Finland), interior minister of Finland (2011-15). She was also chairwoman of the Christian Democrats (2004-15).

Rascanu, Ion (b. Jan. 4, 1874, Cahul, Bessarabia, Russia [now in Moldova] - d. Feb. 25, 1952, Sighet [now Sighetu Marmatiei], Romania), war minister of Romania (1919-20, 1920-21). He was also mayor of Vaslui (1938-42) and Bucharest (1942-44).

Rasch, Johan Lauritz (b. Dec. 1, 1829, Christiania [now Oslo], Norway - d. March 5, 1901, Christiania), governor of Smaalenenes amt (1881-90).

Raschi

Raschi, Roberto (b. Aug. 11, 1964, San Marino, San Marino), captain-regent of San Marino (2004-05).

A.L. Rashid

Rashid, Abdul Latif (Jamal) (b. Aug. 10, 1944, Sulaymaniyah, Iraq), president of Iraq (2022- ). He was also minister of water resources (2003-10).

Rashid, Rashid (Abdulaziz) al- (b. 1933, Kuwait), Kuwaiti diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1963-67).

Rashidov, Sharaf (Rashidovich) (b. Nov. 6, 1917, Turkestan [in present Uzbekistan] - d. Oct. 31, 1983), Soviet politician. He became president of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of Uzbekistan in 1950. In 1959 he was appointed as first secretary of the Communist Party of Uzbekistan and held the post until his death. Having risen to power under Stalin, he thus survived the regimes of both Nikita Khrushchev and Leonid Brezhnev without loss of political influence. He played a leading part in organizing the Afro-Asian Solidarity Committee meeting in Cairo in 1959, but his influence in Soviet politics was mainly confined to Central Asia despite his membership from 1970 in the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet and other party or national bodies. He did, however, do much to encourage the industrial and agricultural development of the region. Among his many decorations were seven awards of the Order of Lenin.

Rashidov, Vezhdi (Letif) (b. Dec. 14, 1951, Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria), Bulgarian politician. He was minister of culture (2009-13, 2014-17) and chairman of the National Assembly (2022-23).

Rashkov, Boyko (Iliev) (b. Sept. 28, 1954, Ognyanovo, Bulgaria), a deputy prime minister (2021) and interior minister (2021-22) of Bulgaria.

Rasi, (Satu) Marjatta (b. Nov. 29, 1945, Punkalaidun, Finland - d. May 23, 2021, Helsinki, Finland), Finnish diplomat. She was ambassador to India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan (1991-95) and permanent representative to the United Nations (1998-2005).

Rasi, Richard (b. April 2, 1971, Kosice, Slovakia), a deputy prime minister of Slovakia (2018-20). He has also been minister of health (2008-10) and investment, regional development, and informatization (2023- ) and mayor of Kosice (2010-18).

Rasid Pasha, Mehmed (b. 1824, Egypt - d. [assassinated] June 15, 1876, Constantinople, Ottoman Empire [now Istanbul, Turkey]), foreign minister of the Ottoman Empire (1873-74, 1875-76). He was also governor of Syria (1866-71), minister of public works (1873), and ambassador to Austria-Hungary (1874-75).

Rasih Bey, Mehmed, or (Mehmed) Rasih Dino (b. 1868, Preveza, Ottoman Empire [now in Greece] - d. Dec. 13, 1927), Ottoman official; son of Prevezeli Abidin Pasha. He was chairman of the Court of Accounts (1906-08).

Rasín

Rasizade

Rasín, Alois (b. Sept. 18, 1867, Nechanice, near Königgrätz [now Hradec Králové], Austria-Hungary [now in Czech Republic] - d. Feb. 18, 1923, Prague, Czechoslovakia [now in Czech Republic]), finance minister of Czechoslovakia (1918-19, 1922-23). He was shot by an anarchist on Jan. 5, 1923, and died of the injuries the following month.

Rasit, Atay Ahmet (b. 1943, Paphos, Cyprus), foreign and defense minister of North Cyprus (1994-96). He was also minister of commerce and industry (1990-92).

Rasizade, Artur (Tair ogly), Azeri Artur (Tahir oglu) Rasizadä (b. Feb. 26, 1935, Gyandzha, Azerbaijan S.S.R.), prime minister of Azerbaijan (1996-2003, 2003-18). He was also first deputy premier (1986-92, 1996).

Rasjid, Sutan Mohammad (b. Nov. 19, 1911, Pariaman, Netherlands East Indies [now in Sumatera Barat, Indonesia] - d. April 30, 2000), governor of Sumatera Barat/Tengah (1946-48, 1949). He was also Indonesian ambassador to Italy (1954-58).

Rask, Märt (b. Dec. 19, 1950, Kõue, Estonian S.S.R. [now in Harju county, Estonia]), justice minister (1992, 1999-2003) and interior minister (1995-96) of Estonia. He was also chief justice of the Supreme Court (2004-13).

Raskob

Raskob, John J(akob) (b. March 19, 1879, Lockport, N.Y. - d. Oct. 15, 1950, near Centreville, Md.), U.S. politician. A financier who played a major role in the early 20th-century expansion of E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Co. and of General Motors Corporation, he left General Motors in 1928 when he was chosen chairman of the Democratic National Committee, to direct Alfred E. Smith's campaign for president. After defeat in the election Smith and Raskob became directors of the company that oversaw the construction and management of the Empire State Building, then the world's tallest building. He continued in his assaults on the Republican administration throughout Pres. Herbert Hoover's term, and his organization was credited with helping turn public opinion against Hoover and toward Franklin D. Roosevelt in the 1932 campaign. By then, however, he had lost control of the party. He turned against the Roosevelt New Deal as early as 1934, becoming leader of the Liberty League and other movements that tried without success to head off the second Roosevelt election.

Raslan, Mazhar al- (b. 1886, Homs, Ottoman Empire [now in Syria] - d. May 28, 1948, Cairo, Egypt), prime minister (1921-22 and [acting] 1923) and interior minister (1922-23) of Transjordan.

A.F. Rasmussen

L.L. Rasmussen

Rasmussen, Anders Fogh (b. Jan. 26, 1953, Ginnerup, Denmark), prime minister of Denmark (2001-09) and secretary-general of NATO (2009-14). He was also minister of taxation (1987-92) and economy (1990-92).

Rasmussen, Hans (b. June 23, 1873, Gamtofte, Denmark - d. March 18, 1949, Copenhagen, Denmark), Danish politician. He was speaker of the Folketing (1933-45).

Rasmussen, Henning (Peter Kruse) (b. May 26, 1926, Viborg, Denmark - d. March 4, 1997, Esbjerg, Denmark), interior minister of Denmark (1979-82). He was also mayor of Esbjerg (1964-79), justice minister (1979-81), and speaker of the Folketing (1993-94).

