Rulers
January 2017
1
Boekhoudt |
Aruba: Alfonso Boekhoudt takes office as governor.
Mexico: Quirino Ordaz Coppel takes office as governor of Sinaloa and Marco Antonio Mena Rodríguez as governor of Tlaxcala.
Switzerland: Doris Leuthard takes office as president. Stephan Attiger becomes Landammann of Aargau, Maurice Ropraz president of the Council of State of Fribourg, Barbara Janom Steiner president of the government of Graubünden, Nathalie Barthoulot president of the government of Jura, Rosmarie Widmer Gysel president of the government of Schaffhausen, Remo Ankli Landammann of Solothurn, and Manuela Weichelt-Picard Landammann of Zug.
United Nations: António Guterres takes office as secretary-general.
United States: Roy Cooper is sworn in as governor of North Carolina. Ted Wheeler takes office as mayor of Portland.
2
Libya: The resignation of Interior Minister al-Aref al-Khoja from the government of Fayez al-Sarraj is reported.
Rosselló |
Puerto Rico: Ricardo Rosselló is sworn in as governor.
United States: Maggie Hassan (elected to the U.S. Senate) resigns at the end of the day as governor of New Hampshire. Chuck Morse, president of the state Senate, is acting governor from January 3 until Chris Sununu is sworn in as governor on January 5.
United States: Former governor of Alabama (1968-71) Albert P. Brewer dies.
3
Grindeanu |
Romania: Prime minister-designate Sorin Grindeanu announces his proposed cabinet with Teodor Melescanu as foreign minister, Gabriel-Beniamin Les as defense minister, Carmen Dan as interior minister, and Viorel Stefan as finance minister. On January 4 it is confirmed by parliament (296-133) and sworn in.
United States: President-elect Donald Trump nominates Robert Lighthizer as U.S. trade representative. On January 11 he nominates David Shulkin as secretary of veterans affairs and on January 19 Sonny Perdue as secretary of agriculture.
4
Ecuador: Pedro Solines is appointed interior minister.
Videgaray |
Mexico: Luis Videgaray is appointed foreign minister.
Uzbekistan: Abdusalom Azizov is appointed interior minister.
Venezuela: In a cabinet reshuffle, Tareck El Aissami is appointed as executive vice-president and Ramón Lobo as finance minister. On January 5 Caryl Bertho is sworn in as acting governor of Aragua and Zenaida Gallardo as acting governor of Barinas.
5
United States: Phil Scott is sworn in as governor of Vermont.
6
Venezuela: Former acting president (1993) Octavio Lepage dies.
7
Cuba: Interior Minister Carlos Fernández Gondín dies. On January 9 Vice-Adm. Julio César Gandarilla Bermejo is named interior minister.
Curaçao: Former prime minister of the Netherlands Antilles (1977) Lucina da Costa Gomez-Matheeuws dies.
Botchway |
Ghana: Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo is sworn in as president. On January 10 he nominates Shirley Ayorkor Botchway as foreign minister, Dominic Nitiwul as defense minister, Ambrose Dery as interior minister, and Ken Ofori-Atta as finance minister. These are approved by parliament on January 26 and sworn in on January 27 (Botchway on January 28).
Portugal: Former foreign minister (1974-75, 1977-78), prime minister (1976-78, 1983-85), and president (1986-96) Mário Soares dies.
8
Iran: Former president (1989-97) Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani dies.
Liberia: Former chairwoman of the Council of State (1996-97) Ruth Perry dies.
Nigeria: Former governor of Niger (1999-2007) Abdulkadir Kure dies.
Seychelles: Former chief minister (1970-75), prime minister (1975-76), and president and foreign minister (1976-77) Sir James R. Mancham dies.
9
Gon Coulibaly |
Côte d'Ivoire: The government of Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan resigns. On January 10 Duncan is named vice president (sworn in January 16), while Amadou Gon Coulibaly is named prime minister. On January 11 the cabinet is announced with Marcel Amon Tanoh as foreign minister and Adama Koné as finance minister; Hamed Bakayoko remains interior minister and Alain Richard Donwahi minister to the president in charge of defense.
