LETTER N° 4

From 21 to 27 of January

21 Nicaragua (FSNL)		Internal elections for Frente Sandinista de Liberacion Nacional. Results : Despite the disturbance and disorder in the organization of these elections and until notice of electoral fraud, the Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega won most of the votes in these elections of the Frente Sandinista de Liberación Nacional (FSLN), turning him the presidential candidate of this party.
21 ECOWAS		President Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria on opening the maiden plenary session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja with a call for at least one permanent official for the Institution who would nurture the nascent Parliament to maturity. Describing the Parliament as a long overdue Community Institution, the President told the parliamentarians that with its establishment, the Parliament has joined the growing list of important Community platforms.
21 Ivory Coast		Former Finance Minister Mamadou Koulibaly was elected president of the new assembly at its inaugural session.
22 Australia		In a cabinet reshuffle to take effect January 29, Peter Reith is appointed defense minister, following the retirement of John Moore.
22 Fiji		Former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Fiji Rugby Football Union president, Doctor Apenisa Neiori Kurisaqila passed away this morning at the Lautoka Hospital. Mr Kurisaqila, 67, reportedly collapsed over the weekend at his Sigatoka home. He was first elected into the House of Representatives in July of 1982 where he served until 1987. He was appointed Speaker of the House in June 1992 and held that position until the May 19 Coup.He served as Minister for Health and Social Welfare from 1982 to 1987 as member of the Alliance Party. He also served as Minister for Health in the interim Government from 1987 to 1992. He was the Chairman of the Parliamentary Appropriations Committee from 1992 to May last year.
23 Philippines		President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo named three more appointees to her brand-new Cabinet on even as she also directed her search committee to expedite the selection process and complete the composition of her official family. She named senator Raul Roco as Education secretary ; former Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chairman Richard "Dick" Gordon as Tourism secretary; and Bulacan Rep. Angelito Sarmiento as Agriculture secretary.She also appointed Col. Victor Corpuz as head of the elite Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP).
23 Nepal		Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala won his battle to retain the ruling Nepali Congress (NC) party leadership against his tough and "impatient" rival Sher Bahadur Deuba, but with a thin margin. Of 1,468 votes, Koirala secured 936 votes while Deuba got 507 votes and Ramhari Joshi, the third contender for the post of party president, got only 10 votes, in the ongoing national convention of the party in the western tourist town of Pokhara.
23 Tunisia		Tunisia's president Ben Ali reshuffled his government : SEE NEW GOVERNMENT
23 Libya		Former general secretary of the General People's Committee (1987-90) and foreign minister (1992-2000) Umar Mustafa Al-Muntasser dies. Mr Al-Muntasser (photo), was a close associate of Mu'ammar al-Qadhafi from the time of the 1969 coup which brought the Libyan leader to power. He served twice as foreign minister - both in the 1980s, and for much of the last decade until March last year. He played a significant role in the negotiations that led Libya to hand over two citizens wanted for the bombing of an American airliner over the Scottish town of Lockerbie in 1988. Al-Muntasser came from a prominent family in Misratah, 125 miles east of Tripoli. Qadhafi promoted him to the Cabinet in the early 1970s, made him foreign minister in the early 1980s and then appointed him to other posts. He regained the foreign portfolio in the early 1990s.
24 Philippines		Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte, Jr. was elected as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives for the remainder of the 11th Congress. Members of the House voted 112 to 79 in favor of Belmonte. Belmonte and Makati City Rep. Agapito "Butz" Aquino were the only nominees in the election for speakership that was delayed by two days.
24 United Kingdom (Northen Ireland)		The British Prime Minister, Mr Blair, last night appointed Scottish Secretary of State, Dr John Reid as Northern Ireland Secretary after the shock resignation of Mr Peter Mandelson. Mr Mandelson, was forced from office over his mishandling of a passport application by an Indian businessman. Dr Reid (53), who had been Secretary of State for Scotland on 17 May 1999. Minister for Transport from 27 July 1998.Armed Forces Minister, a post he held from 5 May 1997.
25 Council of Europe		The Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan - Robert Kotcharian and Heydar Aliyev - pledged their future commitment to Council of Europe values as their countries joined the organisation.
25 Serbie		The new Serbian Government was approved by a resounding 168-55 vote after lengthy debate. SEE NEW GOVERNMENT
25 Guine-Bissau		Faustino Imbali, formerly Deputy prime minister, becomes Foreign Minister.
25 Tonga		Prime Minister, Prince 'Ulukalala Lavaka Ata, has announced several changes to his Cabinet, including two new ministers and a governor. The Prime Minister has been given the new Communications portfolio in addition to Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Foreign Affairs and Defense and the new Civil Aviation Ministry. SEE NEW GOVERNMENT
25/31 Davos (Switzerland)		World Economic Forum. Discover themes and issues of global interest at the anual meeting : How Can Gobalization Deliver the Goods : The view from the South ; The Shape of the 21st century Corporation ; The Corporation and the Public : Open for Inspection ; Adressing the Backlash Against Globalization ; Seizing the Global Digital Opportunity ; Businness & NGO’s : From Diatribe To Dialogue. SEE
25/30 Porto Alegre (Brazil)		World Social Forum. The World Social Forum will be a new international arena for the creation and exchange of social and economic projects that promote human rights, social justice and sustainable development. It will take place every year in the city of Porto Alegre, Brazil, during the same period as the World Economic Forum, which happens in Davos, Switzerland, at the end of January. The World Social Forum will provide a space for building economic alternatives, for exchanging experiences and for strengthening South-North alliances between NGOs, unions and social movements. It will also be an opportunity for developing concrete projects, to educate the public, and to mobilize civil society internationally. SEE
26 Australia		National holiday : Australia Day (26 January 1788) Australia was probably first sighted by a Portuguese, Manuel Godinho de Eredia, in 1601 and may have been sighted by a Spaniard, Luis Vaez de Torres, around 1605&endash;6. It was later visited by the Dutch, who named it New Holland. In 1688 the Englishman William Dampier landed at King Sound on the northwest coast. Little interest was aroused, however, until the fertile east coast was observed when Capt. James Cook reached Botany Bay in 1770 and sailed N to Cape York, claiming the coast for Great Britain. In 1788 the first British settlement was made - a penal colony on the shores of Port Jackson, where Sydney now stands.
26 India		National holiday : Anniversary of the Proclamation of the Republic (26 January 1950) India became a sovereign republic in 1950 under a constitution adopted late in 1949. In addition to staggering problems of overpopulation, economic underdevelopment, and inadequate social services, India had to achieve the integration of the former princely states into the union and the creation of national unity from diverse cultural and linguistic groups.