Rasmussen, Lars Løkke (b. May 15, 1964, Velje, Denmark), interior minister (2001-07), finance minister (2007-09), prime minister (2009-11, 2015-19), and foreign minister (2022- ) of Denmark.

Rasmussen, Laust, byname of Laurits Rasmussen (b. Nov. 22, 1862, Højrup, Denmark - d. April 16, 1941, Horsens, Denmark), defense minister of Denmark (1924-26, 1929-32).

P.N. Rasmussen

Rasmussen, Poul Nyrup (b. June 15, 1943, Esbjerg, Denmark), prime minister of Denmark (1993-2001). He was appointed deputy leader of the Social Democrats by party leader Svend Auken in 1987 and was elected to the Folketing (parliament) in 1988. He served as chairman of the parliamentary committee on commerce, industry, and shipping from 1988 until 1992, when he dethroned Auken during an extraordinary party congress. When the Conservative-Liberal government of Prime Minister Poul Schlüter was forced from office by the "Tamilgate" affair on Jan. 14, 1993, Rasmussen, who had never before held high public office, formed a four-party majority coalition, enlisting the support of the seven-member Radical Liberal Party - holder of the balance of power between socialist and nonsocialist parties for some 70 years. The new cabinet was expanded to 24 members to accommodate wide participation by all partners in the coalition. He was faced with the task of overseeing Denmark's key second referendum on the Maastricht Treaty. Before the referendum, however, Denmark's currency became the object of market speculation that threatened the country's continued participation in the European exchange-rate mechanism. Surviving that crisis, he began the task of persuading the Danish people (especially his own party, which had voted 3-2 against Maastricht in the first referendum in June 1992) to approve a version of the treaty that now included special exemptions for Denmark. He promised tax reform if the referendum passed and called those who opposed it "raving mad." The May 18 referendum, voted upon by 86% of the electorate, passed easily, but two days of rioting in Copenhagen followed. He defied the polls in 1998 to win a narrow reelection, but in 2001 his government was defeated by the centre-right opposition which called for tighter immigration policies.

Rasmussen, Wilkie (Olaf Patua) (b. March 21, 1958, Omoka, Penrhyn island, Cook Islands), foreign minister (2005-09) and finance minister (2010) of the Cook Islands. He was also high commissioner to New Zealand (1999-2002) and minister of tourism and culture (2005).

Rasnacs, Dzintars (b. July 17, 1963, Jurmala, Latvian S.S.R.), justice minister (1995-98, 2014-19) and acting defense minister (1997) of Latvia.

Rasolondraibe, Jean-Jacques (b. 1947, Ambinanindrano, Madagascar), interior minister (1997-2002) and interim prime minister (2002) of Madagascar.

Rason, Ernest Goldfinch (b. 1851 - d. July 27, 1915, Surrey, England), British resident commissioner of the New Hebrides (1902-07).

Rasool

Rasool, Ebrahim (b. July 15, 1962, Cape Town, South Africa), premier of Western Cape (2004-08). He was also ambassador to the United States (2010-14).

Rasputin

Rasputin, Grigory (Yefimovich), original surname Novykh (b. Jan. 22 [Jan. 10, O.S.], 1869/72, Pokrovskoye, near Tyumen, Russia - d. Dec. 30 [Dec. 17, O.S.], 1916, Petrograd [St. Petersburg], Russia), Russian political figure. His reputation for licentiousness earned him the name Rasputin, Russian for "debauched one." After undergoing some kind of religious conversion, he became a starets (self-proclaimed holy man), gaining a reputation as a healer and prophet. His wanderings took him to St. Petersburg (1903), where the court circles were entertaining themselves by delving into mysticism and the occult. In 1905 he was introduced to the royal family, and in 1908 he was summoned to the palace of Emperor Nikolay and Empress Aleksandra during one of their hemophiliac son Aleksey's bleeding episodes. He succeeded in easing the boy's suffering (probably by hypnosis) and warned the parents that the destiny of both the child and the dynasty were irrevocably linked to him. He thereby became an influential favourite at the court, reaching the pinnacle of his power after 1915. Several attempts were made to take his life and save Russia from further calamity, but none were successful until a group of extreme conservatives, including Prince Feliks Yusupov, Vladimir Mitrofanovich Purishkevich, and Grand Duke Dmitry Pavlovich, formed a conspiracy to eliminate him. On the night of Dec. 29-30 (Dec. 16-17, O.S.), 1916, Rasputin was invited to visit Yusupov's home and, once there, was given poisoned wine and cakes. When he did not die, Yusupov shot him. Rasputin was able to run out into the courtyard, where Purishkevich shot him again. The conspirators then threw him through a hole in the ice into the Neva River, where he finally died by drowning.

Rasquin, Michel (b. Sept. 19, 1899, Pétange, Luxembourg - d. April 27, 1958, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg), Luxembourg politician. He was leader of the Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party (1945-51), mayor of Esch-sur-Alzette (1949-51), minister of economic affairs (1951-58) and reconstruction (1951-54), and European commissioner for transport (1958).

Rassaa, Abderrazak (b. Jan. 5, 1930, Tunis, Tunisia - d. Jan. 7/8, 2020), finance minister of Tunisia (1969-71). He was also minister of planning (1969).

Rastam (bin) Mohd Isa, Tan Sri (b. Sept. 3, 1951, Pahang, Malaya [now in Malaysia]), Malaysian diplomat. He was high commissioner to Pakistan (1994-96), ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina (1996-98) and Indonesia (1999-2003), and permanent representative to the United Nations (2003-05).

Rastikis, Stasys (b. Sept. 13, 1896, Kursenai, Russia [now in Lithuania] - d. May 3, 1985, Los Angeles, Calif.), defense minister of Lithuania (1938). He was also commander of the army (1935-40).

Rastoder, Rifat (b. July 11, 1950, Berane, Montenegro - d. May 4, 2023, Podgorica, Montenegro), joint acting president of Montenegro (2003). He was a deputy president (1998-2012) and joint acting president (2003) of the Skupstina.

Rastyogin, Grigory (Sergeyevich) (b. 1902, Laishevka, Simbirsk province, Russia - d. Nov. 30, 1971), first secretary of the Communist Party committee of the Bashkir A.S.S.R. (1939). He was also secretary of the party committee of Ulyanovsk city (1937-39).

Rasulov, Dzhabar (Rasulovich), Tajik Jabbor (Rasulovich) Rasulov (b. July 10, 1913, Khodzhent, Russia [now Khujand, Tajikistan] - d. April 4, 1982, Dushanbe, Tadzhik S.S.R.), chairman of the Council of Ministers (1946-55) and first secretary of the Communist Party (1961-82) of the Tadzhik S.S.R. He was also people's commissar of agriculture (1945-46) and minister of industrial crops (1946) and Soviet ambassador to Togo (1960-61).

