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LETTER N° 48

From 25 November to 01 December

25
Honduras

Presidential, parliamentary, Central American Parliament, and mayoral elections. Results :

Ricardo Maduro (Nationalist Party) wins presidential elections with about 53% of the vote, against about 44% for Rafael Pineda (Liberal Party).

Profile : Ricardo Maduro, leader of the Partido Nacional, was the 71th president elected of Honduras,a 554-year-old businessman and banker, he was born in Panamá, but is a Hondurian by nacionality. The "nacionalist" leader has a B.A degree in Economícs from Stanford University (US). Attended his primary school in Tegucigalpa and the secundary in Pennsylvania (US). His political career started 16 years ago amidst the Partido Nacional, of which he was a member at the Local Committee of Tegucigalpa and at the Central Committee which he presently chairs. He served as director for Rafael Callejas'campaign in 1985 and 1989, the latter was won by the Partido Nacional. When Callejas was sworn in , on January 27,1990 he named Ricardo Maduro to Chair the Banco Central de Honduras and as a coordinator of the Económic Office, and the liberals had no further questions then regarding his nationality or his administration. However,the liberals now accuse Maduro of being the author of a bunch of drastic economic measures which Callejas'government applied. Maduro was married to Miriam Andreu, and is the father of 4 children : Ricardo, who was murdered druirng a kidnapping attempt in April 1997 ; Carolina, Cecilia and Lorena. One of his three daughters could assume the role of "first lady".

25
Italy

Mayoral and council elections in 23 Sicilian towns. Results :

Clear victory of the CdL

The Center-Right won the first round of administrative elections in Sicily. Mayors of Palermo, Agrigento and Trapani were actually elected, as well as the president of Ragusa Province, all belonging to the House of Liberties (Casa delle Libertà). In Palermo, Cammarata won 56.1%. Piazza, is the Mayor of Agrigento with 75.9% of the votes and in Trapani, Fazio got 60.1% of the votes. The president of Ragusa province, Antoci, registered 58.3%. In 7 out of the 12 comunes with over 10.000 inhabitants, the Center-Right confirmed its success at the first round. Run off in the other 5 comunes.

27
Macedonia

Parliament approves Slobodan Casule as new foreign minister and Vlado Popovski as defense minister.

01
United States

(Houston)

Mayoral election. Results :

Mayor Lee Brown held off City Councilman Orlando Sanchez in a tight race to win re-election to a third term and derail Sanchez's bid to become Houston's first Hispanic mayor. With 95 percent of the precincts counted, Brown had 162,751 votes, or 52 percent, to Sanchez's 152,552, or 48 percent.

Brown profile : Born on October 4, 1937 in Wewoka, Oklahoma, the son of farm workers, Lee Brown worked his way through college and holds a Ph.D. in Criminology from the University of California at Berkeley, a Masters in Criminology from UC Berkley, a Masters in Sociology from San Jose State University and a Bachelors in Criminology from Fresno State University. Police Official, San Jose, California, 1960-1972. Multnomah County, Oregon, Sheriff, 1975-1976. Multnomah County, Oregon, Director of Justice Services,1976-1978. Atlanta, Georgia, Public Safety Commissioner, 1978-1982. Houston, Texas, Chief of Police, 1982-1990. New York City, New York, Police Commissioner, 1990-1992. Texas Southern University, Distinguished University Professor, 1992-1993. United States Government, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (Drug Czar) and Member of the President's Cabinet, 1993-1996. Rice University, Radoslav A. Tsanoff Professor of Public Affairs in the Department of Sociology and Senior Scholar, James A. Baker, III Institute for Public Policy, 1996-present (leave of absence). On January 2, 1998, he was inaugurated as the 50th Mayor of Houston. Mayor Brown is married to Frances Brown. He has four children and ten grandchildren.

01
Czech Republic

Regional self-government entities elections. Results : Next week.

01
Taiwan

Legislative Yuan and local government elections in most areas of the except Taipei and Kaohsiung. Results :

The Taiwanese president's party - distrusted by China - grabbed the largest number of seats in legislative elections, a victory that could pressure Beijing to start talking with the island's leader. According to official results, the DPP - which had one-third of the legislature before the vote - increased its presence to 87 seats, or about 40 percent. The Nationalists, who previously held 110 seats, plunged to 68 seats after predicting they would win 85. Two parties formed by disgruntled Nationalists did well in their first election. The People's First Party won 46 seats, and the Taiwan Solidarity Union got 13. The rest of the seats were won by independents and fringe parties.

THIS WEEK'S STORY

November 30, 1886

FOLIES BERGÈRE STAGES FIRST REVUE

Once a hall for operettas, pantomime, political meetings, and vaudeville, the Folies Bergère in Paris introduces an elaborate revue featuring women in sensational costumes. The highly popular "Place aux Jeunes" established the Folies as the premier nightspot in Paris. In the 1890s, the Folies followed the Parisian taste for striptease and quickly gained a reputation for its spectacular nude shows. The theater spared no expense, staging revues that featured as many as 40 sets, 1,000 costumes, and an off-stage crew of some 200 people. The Folies Bergère dates back to 1869, when it opened as one of the first major music halls in Paris. It produced light opera and pantomimes with unknown singers and proved a resounding failure. Greater success came in the 1870s, when the Folies Bergère staged vaudeville. Among other performers, the early vaudeville shows featured acrobats, a snake charmer, a boxing kangaroo, trained elephants, the world's tallest man, and a Greek prince who was covered in tattoos allegedly as punishment for trying to seduce the Shah of Persia's daughter. The public was allowed to drink and socialize in the theater's indoor garden and promenade area, and the Folies Bergère became synonymous with the carnal temptations of the French capital. Famous paintings by Édouard Manet and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec were set in the Folies.

