LETTER N° 19

From 7 to 13 May

7 Russia		Vladimir Putin is inaugurated as president.
7 Russia		Putin names Mikhail Kasyanov acting prime minister.
7 Argentina		Buenos Aires, Mayoral election. Results : the former Argentine finance minister, Domingo Cavallo, has announced that he is dropping out of the second round of the election to become the mayor of Buenos Aires. Mr Cavallo finished behind the candidate of the governing Alliance party, Anibal Ibarra, in the first round of voting, and a second round involving the two candidates was expected to take place later this month. Mr Ibarra won forty-nine-percent of the first round vote - less than one-percent short of outright victory. Mr Cavallo who won just over thirty-percent said he would not insist on the need for more voting.
7 Croatia		Zagreb, City assembly elections. Results : Prime Minister Ivica Racan's Social Democrats emerged the winners with 21 percent of the popular vote and 15 out of 50 seats. Second in popular backing with 19 percent and third in seats with nine mandates is the People's Party (HNS) of President Stipe Mesic. Third with 15 percent of the popular vote but second with 15 seats are the Social Liberals of Drazen Budisa. A second Liberal Party has six seats, the late President Franjo Tudjman's Croatian Democratic Community (HDZ) five, and the newly formed Democratic Center three. Far-right candidates won only two mandates. Turnout was low, at about 34 percent.
7 Benin		Former president (1960-63, 1970-72) Hubert Maga dies.
13 Yuguslavia		The chairman of the Executive Council of Vojvodina, Bosko Perosevic, is assassinated.