Rasulzoda

Rasulzoda, Kokhir, until 2007 Abdukokhir (Abdurasulovich) Nazirov (b. March 8, 1961, Khodzhent [now Gafurov] district, Tadzhik S.S.R.), prime minister of Tajikistan (2013- ). He was also minister of land reclamation and water resources (2000-06) and head of Sughd oblast (2006-13).

Rata, Matiu (b. March 26, 1934, Te Hapua, N.Z. - d. [following car crash] July 25, 1997, Auckland, N.Z.), administrator of Tokelau (1972-73). He was also New Zealand minister of Maori affairs (1972-75).

Rataj, Maciej (b. Feb. 19, 1884, Chlopy, Austria [now in Poland] - d. [executed] June 21, 1940, Palmiry, near Warsaw, Poland), acting president of Poland (1922, 1926). He was minister of religious affairs and education (1920-21) and marshal of the Sejm (1922-28).

Ratajski, Cyryl (b. March 3, 1875, Zalesie Wielkie, near Gostyn, Germany [now in Poland] - d. Oct. 19, 1942, Warsaw, Poland), interior minister of Poland (1924-25). He was also mayor of Poznan (1922-24, 1925-34, 1939).

Ratas

Rath

Ratas, Jüri (b. July 2, 1978, Tallinn, Estonian S.S.R.), prime minister of Estonia (2016-21). He was also mayor of Tallinn (2005-07) and speaker of the Riigikogu (2021-23).

Rath, David (b. Dec. 25, 1965, Prague, Czechoslovakia [now in Czech Republic]), governor of Stredoceský kraj (2008-12). He was health minister of the Czech Republic in 2005-06. He resigned as governor after being arrested on a corruption charge.

Rathenau, Walther (b. Sept. 29, 1867, Berlin, Prussia [now in Germany] - d. [assassinated] June 24, 1922, Berlin), foreign minister of Germany (1922). He was also minister of reconstruction (1921).

Rathore, Raja Mumtaz Hussain (b. 1943 - d. June 16, 1999, Hevali, Azad Kashmir), prime minister (1990-91) and acting president (1996) of Azad Kashmir.

Ratier, Antony (b. June 29, 1851, Buzançais, Indre, France - d. Aug. 9, 1934, Palluau-sur-Indre, Indre), justice minister of France (1913, 1924).

Ratieta, Naboua (b. April 26, 1938, Ocean Island [Banaba], Gilbert and Ellice Islands [now in Kiribati] - d. June 12, 1986), chief minister of the Gilbert Islands (1974-78).

Ratiu

Ratiu, Ion (Augustin) (b. June 6, 1917, Turda, Transylvania, Hungary [now in Romania] - d. Jan. 16, 2000, London, England), Romanian politician. He was a diplomat who left the country in 1940 and settled in Britain. During the last years of the rule of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu, Ratiu's Free Romanian newspaper was one of the only reliable sources of news about the country. When Ceausescu visited Britain in 1977 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, Ratiu chained himself to the railings outside London's Ritz Hotel to protest Britain's treatment of Ceausescu's repressive regime. After a business career that included founding the British shipping company Regent Line, Ratiu returned to his homeland in 1990 after the collapse of Communism. He ran for president, but many Romanians distrusted the man they called "Mr. Bow-tie," partly because of his English manners and partly because he hadn't suffered the same hardships as millions of Romanians. Ratiu also founded the Cotidianul daily, which sponsored the cause of the centre-right National Peasant Party of which he was a leading member. At the time of his death, he headed the Romanian delegation of the Parliamentary Assembly of NATO.

Ratnam, Viswanathan (b. Aug. 1, 1932, Madras [now Chennai], India - d. May 23, 2020, Chennai), acting governor of Himachal Pradesh (1994). He was acting chief justice of Madras High Court (1992-93) and chief justice of Himachal Pradesh High Court (1994).

Ratnasekara, Jayantha Lal (b. Nov. 4, 1962), governor of Eastern province, Sri Lanka (2024- ).

Ratnayake, (Ratnayake Mudiyanselage) Amara Piyaseeli, governor of North Western province, Sri Lanka (2015-18). She was also minister of women's affairs (2001-04).

Ratnayake, K(iri) B(anda) (b. Feb. 23, 1924 - d. April 30, 2004), governor of Central province, Sri Lanka (2001-02). He was also minister of parliamentary affairs and sports (1970-77) and transport (1975-77) and speaker of parliament (1994-2000).

Ratner, Payne H(arry) (b. Oct. 3, 1896, Casey, Ill. - d. Dec. 27, 1974, Wichita, Kan.), governor of Kansas (1939-43).

Rato	Ratsifandri- hamanana

Rato (y Figaredo), Rodrigo (de) (b. March 18, 1949, Madrid, Spain), finance minister of Spain (1996-2000) and managing director of the International Monetary Fund (2004-07). He was also economy minister (1996-2004), second deputy prime minister (1996-2003), and first deputy prime minister (2003-04).

Ratsifandrihamanana, Lila (Hanitra) (b. Nov. 19, 1959, Antananarivo, Madagascar), foreign minister of Madagascar (1998-2002). She was also minister of scientific research (1997-98) and ambassador to Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Morocco, Cape Verde, The Gambia, and Côte d'Ivoire (2002-06).

Ratsimandrava

Ratsirahonana

Ratsimandrava, Richard (b. March 21, 1931, Antananarivo, Madagascar - d. [assassinated] Feb. 11, 1975), president of Madagascar (1975).

Ratsirahonana, Norbert (Lala) (b. Nov. 18, 1938, Antananarivo, Madagascar), prime minister (1996-97) and acting president (1996-97) of Madagascar. He was a presidential candidate in 1996 and 2006.

D. Ratsiraka

Ratsiraka, Didier (Ignace) (b. Nov. 4, 1936, Vatomandry, Tamatave province, Madagascar - d. March 28, 2021, Antananarivo, Madagascar), foreign minister (1972-75) and president (1975-93, 1997-2002) of Madagascar. After 16 years as military ruler he was beaten by Albert Zafy in Madagascar's first multiparty elections in 1993. In 1997 the retired admiral staged a comeback and defeated Zafy. After a disputed election in December 2001 he lost control of the capital to his opponent Marc Ravalomanana but for some months continued to control other provinces. Finally, in July 2002, he went into exile, and came to live in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France. On Aug. 6, 2003, after a trial that lasted just a few hours, he was sentenced in absentia to 10 years hard labour for embezzling public funds (he was accused of stealing $8 million from the central bank shortly before he went into exile). On Dec. 15, 2003, he was additionally sentenced to five years in prison for trying to get five of the island's provinces to secede during the 2002 political crisis. Ravalomanana was himself overthrown in 2009, and the new leader Andry Rajoelina said Ratsiraka was free to return home; he did so on Nov. 24, 2011. He was a minor presidential candidate in 2018.