Italy: Former president of Abruzzo (1970-72, 1973-74) Ugo Crescenzi dies.
Macedonia: President Gjorge Ivanov gives Nikola Gruevski the mandate to form a government. No agreement on a government is reached within the 20-day deadline, however.
United Kingdom: The deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, Martin McGuinness, resigns, thereby forcing First Minister Arlene Foster to also vacate her position.
United States: Eric Holcomb is sworn in as governor of Indiana and Eric Greitens as governor of Missouri.
10
Argentina: The new ministers of finanzas, Luis Caputo, and hacienda, Nicolás Dujovne, are sworn in.
Freeland | 
Marshall |
Canada: In a cabinet reshuffle, Chrystia Freeland becomes foreign minister.
Cook Islands: High Commissioner Peter Marshall arrives.
Germany: Former president (1994-99) Roman Herzog dies.
Benediktsson | 
Thórdarson |
Iceland: Agreement is announced on a new government to be headed by Bjarni Benediktsson. Gudlaugur Thór Thórdarson is named as foreign minister and Benedikt Jóhannesson as finance minister. The government takes office January 11.
11
Abang |
Malaysia: The chief minister of Sarawak, Tan Sri Adenan Satem, dies. On January 13, Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg is appointed and sworn in as chief minister.
Pakistan: The governor of Sindh, Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui, dies. Assembly speaker Agha Siraj Durrani becomes acting governor. On January 31 Muhammad Zubair is appointed governor.
12
Russia: President Vladimir Putin appoints Murat Kumpilov as acting head of the republic of Adygeya instead of Aslan Tkhakushinov, whose term would have expired January 13.
13
United States: Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack leaves office. Michael Scuse becomes acting secretary.
14
India: Former chief minister of Punjab (1985-87), governor of Tamil Nadu (1990-91, 2004-11), Uttaranchal (2000-03), and Andhra Pradesh (2003-04), and administrator of Puducherry (2009) Surjit Singh Barnala dies.
Italy: Former president of Veneto (1994) Floriano Pra dies.
15
China: Qi Zhala is appointed chairman of the government of Xizang.
China: Former governor of Jiangsu (1982-83) Han Peixin dies.
Safadi |
Jordan: In a cabinet reshuffle, Ayman Safadi becomes foreign minister and Ghaleb Zubi interior minister.
16
Faeroe Islands: Former high commissioner (1981-88) Niels Bentsen dies.
Moncada |
Nicaragua: Denis Moncada is appointed foreign minister and María Amelia Coronel interior minister.
Tonga: In a cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister 'Akilisi Pohiva takes charge of the internal affairs portfolio.
United States: Jim Justice is sworn in as governor of West Virginia.
17
Barrow | 
Jallow-Tambajang |
The Gambia: Several ministers including Foreign Minister Neneh MacDouall-Gaye and Finance Minister Abdou Kolley are reported to have resigned. Kolley has been replaced by Benjamin Roberts. On January 18 parliament extends the term of President Yahya Jammeh, which was due to end on January 19, by 3 months; the same day Vice President Isatou Njie-Saidy resigns. On January 19 President-elect Adama Barrow is sworn in at the Gambian embassy in Dakar, Senegal. On January 20 it is reported that Jammeh dissolved his cabinet, declaring he would oversee all ministries himself. Under pressure from West African nations who sent troops into the country, however, he gives up power, leaving the country on January 21. On January 23 Barrow names Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang as vice president. Barrow returns to The Gambia on January 26.
Indonesia: The term of Abraham O. Atururi as governor of Papua Barat ends and the provincial secretary, Nataniel Dominggus Mandacan, becomes acting governor until on January 30 Eko Subowo is sworn in as acting governor.
Italy: Former president of Sicilia (1969-72) Mario Fasino dies.
United States: John Carney is sworn in as governor of Delaware.
United States: Former governor of Delaware (1960-61) David P. Buckson dies.
18
Swaziland: Former prime minister (1989-93) Obed Dlamini dies.
19
China: Zhang Guoqing is elected mayor of Chongqing.
