May 2024

1

Haiti: A majority of the Transition Council cancels its earlier designation of Fritz Bélizaire as prime minister.
Switzerland: Conradin Cramer becomes president of the government of Basel-Stadt, Franz Ruppen president of the Council of State of Valais, and Natalie Rickli president of the government of Zürich.
Thailand: King Vajiralongkorn ratifies the appointment of Maris Sangiampongsa as foreign minister.
United Kingdom: The Scottish government of First Minister Humza Yousaf survives a no-confidence vote in parliament (rejected 70-58). On May 7 Yousaf resigns and John Swinney (Scottish National Party) is elected first minister, receiving 64 votes against 31 for Douglas Ross (Conservative). Swinney is sworn in on May 8.

2

Serbia: The government of Prime Minister Milos Vucevic (see April 30) is confirmed by parliament (152-61) and sworn in.
Solomon Islands: Jeremiah Manele is elected prime minister, winning 31 votes against 18 for Matthew Wale. On May 6 Jimson Fiau Tanangada is appointed and sworn in as national security minister, Isikeli Vave as home affairs minister, and Manasseh Sogavare as finance minister. On May 7 Peter Shanel Agovaka is appointed and sworn in as foreign minister.

3

Pakistan: Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail is nominated as governor of Balochistan, Faisal Karim Kundi as governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Sardar Saleem Haider Khan as governor of Punjab. On May 4 President Arif Ali Zardari approves the appointments. Kundi is sworn in on May 4, Mandokhail on May 6, and Khan on May 10.
Sint Maarten: The new government (see April 24) is sworn in.

5

Panama: In presidential elections, José Raúl Mulino is elected with 34.2% of the vote, while Ricardo Lombana wins 24.6%, former president Martín Torrijos 16.0%, and Rómulo Roux 11.4%; turnout is 77.6%. In parliamentary elections, Realizing Goals wins 14 of 71 seats, the Democratic Revolutionary Party 13, the Panameñista Party 8, Democratic Change 8, and independents 21; turnout is 75.7%. On May 15 Mulino (to take office July 1) names Javier Martínez-Acha as foreign minister and Felipe Chapman as finance minister.
Switzerland: Kaspar Becker is elected Landammann of Glarus.

6

Chad: In presidential elections, Transitional President Mahamat Idriss Déby wins 61.0% of the vote, Prime Minister Succès Masra 18.5%, and former prime minister Albert Pahimi Padacké 16.9%. Turnout is 75.9%.

7

Georgia: The president of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, dismisses Foreign Minister Inal Ardzinba and appoints the deputy minister, Irakli Tuzhba, as acting minister.
Russia: As Vladimir Putin is sworn in for a new term as president, the government of Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin resigns. On May 10 Mishustin is renominated by Putin and approved by parliament (375-0 with 57 abstentions) as prime minister. On May 12 Putin nominates Andrey Belousov as defense minister, other key ministers to remain in place. The government is appointed on May 14.

8

Haiti: Commerce Minister Ricardin Saint-Jean is appointed acting interior minister.
North Macedonia: In the presidential runoff, Gordana Siljanovska Davkova wins 69.0% of the vote and Stevo Pendarovski 31.0%; turnout is 47.5%. In parliamentary elections, the coalition Your Macedonia (including VMRO-DPMNE) wins 44.5% of the vote (58 of 120 seats), the coalition For a European Future (including Social Democratic Alliance of Macedonia) 15.8% (18), the coalition European Front 14.1% (19), the coalition VLEN 10.9% (13), the Left 7.0% (6), and For Our Macedonia 5.7% (6); turnout is 55.4%. On May 12 Siljanovska Davkova is sworn in as president.
Serbia: The Assembly of Vojvodina elects Maja Gojkovic as chairman of the government.

9

Haiti: The Transitional Presidential Council establishes the order of the rotation of its presidency: Edgard Leblanc Fils (for 5 months) followed by Smith Augustin (5 months), Leslie Voltaire (5 months), and Louis Gérald Gilles (6 months).

10

Croatia: Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic is given a mandate to form a new government. On May 17 the parliament approves his government (79-61); the foreign, defense, interior, and finance ministers are unchanged.
Iran: In the second round of parliamentary elections, 45 members are elected. Of the total 290 members, 233 are identified as hardliners.
Kuwait: The emir, Sheikh Mishal Al Ahmad Al Jabir Al Sabah, dissolves the parliament elected on April 4 and suspends some articles of the constitution for up to four years, during which period the powers of parliament will be assumed by the emir and government. On May 12 the emir approves a new cabinet (sworn in May 15) in which Abdullah Ali al-Yahya remains foreign minister, Fahad Yusuf Al Sabah defense and interior minister, and Anwar Ali al-Mudhaf finance minister.
Poland: In a cabinet reshuffle, Tomasz Siemoniak is named interior minister (sworn in May 13).

12

Lithuania: In presidential elections, incumbent Gitanas Nauseda wins 44.5% of the vote, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte 20.0%, Ignas Vegele 12.5%, Remigijus Zemaitaitis 9.3%, and Eduardas Vaitkus 7.4%. Turnout is 59.3%. A runoff will be held May 26.
Spain: In parliamentary elections in Catalonia, the Party of Socialists of Catalonia wins 28.0% of the vote (42 of 135 seats), Together + Puigdemont for Catalonia 21.6% (35), the Republican Left of Catalonia 13.7% (20), the Popular Party 11.0% (15), Vox 8.0% (11), Comuns Sumar 5.8% (6), Popular Unity Candidacy-Let's Defend the Land 4.1% (4), and the Catalan Alliance 3.8% (2). Turnout is 57.9%.

13

Singapore: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong submits his resignation, effective May 15, to President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who invites Lawrence Wong to form a new government. Wong announces his cabinet with no change in key portfolios. He is sworn in on May 15.

14

Canada: Gerry Kisoun is sworn in as commissioner of the Northwest Territories.

15

India: Former governor of Tripura (2009), Gujarat (2009-14), and Mizoram (2014) Kamla Beniwal dies.
Russia: President Vladimir Putin appoints Dmitry Demeshin as acting governor of Khabarovsk kray, Aleksey Besprozvannykh as acting governor of Kaliningrad oblast, Ilya Seredyuk as acting governor of Kemerovo oblast, Aleksey Smirnov as acting governor of Kursk oblast, and Dmitry Milyayev as acting governor of Tula oblast.

17

Nigeria: Former administrator of Bauchi (1978-79) and governor of Sokoto (1984-85) Garba Duba dies.

18

Vietnam: The Communist Party nominates To Lam as president.