Ratsiraka, (Iarovana) Roland (b. Aug. 15, 1966, Antananarivo, Madagascar), Malagasy politician; nephew of Didier Ratsiraka. He was mayor of Toamasina (1999-2002, 2003-07), minister of public works (2014-16) and tourism (2016-18), and a presidential candidate (2006, 2013, 2018).

Rattazzi

Rattazzi, Urbano (b. June 20, 1808, Alessandria, France [now in Italy] - d. June 5, 1873, Frosinone, Italy), prime minister of Italy (1862, 1867); grandson-in-law of Lucien Bonaparte. In 1848 he was elected to the parliament of the Kingdom of Sardinia from his native town. By his debating powers he contributed to the defeat of the Cesare Balbo ministry, and for a short time held the portfolio of public instruction; afterwards, in the Vincenzo Gioberti cabinet, he became minister of the interior, and on the retirement of Gioberti in 1849 he became practically the head of the government. The defeat at Novara compelled his resignation in March 1849. His election as president of the chamber in 1852 was one of the earliest results of the so-called connubio with Count Cavour, i.e. the union of the moderate men of the Right and of the Left; and having become minister of justice in 1853 he carried a number of measures of reform, including that for the suppression of certain of the monastic orders. During a momentary reaction of public opinion he resigned office in 1858, but again entered the cabinet in 1859 as interior minister. In consequence of the negotiations for the cession of Nice and Savoy he again retired in January 1860. He was entrusted with the formation of a new ministry in March 1862. When Giuseppe Garibaldi offered to capture Rome, Rattazzi at first sanctioned the venture but, upon France giving signs of her displeasure, sent troops to intercept Garibaldi, who was wounded in the ensuing Battle of Aspromonte. In consequence of this action Rattazzi was driven from office in December. In 1867 he was again asked to be premier, and secretly aided a new march on Rome by Garibaldi. Once more he had to "back out," and the Garibaldian expedition and the Rattazzi ministry collapsed at the same time.

Rattini

Rattini, Maurizio (b. Nov. 13, 1949, San Marino), captain-regent of San Marino (1996-97, 2012). He was also minister of industry and crafts (2001-02, 2002-03) and health and social security (2002).

Rattray, (Earle) Courtenay (b. Oct. 21, 1959, London, England), Jamaican diplomat. He was ambassador to China (2008-13), permanent representative to the United Nations (2013-21), and UN high representative for the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries, and small island developing states (2021-22).

Ratulangi, Sam, byname of Gerungan Samuel Saul Jacob Ratulangi (b. Nov. 5, 1890, Tondano, Netherlands East Indies [now in Sulawesi Utara, Indonesia] - d. June 30, 1949, Jakarta, Indonesia), governor of Sulawesi (1945-49).

Ratushnyak, Serhiy (Mykolayovych) (b. Feb. 17, 1961, Uzhgorod [Uzhhorod], Ukrainian S.S.R.), Ukrainian politician. He was mayor of Uzhhorod (1994-98, 2006-10) and a minor presidential candidate (2010).

Ratz, Eckart (b. June 28, 1953, Bregenz, Vorarlberg, Austria), interior minister of Austria (2019).

Rátz (de Nagylak), Jenö vitéz (b. Sept. 20, 1882, Nagybecskerek, Hungary [now Zrenjanin, Vojvodina, Serbia] - d. Jan. 21, 1951, Vác, Hungary), defense minister of Hungary (1938). He was also chief of the General Staff (1936-38), deputy prime minister (1944), and president of the House of Magnates (1944-45).

Rau, Albert (Pavlovich) (b. Sept. 1, 1960, Valeryanovka, Kustanay [now Kostanay] oblast, Kazakh S.S.R.), head of Akmola oblast (2008-10). He was also mayor of Lisakovsk (1994-2004).

Rau, Sir Benegal Narsing (b. Feb. 26, 1887, Benegal, Dakshina Kannada district [now in Karnataka], India - d. Nov. 30, 1953, Zürich, Switzerland), prime minister of Jammu and Kashmir (1944-45); knighted 1938. He was also India's permanent representative to the United Nations (1949-52) and a judge of the International Court of Justice (1952-53).

J. Rau

Rau, Johannes (b. Jan. 16, 1931, Wuppertal-Barmen, Germany - d. Jan. 27, 2006, Berlin, Germany), president of Germany (1999-2004). Long regarded as one of Germany's most popular politicians, he was sometimes called "Brother Johannes" or "the good man of Wuppertal" (his hometown where he served as lord mayor in 1969-70) for his penchant for avoiding controversy and his conciliatory approach to problems. He skillfully led Germany's largest state, Nordrhein-Westfalen, as minister-president for 20 years (1978-98). Helped by his carefully nurtured image of a politician who keeps close ties to the electorate, he won an absolute majority for the Social Democratic Party (SPD) in the state three times and remained one of the country's most admired politicians. He was chancellor candidate of the SPD in the 1987 election but was defeated by Helmut Kohl. He was also defeated in 1994 when he first ran for the office of president. Rau was the public's overwhelming choice for president but Kohl's conservatives controlled the federal assembly that elects the head of state and Rau was defeated in three rounds of contentious voting. Rau returned to Nordrhein-Westfalen, but stepped down in 1998 to make room for Wolfgang Clement, a younger leader with close ties to Gerhard Schröder, who became chancellor later that year. German media speculated that Rau moved aside in exchange for Schröder's tacit promise to nominate Rau again for president. Despite the public support, some leaders from both the SPD and the opposition complained that Rau was a candidate from the past, a man from the 1980s. But in 1999 he was elected to the lofty though powerless office. Rau's nonconfrontational approach to politics was shaped by his mentor, the third postwar president Gustav Heinemann, whose granddaughter he married.

Rau, Prabha (b. March 4, 1935, Khandwa, Central Provinces [now in Madhya Pradesh], India - d. April 26, 2010, New Delhi, India), governor of Himachal Pradesh (2008-10) and Rajasthan (2009-10).

Z. Rau

Rau, Zbigniew (Wlodzimierz) (b. Feb. 3, 1955, Lódz, Poland), governor of Lódzkie województwo (2015-19) and foreign minister of Poland (2020-23).

Rauf Pasha, Mehmed Emin (b. 1780, Constantinople, Ottoman Empire [now Istanbul, Turkey] - d. May 28, 1860), grand vizier (1815-18, 1833-39, 1840-41, 1842-46, 1852) and interior minister (1838-39) of the Ottoman Empire. He was also governor of Diyarbakir (1820-21), Kastamonu (1824-27), Aleppo (1827-28), and Damascus (1828-31).