20
China: Wang Xiaodong is elected governor of Hubei, Wang Jianjun governor of Qinghai, and Cai Qi mayor of Beijing.
Trump | 
Pence |
United States: Donald Trump and Mike Pence are inaugurated as president and vice president. The Senate confirms James Mattis as defense secretary (98-1) and John F. Kelly as homeland security secretary (88-11); they are sworn in the same day. On January 23 Mike Pompeo is confirmed (66-32) and sworn in as CIA director. On January 24 Nikki Haley is confirmed as UN ambassador (96-4) and resigns as governor of South Carolina; Lieutenant Governor Henry McMaster is sworn in as governor; Haley is sworn in January 25. On January 31 Elaine Chao is confirmed (93-6) and sworn in as transportation secretary.
21
China: Li Guoying is elected governor of Anhui and Ruan Chengfa governor of Yunnan.
P. Jugnauth |
Mauritius: Prime Minister Sir Anerood Jugnauth announces his resignation, effective January 23, when he is succeeded by his son, Finance Minister Pravind Jugnauth, who also takes over the home affairs portfolio, while Sir Anerood Jugnauth remains as defense minister.
Turkey: Former foreign minister (1983-87) Vahit Halefoglu dies.
22
Bulgaria: Rumen Radev takes office as president. On January 24 he appoints Ognyan Gerdzhikov as interim prime minister. On January 25 the caretaker cabinet is announced with Radi Naidenov as foreign minister, Stefan Yanev as defense minister, Plamen Dimitrov as interior minister, and Kiril Ananiev as finance minister. The government takes office January 27.
Serbia: Former chairman of the Provincial Committee of the League of Communists of Vojvodina (1981-82, 1984-85) and president of the Presidium of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia (1987-88) Bosko Krunic dies.
23
Berejiklian |
Australia: Gladys Berejiklian is sworn in as premier of New South Wales, having replaced Mike Baird as Liberal Party leader.
Huanacuni | 
Charles |
Bolivia: In a cabinet reshuffle, Fernando Huanacuni becomes foreign minister.
Trinidad and Tobago: In elections to the Tobago House of Assembly, the People's National Movement wins 53.8% of the vote (10 of 12 seats), the Progressive Democratic Patriots 30.1% (2), and Tobago Forwards 15.8% (0). Turnout is about 42%. On January 26 Kelvin Charles is sworn in as chief secretary of the House of Assembly.
25
Central African Republic: Former foreign minister (1981) Jean-Pierre Sohahong-Kombet dies.
Portugal: Former foreign minister (1975) Mário João Oliveira Ruivo dies.
Sovereign Military Order of Malta: The resignation of Grand Master Matthew Festing is announced. It is formalized on January 28, with Grand Commander Ludwig Hoffmann von Rumerstein to act as lieutenant ad interim.
26
Van der Bellen |
Austria: Alexander Van der Bellen is sworn in as president.
Chad: Finance Minister Mbogo Ngabo Seli is dismissed.
India: The governor of Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh, V. Shanmuganathan, resigns. His resignation is accepted on January 27; the governor of Assam, Banwarilal Purohit, receives the additional charge of Meghalaya and the governor of Nagaland, Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya, that of Arunachal Pradesh (both sworn in January 28).
27
Germany: Sigmar Gabriel is appointed foreign minister.
29
Japan: In gubernatorial elections in Gifu, incumbent Hajime Furuta wins 81.4% of the vote and Mitsuhiro Takagi 18.6%. Turnout is 36.4%.
30
African Union: Guinean president Alpha Condé is elected chairperson. Moussa Faki (foreign minister of Chad) is elected chairperson of the Commission, defeating Amina Mohamed (foreign minister of Kenya) by 28 votes to 24 in the final round of voting.
Iraq: Parliament approves Erfan al-Hiyali as defense minister and Qasim al-Araji as interior minister.
Venezuela: Edwin Rojas is sworn in as acting governor of Sucre.
31
Tokelau: In parliamentary elections held on January 23 (Nukunonu), 27 (Fakaofo), and 31 (Atafu), 21 nonpartisan members are elected.