ALSO SEE

Chiefs of State and Heads of Government Foreign Affairs World Parliaments Federated States and Provinces World Governments International Organizations

25 Honduras		Presidential, parliamentary, Central American Parliament, and mayoral elections. Results : Ricardo Maduro (Nationalist Party) wins presidential elections with about 53% of the vote, against about 44% for Rafael Pineda (Liberal Party). Profile : Ricardo Maduro, leader of the Partido Nacional, was the 71th president elected of Honduras,a 554-year-old businessman and banker, he was born in Panamá, but is a Hondurian by nacionality. The "nacionalist" leader has a B.A degree in Economícs from Stanford University (US). Attended his primary school in Tegucigalpa and the secundary in Pennsylvania (US). His political career started 16 years ago amidst the Partido Nacional, of which he was a member at the Local Committee of Tegucigalpa and at the Central Committee which he presently chairs. He served as director for Rafael Callejas'campaign in 1985 and 1989, the latter was won by the Partido Nacional. When Callejas was sworn in , on January 27,1990 he named Ricardo Maduro to Chair the Banco Central de Honduras and as a coordinator of the Económic Office, and the liberals had no further questions then regarding his nationality or his administration. However,the liberals now accuse Maduro of being the author of a bunch of drastic economic measures which Callejas'government applied. Maduro was married to Miriam Andreu, and is the father of 4 children : Ricardo, who was murdered druirng a kidnapping attempt in April 1997 ; Carolina, Cecilia and Lorena. One of his three daughters could assume the role of "first lady".
25 Italy		Mayoral and council elections in 23 Sicilian towns. Results : Clear victory of the CdL The Center-Right won the first round of administrative elections in Sicily. Mayors of Palermo, Agrigento and Trapani were actually elected, as well as the president of Ragusa Province, all belonging to the House of Liberties (Casa delle Libertà). In Palermo, Cammarata won 56.1%. Piazza, is the Mayor of Agrigento with 75.9% of the votes and in Trapani, Fazio got 60.1% of the votes. The president of Ragusa province, Antoci, registered 58.3%. In 7 out of the 12 comunes with over 10.000 inhabitants, the Center-Right confirmed its success at the first round. Run off in the other 5 comunes.
27 Macedonia		Parliament approves Slobodan Casule as new foreign minister and Vlado Popovski as defense minister.
01 United States (Houston)		Mayoral election. Results : Mayor Lee Brown held off City Councilman Orlando Sanchez in a tight race to win re-election to a third term and derail Sanchez's bid to become Houston's first Hispanic mayor. With 95 percent of the precincts counted, Brown had 162,751 votes, or 52 percent, to Sanchez's 152,552, or 48 percent. Brown profile : Born on October 4, 1937 in Wewoka, Oklahoma, the son of farm workers, Lee Brown worked his way through college and holds a Ph.D. in Criminology from the University of California at Berkeley, a Masters in Criminology from UC Berkley, a Masters in Sociology from San Jose State University and a Bachelors in Criminology from Fresno State University. Police Official, San Jose, California, 1960-1972. Multnomah County, Oregon, Sheriff, 1975-1976. Multnomah County, Oregon, Director of Justice Services,1976-1978. Atlanta, Georgia, Public Safety Commissioner, 1978-1982. Houston, Texas, Chief of Police, 1982-1990. New York City, New York, Police Commissioner, 1990-1992. Texas Southern University, Distinguished University Professor, 1992-1993. United States Government, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (Drug Czar) and Member of the President's Cabinet, 1993-1996. Rice University, Radoslav A. Tsanoff Professor of Public Affairs in the Department of Sociology and Senior Scholar, James A. Baker, III Institute for Public Policy, 1996-present (leave of absence). On January 2, 1998, he was inaugurated as the 50th Mayor of Houston. Mayor Brown is married to Frances Brown. He has four children and ten grandchildren.
01 Czech Republic		Regional self-government entities elections. Results : Next week.
01 Taiwan		Legislative Yuan and local government elections in most areas of the except Taipei and Kaohsiung. Results : The Taiwanese president's party - distrusted by China - grabbed the largest number of seats in legislative elections, a victory that could pressure Beijing to start talking with the island's leader. According to official results, the DPP - which had one-third of the legislature before the vote - increased its presence to 87 seats, or about 40 percent. The Nationalists, who previously held 110 seats, plunged to 68 seats after predicting they would win 85. Two parties formed by disgruntled Nationalists did well in their first election. The People's First Party won 46 seats, and the Taiwan Solidarity Union got 13. The rest of the seats were won by independents and fringe parties.