Rault, Victor (Michel Émile Marie) (b. April 23, 1858, Dinan, Côtes-du-Nord [now Côtes-d'Armor], France - d. 1930), president of the Commission of Government of the Saarbecken (1920-26).

Rauner, Bruce (Vincent) (b. Feb. 18, 1957, Chicago, Ill.), governor of Illinois (2015-19).

Raunio, Eino (Albin) (b. Jan. 18, 1909, Sääksmäki, Finland - d. March 18, 1979, Forssa, Finland), finance minister of Finland (1968-70).

Rausch, Jean-Marie (b. Sept. 24, 1929, Sarreguemines, Moselle, France - d. Jan. 5, 2024), mayor of Metz (1971-2008) and president of the Regional Council of Lorraine (1982-92). He was also French minister of external commerce (1988-91) and tourism (1990).

Rauschning

Rauschning, Hermann (Adolf Reinhold) (b. Aug. 7, 1887, Thorn, Germany [now Torun, Poland] - d. Feb. 8, 1982, Portland, Ore.), president of the Senate of Danzig (1933-34).

Raush fon Traubenberg, Baron Pavel (Aleksandrovich), German Paul Bernhard Demetrius Baron Rausch von Traubenberg (b. Dec. 25 [Dec. 13, O.S.], 1858 - d. Sept. 16, 1923, Berlin, Germany), governor of Tiflis (1905-07).

Rautu, Leonte, original name Lev Oighenstein (b. Feb. 28, 1910, Falticeni, Suceava county, Romania - d. 1993, Bucharest, Romania), a deputy premier of Romania (1969-72). He was also rector of Stefan Gheorghiu Academy (1972-82).

Raux, Fernand (Jérôme Urbain) (b. May 25, 1863, Vendémian, Hérault, France - d. Feb. 23, 1955, Nice, France), prefect of police of Paris (1917-21). He was also prefect of the départements of Var (1906-09) and Oise (1909-17).

Rava, Luigi (b. Dec. 1, 1860, Ravenna, Kingdom of Sardinia [now in Italy] - d. May 12, 1938, Rome, Italy), finance minister of Italy (1914). He was also minister of agriculture, industry, and commerce (1903-05) and education (1906-09) and mayor of Rome (1920-21).

Ravail, (Pierre Joseph Jean) Jacques (b. March 27, 1907, La Rochelle, France - d. 1971), prefect of Guadeloupe (1954-55). He was also prefect of the French départements of Corse (1945-47) and Vienne (1947-49) and ambassador to Upper Volta (1961-63).

M. Ravalomanana

Ravalomanana, Marc (b. Dec. 12, 1949, Imerinkasinina, Madagascar), president of Madagascar (2002-09). The self-made millionaire was elected mayor of Antananarivo in 1999. In 2001 he ran for president and won the highest vote, but while Pres. Didier Ratsiraka's government claimed a runoff was necessary, he insisted he won outright and declared himself president in February 2002. While he had strong support in the capital, the other provinces remained loyal to Ratsiraka at first, but Ravalomanana's forces subsequently gained control of them and Ratsiraka fled in July 2002. Credited with improving the country's infrastructure, such as roads, during his first term, Ravalomanana in 2006 became the first sitting president to be reelected in the country's history. In 2009, however, the history of 2002 almost repeated itself, as the mayor of the capital, André Rajoelina, declared himself president, led street protests, and ultimately succeeded in forcing Ravalomanana out of office. He was accused of authoritarianism and misspending public funds, and discontent was touched off by the fact that the economic growth of over 6% in recent years had not had much tangible impact on the lives of the majority of the population, which was still suffering from widespread poverty. He left for South Africa and in June was sentenced in absentia to four years in jail for alleged abuse of office in buying a $60,000,000 presidential jet. In September 2010 he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the killing of some 30 people during the 2009 street protests. Despite threats to arrest him, he returned to Madagascar on Jan. 21, 2012. Running for president again in 2018, he lost to Rajoelina in a runoff; he came third in 2023.

R. Ravalomanana

Ravan

Ravalomanana, Richard (b. Dec. 14, 1959, Ankadifotsy, Madagascar), acting president of Madagascar (2023). He has been president of the Senate (2023- ).

Ravan Farhadi, Abdul Ghafoor (b. Aug. 23, 1929, Kabul, Afghanistan), Afghan politician. He was deputy foreign minister (1968-73) and ambassador to France (1973-75). He spent 20 months in prison (1979-80) for anti-government activity and then remained in exile throughout the period of Communist rule. Later he became permanent representative to the United Nations (1993-2006), representing the anti-Taliban government during 1996-2001.

Ravdan, Sandavyn, acting foreign minister of Mongolia (1955-56). He was also ambassador to North Korea (1952-55) and Czechoslovakia (1956-59).

Ravele, Frank (Nndwakhulu) (b. 1926 - d. Dec. 25, 1999, Pietersburg, South Africa), president of Venda (1988-90).

Ravelomanantsoa Ratsimihah, Jean (Pierre) (b. March 9, 1935, Tananarive [now Antananarivo], Madagascar - d. Feb. 6, 2022, Lyon, France), Malagasy diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1995-98).

Ravelonarivo

Ravelonarivo, Jean (b. April 17, 1959, Sakadomo, Berevo, Madagascar), prime minister of Madagascar (2015-16). He was a minor presidential candidate in 2018.

Raveloson, Thierry (Francis) (b. June 12, 1963, Angers, France), governor of Toliara (2002-03); nephew of Didier Ratsiraka.

Raveloson-Mahasampo, Christophe (Bienaimé) (b. 1932), defense minister of Madagascar (1986-91); brother-in-law of Didier Ratsiraka. He was also military governor of Toamasina (1972-75) and minister of public works (1975).

Ravenna, Walter (b. 1922 - d. 1985), interior minister (1972-73) and defense minister (1973-81) of Uruguay. He was also minister of public health (1968-72) and housing (acting, 1976-77) and ambassador to Argentina (1982-84) and the United States (1984-85).

Ravenshaw, Charles Withers (b. Sept. 29, 1851 - d. March 5, 1935), British resident in Nepal (1902-05).

Ravi

Ravi, R(avindra) N(arayan) (b. 1952, Patna, Bihar, India), governor of Nagaland (2019-21) and Tamil Nadu (2021- ).

Ravinet (de la Fuente), Jaime (Nicolás) (b. Oct. 17, 1946, Santiago, Chile), defense minister of Chile (2004-06, 2010-11). He was also mayor of Santiago (1990-2000) and minister of housing, urban planning, and national assets (2000-04).

Ravkov, Andrey (Alekseyevich), Belarusian Andrey Raukou (b. June 25, 1967, Revyaki village, Vitebsk oblast, Belorussian S.S.R.), defense minister of Belarus (2014-20). He was appointed ambassador to Azerbaijan in 2020.

Ravn, Niels F(rederik) (b. June 18, 1826, Copenhagen, Denmark - d. June 12, 1910, Copenhagen), foreign minister of Denmark (1897-1900). He was also minister of the navy (1873-75, 1879-1900) and war (1874, 1881-84).

Ravoninahitriniarivo (b. June 6, 1841 - d. Dec. 10, 1894), foreign minister of Madagascar (1879-87); son of Ramaharo.

Ravony

Ravony, Francisque (b. Dec. 2, 1942, Vohipeno, Fianarantsoa province, Madagascar - d. Feb. 15, 2003, Soavinandriana, Antananarivo province, Madagascar), prime minister of Madagascar (1993-95); son-in-law of Philibert Tsiranana. He was also a deputy prime minister (1991-93).

Ravou-Akii, Jean, Vanuatu diplomat. He was permanent representative to the United Nations (1994-2000).

Rawabdeh

Rawabdeh, Abdul Rauf al-, Arabic `Abd al-Ra´uf al-Rawabda (b. Feb. 18, 1939, Sarih-Irbid, northern Jordan), prime minister and defense minister of Jordan (1999-2000). He was minister of communications (1976-78), health (1977-79), public works and housing (1989-91), and education (1994-96), mayor of Amman (1983-86), and an elected member of the lower house of parliament. When he became prime minister, government officials said Rawabdeh, a committed monarchist, had proved himself a capable administrator despite a reputation as a maverick. In 2013-15 he was president of the Senate.

Rawal, Bhim Bahadur (b. Dec. 15, 1955, Bhageswar village, Achham district, Nepal), home affairs minister (2009-11) and defense minister (2015-16) of Nepal. He was also minister of tourism, civil aviation, science, and technology (1998-99) and a deputy prime minister (2015-16).

H. Rawat

Ti.S. Rawat

Tr.S. Rawat

Rawiri

Rawat, Harish (Chandra Singh) (b. April 27, 1948, Mohanari village, Almora district, United Provinces [now in Uttarakhand], India), chief minister of Uttarakhand (2014-16, 2016, 2016-17). He was Indian minister of water resources in 2012-14.

Rawat, Tirath Singh (b. April 9, 1964, Seeron, Pauri Garhwal district, Uttar Pradesh [now in Uttarakhand], India), chief minister of Uttarakhand (2021); brother of Trivendra Singh Rawat.

Rawat, Trivendra Singh (b. Dec. 20, 1960, Khairasain village, Pauri Garhwal district, Uttar Pradesh [now in Uttarakhand], India), chief minister of Uttarakhand (2017-21).

Rawiri, Georges (b. March 10, 1932, Lambaréné, Gabon - d. April 9, 2006, Paris, France), foreign minister of Gabon (1971-74); nephew of Paul Gondjout. Known as a poet, he was also minister of information, tourism, posts, and telecommunications (1964-65), ambassador to France (1965-71), minister of transport (1975-89) and fisheries (1989-90), and first deputy prime minister (1980-90). He was president of the Senate from 1997 to his death.

J.J. Rawlings

Rawlings, Jerry John, original name Jeremiah Rawlings John¹ (b. June 22, 1947, Accra, Gold Coast [now Ghana] - d. Nov. 12, 2020, Accra), Ghanaian leader. Commissioned a second lieutenant in the Ghanaian air force in 1969, he became a flight lieutenant and expert pilot. Joined by 13 other young officers, he determined to clean up the army's corruption; on May 15, 1979, he led his colleagues in a confrontation with their superior officers. He was promptly arrested; his appearances at court-martial hearings attracted considerable public interest, and he was applauded on each occasion. He was sprung from prison on June 4 and promptly took over the leadership of a successful coup. He and his Armed Forces Revolutionary Council ruled for 112 days, during which time eight top military figures, including two former heads of state, were tried and executed. But the young revolutionaries did not break the army's pledge to restore Ghana to civilian rule, and Rawlings yielded power to a freely elected president, Hilla Limann. Two months after taking office, Limann retired Rawlings from the air force (November 1979). Rawlings continued to be a popular figure, however; and on Dec. 31, 1981, he overthrew Limann's ineffective government, accusing it of leading the nation "down to total economic ruin." He established a Provisional National Defense Council as the new government and imprisoned Limann and some 200 other politicians. In 1983 he began to adopt free-market measures, sharply reviving Ghana's economy, which by the early 1990s had one of the highest growth rates in Africa. In presidential elections in 1992, he received almost twice as many votes as his nearest opponent. In 1996 he was reelected with 57% of the vote. He did not run for a third term and left office in 2001.
¹ The Royal Air Force (which helped train pilots for the Ghana Air Force) made a clerical error when he joined up and he decided to keep the name they had given.

Rawlings, Mike (b. Aug. 25, 1954, Borger, Texas), mayor of Dallas (2011-19).

Rawlins, John A(aron) (b. Feb. 13, 1831, East Galena, Ill. - d. Sept. 6, 1869, Washington, D.C.), U.S. secretary of war (1869).

Rawson, Sir Harry Holdsworth (b. Nov. 5, 1843, Walton-on-the-Hill, Lancashire, England - d. Nov. 3, 1910, London, England), governor of New South Wales (1902-09); knighted 1897.

D.L. Ray

Ray, Dixy Lee, original name Margaret Ray (b. Sept. 3, 1914, Tacoma, Wash. - d. Jan. 2, 1994, Fox Island, near Seattle, Wash.), governor of Washington (1977-81). In 1963 the zoologist Ray became director of the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, where she sought to awaken public interest in science. Having served on numerous federal advisory groups before, she was selected by Pres. Richard Nixon in August 1972 to be a member of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), the first woman to be appointed to a full five-year term; she became chairman in 1973. She startled observers in Washington, D.C., with her unconventional lifestyle, living in a trailer house with two dogs, which she occasionally took to work. When the AEC was phased out in 1975, she was named assistant secretary of state in charge of the Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs. She resigned later that year, complaining that Secretary of State Henry Kissinger had given her the cold shoulder. Returning to Washington state, the conservative Democrat was elected the state's first female governor in 1976 and served one four-year term. Her straightforward political style frequently ruffled feathers, but was also considered refreshing by many. In 1980 she was defeated in the Democratic gubernatorial primary by James A. McDermott. She was an outspoken supporter of the nuclear industry and critic of the environmental movement, being the co-author of two books on the subject, Trashing the Planet (1990) and Environmental Overkill (1993).

Ray, James B(rown) (b. Feb. 19, 1794, Jefferson county, Ky. - d. Aug. 4, 1848, Cincinnati, Ohio), governor of Indiana (1825-31).

Ray, R(anjit) K(umar) (b. Oct. 14, 1906 - d. 1990), chief commissioner of Tripura (1949-51).

Ray, Robert (Dolph) (b. Sept. 26, 1928, Des Moines, Iowa - d. July 8, 2018, Des Moines), governor of Iowa (1969-83) and interim mayor of Des Moines (1997).

Ray, Robert (Francis) (b. April 8, 1947, Melbourne, Vic.), defence minister of Australia (1990-96). He was also minister of home affairs (1987-88) and immigration (1988-90).

Ray, Siddhartha Shankar (b. Oct. 20, 1920, Calcutta [now Kolkata], India - d. Nov. 6, 2010, Kolkata), chief minister of West Bengal (1972-77) and governor of Punjab (1986-89). He was also Indian minister of education and social welfare (1971-72) and ambassador to the United States (1992-96).

Raya, Frans Lebu (b. May 18, 1960, Watoone, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia - d. Dec. 19, 2021, Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia), governor of Nusa Tenggara Timur (2008-18).

Rayamajhi, Top Bahadur (b. Nov. 10, 1961), a deputy prime minister of Nepal (2015-16). He was also minister of physical planning and works (2011), local development (2011-12), education (2011), peace and reconstruction (2012-13), energy (2015-16, 2020-21), and water resources and irrigation (2020-21).

Rayburn

Rayburn, Sam(uel Taliaferro) (b. Jan. 6, 1882, Roane county, Tenn. - d. Nov. 16, 1961, Bonham, Texas), U.S. politician. He began public life as a state legislator in Texas (1907-13), being chosen speaker of the state House of Representatives in 1911. Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives 25 consecutive times from 1912, he served for more than 48 years (1913-61), a record tenure at the time of his death. He became influential in government circles and in closed-door party councils, becoming known as "Mr. Democrat." As chairman of the powerful congressional Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce (1931-37), he was a major architect of Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal program. He was co-author of six important laws: the Emergency Railroad Transportation Act (1933), "Truth-in-Securities" Act (1933), Securities Exchange Act (1934), Federal Communications Act (1934), Rural Electrification Act (1936), and the most bitterly contested of all New Deal legislation, the Public Utility Holding Company Act (1935). He was elected Democratic leader of the House in 1937 and became speaker in 1940, holding the post for the rest of his life except for two periods of Republican control of the House (1947-49, 1953-55), for a record total of 17 years. He was a trusted adviser to President Roosevelt and to three succeeding presidents. He was a dedicated party man who described himself as a Democrat "without prefix, without suffix, and without apology." He was permanent chairman of the Democratic national conventions of 1948, 1952, and 1956. After winning a battle in 1961 to enlarge the House Rules Committee - the hardest internal House struggle in 50 years - Rayburn's health failed, and he returned to his Texas home before Congress adjourned that year.

Rayev, Nikolay (Pavlovich) (b. Oct. 30 [Oct. 18, O.S.], 1855, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia - d. Feb. 26, 1919, Armavir, Russia), Russian official; son of Pallady. He was chief procurator of the Holy Synod (1916-17).

Rayevsky, Vladimir (Abramovich) (b. July 6, 1938, Moscow, Russian S.F.S.R.), acting Soviet finance minister (1991).

Raygada (y Gallo), José María (b. Dec. 18, 1795, Querecotillo, Piura, Peru - d. Jan. 15, 1859, Lima, Peru), war and navy minister (1841-42, 1845, 1849-51, 1857-58) and prime minister (1857-58) of Peru.

Raymond, Adrien (Louis) (b. June 30, 1928, Port-au-Prince, Haiti - d. Dec. 22, 2017), foreign minister of Haiti (1971-74); son of Louis Raymond. He was also ambassador to the United States (1984-86).

Raymond, Alex (b. Oct. 12, 1916, Chambéry, France - d. Aug. 5, 2008, Toulouse, France), president of the Regional Council of Midi-Pyrénées (1981-86). He was mayor of Colomiers from 1966 to 2001.

H.J. Raymond

Raymond, Henry J(arvis) (b. Jan. 24, 1820, near Lima, N.Y. - d. June 18, 1869, New York City), U.S. politician. He assisted Horace Greeley on the weekly New Yorker in 1840 and then on the daily New York Tribune in 1841-48. Having obtained the backing for a venture of his own, he in 1851 founded the New York Daily Times, renamed The New York Times in 1857. As editor and proprietor of this paper until his death, he did much to elevate the style and tone of newspapers in his day. During the American Civil War of 1861-65, as in the war of France and Piedmont against Austria in 1859, he acted as a war correspondent. He was a member of the New York state assembly in 1850 and speaker in 1851 and again in 1862. Although he had been a valued employee of Greeley, they became political enemies. Raymond's nomination over Greeley on the Whig ticket for lieutenant governor of New York in 1854 led to the dissolution of the famous political alliance of Greeley, Thurlow Weed, and William H. Seward and contributed to the demise of the Whig Party. Raymond was elected and served for two years. He took a prominent part in the formation of the Republican Party and drafted a statement of party principles known as the "Address to the People," adopted by the new party's convention in Pittsburgh in February 1856. He prepared most of Pres. Abraham Lincoln's platform in 1864 and was chairman of the Republican National Committee (1864-66). He was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in 1865-67, but due to his independent stand lost favour with his party and was denied renomination. In 1867 his nomination as minister to Austria, which he had already refused, was rejected by the Senate.

Raymond, Jean (Léon François Marie) de (b. June 28, 1907, Toulon, France - d. [assassinated] Oct. 29, 1951), commissioner of Laos (1946-47) and Cambodia (1949-51).

Raymond, (Jean-Charles) Louis (b. April 7, 1899, Dame-Marie, Haiti - d. November 1968, Port-au-Prince, Haiti), interior, defense, and justice minister of Haiti (1948-50).

Raynal, David (b. Feb. 26, 1840, Paris, France - d. Jan. 28, 1903, Paris), interior minister of France (1893-94). He was also minister of public works (1881-82, 1883-85).

Raynaldy, (Jean-Jacques dit) Eugène (b. Dec. 23, 1869, Rodez, Aveyron, France - d. June 15, 1938, Rodez), justice minister of France (1933-34). He was also minister of commerce and industry (1924-25).

Rayner, Angela, née Bowen (b. March 28, 1980, Stockport, Greater Manchester, England), British deputy prime minister (2024- ). She has also been secretary of state for levelling up, housing, and communities (2024- ).

Rayner, Thomas Crossley (b. April 19, 1860, Manchester, England - d. May 22, 1914), acting commissioner of Tobago (1892).

Rayneval, Alphonse (Gérard, comte) de (b. Aug. 1, 1813, Paris, France - d. Feb. 10, 1858, Paris), foreign minister of France (1849). He was also minister to the Two Sicilies (1848-49) and ambassador to the Papal State (1850-57).

Raynolds, James W(allace) (b. March 23, 1873, Pueblo, Colo. - d. March 10, 1910, on train near Tucumcari, N.M.), acting governor of New Mexico (1907).

Raz, Adela (b. 1986, Paktika province, Afghanistan), Afghan diplomat. She was permanent representative to the United Nations (2019-21) and ambassador to the United States (2021-22).

Razafimahaleo

Razafimahaleo, Herizo (Jossicher) (b. Feb. 21, 1955, Ihosy, Madagascar - d. July 25, 2008, Antananarivo, Madagascar), foreign minister of Madagascar (1997-98). He founded the Leader Fanilo party in 1992 and was its president until 2002. He was also minister of industrial promotion and tourism (1993-94) and a presidential candidate in 1996, 2001, and 2006.

Razafindehibe, (Amette) Étienne (Hilaire) (b. 1946, Antalaha, Madagascar), governor of Mahajanga (2001-02). He resigned June 13, 2002, and was arrested June 22. He was later sentenced to five years in prison. On Dec. 15, 2003, he was further sentenced to three years in prison for proclaiming the independence of his province during the 2002 political crisis.

Razafitrimo

Razak

Razafitrimo, Arisoa (Lala) (b. April 26, 1954, Tamatave [now Toamasina], Madagascar), foreign minister of Madagascar (2014-15). She was also permanent representative to the United Nations (2018-19).

Razak (bin) Syed Zain (Barakbah), Datuk Seri (Haji) Syed (b. Aug. 22, 1944, Kubang Rotan, Kedah [now in Malaysia]), chief minister of Kedah (1999- ). He received the titles Dato' Seri (Jan. 4, 2000) and Datuk Seri (Oct. 9, 2004).

Razakarimanana, Ferdinand (b. Dec. 6, 1945), governor of Antananarivo (2002-04).

Razaleigh (bin Tengku Mohd) Hamzah, Tengku Tan Sri (b. April 13, 1937, Kota Bharu, Kelantan [now in Malaysia]), finance minister of Malaysia (1976-84); son of Tengku Sri Maharaja Tengku Mohd Hamzah bin Tengku Zainal Abidin. He was also minister of trade and industry (1984-87). He was awarded the title Tan Sri in 1973.

Razali (bin) Ismail, Tan Sri (b. April 14, 1939, Alor Star, Kedah [now in Malaysia]), Malaysian diplomat. He was chargé d'affaires in Laos (1974-76), ambassador to Poland (1978-82), high commissioner to India (1982-85), permanent representative to the United Nations (1988-98), and president of the UN General Assembly (1996-97).

Razanamasy

Razanamasy, Guy (Willy) (b. Dec. 19, 1928, Antananarivo, Madagascar - d. May 17, 2011), prime minister of Madagascar (1991-93). He was also mayor of Antananarivo (1989-91, 1996-99).

Razavi, (Sayyed) Mansour (b. 1952, Isfahan, Iran), Iranian politician. He was a vice president (1989-94) and a minor presidential candidate (2001).

Razi

Rázl

Razi, Syed Sibtey (b. March 7, 1939, Jais district, Rai Bareli [now in Uttar Pradesh], India - d. Aug. 20, 2022, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India), governor of Jharkhand (2004-09) and Assam (2009).

Rázl, Stanislav (b. April 13, 1920, Sopotnice, Czechoslovakia [now in Czech Republic] - d. Nov. 4, 1999, Prague, Czech Republic), prime minister of the Czech Socialist Republic (1969).

Razmara, Ali (b. 1901, Tehran, Iran - d. [assassinated] March 7, 1951, Tehran), prime minister of Iran (1950-51). He was also chief of staff of the imperial army (1942-50).

Razumkov, Dmytro (Oleksandrovych) (b. Oct. 8, 1983, Berdichev [Berdychiv], Zhitomir [Zhytomyr] oblast, Ukrainian S.S.R.), Ukrainian politician. He was leader of the Servant of the People party (2019) and chairman of the Verkhovna Rada (2019-21).

Razumkov, Vladimir (Nikolayevich) (b. Sept. 26, 1969, Novosibirsk, Russian S.F.S.R.), chairman of the government of Ulyanovsk oblast (2021- ).

Razumov, Mikhail (Osipovich), originally Aron (Iosifovich) Arkhantsev (b. 1894, Glukhov, Chernigov province, Russia - d. [executed] Oct. 30, 1937), executive secretary of the Communist Party committee of the Bashkir A.S.S.R. (1924-27) and executive/first secretary of the party committee of the Tatar A.S.S.R. (1928-33). He was also executive secretary of the party committees of Rybinsk (1922-23) and Oryol (1923-24) provinces and first secretary of the party committee of East Siberian kray/oblast (1933-37).

Razumovsky, Graf Aleksey (Kirillovich) (b. Sept. 23 [Sept. 12, O.S.], 1748, St. Petersburg, Russia - d. April 17 [April 5, O.S.], 1822, Pochep, Chernigov province [now in Bryansk oblast], Russia), Russian politician; son of Kyrylo Rozumovsky. He was minister of education (1810-16).

Razumovsky, Knyaz Andrey (Kirillovich) (b. Nov. 2 [Oct. 22, O.S.], 1752, Glukhov, Russia [now Hlukhiv, Ukraine] - d. Sept. 23 [Sept. 11, O.S.], 1836, Vienna, Austria), Russian diplomat; son of Kyrylo Rozumovsky; brother of Graf Aleksey Razumovsky. He was minister to the Two Sicilies (1777-84), Denmark (1784-86), and Sweden (1786-88) and ambassador to Austria (1792-99, 1801-07). He was raised from Graf (count) to Knyaz (prince) in 1815.

Razvozhayev

Razvozhayev, Mikhail (Vladimirovich) (b. Dec. 30, 1980, Krasnoyarsk, Russian S.F.S.R.), acting head of the republic - chairman of the government of Khakassia (2018) and governor of Sevastopol (2019- ).

Razzakov, Iskhak (Razzakovich) (b. Oct. 15 [Oct. 2, O.S.], 1910, Khorosan Boksa, Fergana oblast, Russia [now in Uzbekistan] - d. March 19, 1979, Moscow, Russian S.F.S.R.), chairman of the Council of People's Commissars/Ministers (1945-50) and first secretary of the Communist Party (1950-61) of the Kirgiz S.S.R. He was also chairman of the State Planning Committee (1939-40), a deputy premier (1940-41), and people's commissar of education (1941-44) of the Uzbek S.S.R.

Razzaz

Razzaz, Omar (Ahmed Manif) al- (b. 1960, Salt, Jordan), prime minister and defense minister of Jordan (2018-20). He was also education minister (2017-18).