LETTER N° 41

From 08 to 14 of October

08 Poland		Presidential election. Results : Polish president Aleksander Kwasniewski won a second term in office with 53.9 percent of the vote, the Polish national election commission reported. Andrzej Olechowski (independent) placed second with 17.3 per cent. Leader of the Solidarity Electoral Action (AWS) Marian Krzaklewski placed third with 15.57 per cent. Following are the results of other presidential candidates: Jaroslaw Kalinowski - 5.96% , Andrzej Lepper - 3.05% , Janusz Korwin-Mikke - 1.43%, Lech Walesa - 1.01%, Jan Lopuszansk - 0.79 %, Dariusz Grabowski - 0.51%, Piotr Ikonowicz - 0.22%, Tadeusz Wilecki - 0.16% and Bogdan Pawlowski - 0.1 %.
08 Yugoslavia (Vojvodina)		Local elections results : the long-ruling Socialist Party of Serbia (SPS), ex-president Slobodan Milosevic's powerbase, won just one seat in elections for the provincial government of Vojvodina. Opponents of the SPS and backers of new Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica said their candidates and the supporting Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians had captured 118 seats in the provincialassembly on the second round of voting.
08 Bosnia		Presidential and parliamentary elections. Results : Parliamentary elections are scheduled here for November 11.
08 Belgium		Municipal elections. Results : the new majority will include the PS, the Ecologist,d'Agalev, the PSC and the CVP. A coalition of five parties, including the Sociality Party, won 60 percent of the votes. The Vlaams Blok won 33% of the votes in Belgium's second largest city, Antwerp.Vlaams Blok also became the top party in the northern cities of Mechelen, with 25.6% of the vote, and Ghent with 20.2%.
08 Russian Federation (Tuva Republic)		Referendum on amended constitution. No results available.
08 Lithuania		General election. Results : The Social Democratic coalition of ex-president Algirdas Brazauskas won 31.25% of Sunday's ballot, the central election commission reported. Next came the New Union with 19.51 % of the nation-wide popular vote. The center-right Liberal Union won 17.25 %. The governing Homeland Union party garnered just 8.58 %.
08 Somalia		President Abdiqasim Salad Hassan names Ali Khalif Galaid as prime minister.
08 Togo		A new government is announced, including Pierre Koffi Panou as foreign minister and Tankpandja Lalle as finance minister.
09 Uganda		National holiday : Independence Day ( 9 October 1962, from UK) In 1961 there were three main political parties in Uganda - the Uganda People's Congress (UPC), whose members were mostly non-Ganda ; the Democratic party, made up chiefly of Roman Catholic Ganda ; and the Kabaka Yekka [Kabaka only] party, comprising only Ganda. On Oct. 9, 1962, Uganda became independent, with A. Milton Obote, a Lango leader of the UPC, as prime minister. Ouganda was given considerable autonomy.
09 Yugoslavia		Prime Minister Momir Bulatovic resigns.
09 Albania		Results about1st round of local elections : the 1 October first round of local elections in Albania indicates that the governing Socialist Party (PS) is likely to win in a majority of municipalities and communities, many of which are currently held by the opposition Democratic Party (PD). According to preliminary results, the PS got just over 50% of the votes nationwide and the PD just over 33%. The small Social Democratic Party received over 4%, the ethnic Greek Human Rights Union Party 2%, and all other parties together 7%. The PS has won in 27 cities and 105 communities and the PD in nine cities and 33 communities. In 28 cities and 87 communities. there will be a run-off. The Socialist Party has claimed victory in the capital, Tirana, a traditional PD stronghold.
09 United States		Former Kansas governor (1975-79) Robert F. Bennett dies.
10 Fiji		National holiday : Independence Day (10 October 1970, from UK) In 1804 the first European settlement was established at Levuka. In 1874, after repeated requests by Fiji's tribal chiefs, Great Britain annexed the islands. During World War II the islands were an important supply point. In 1970, Fiji gained independence as a member of the Commonwealth with Ratu Sir Kimisese Mara as prime minister.
10 Taiwan		National holiday : National Day (1911) (Anniversary of the Chinese Revolution)
10 Sri Lanka		General election. Results: President Chandrika Kumaratunga's ruling People'sAlliance has emerged as the single biggest grouping in Sri Lanka's general election. The seven-party PA won 107 seats, but fell short of an absolute majority. Its main rival the United National Party won 89 seats in the 225-member parliament. The remaining seats were shared by the leftist JVP, minority Tamil and Muslim parties.
10 Sri Lanka		Former Sri Lankan Prime Minister (1960-65, 1970-77, 1994-2000) Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the world's first woman premier, and mother of Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga died, at 84.
11 United Kingdom		The first minister of Scotland, Hon. Donald Dewar, dies.       Jim Wallace becomes acting first minister.
12 Equatorial Guinea		National holiday : Independence Day (12 October 1968, from Spain) In 1963, Spain granted the country (renamed Equatorial Guinea) a limited amount of autonomy, and on Oct. 12, 1968, it received complete independence. The first president was Francisco Macías Nguema, a Fang from Río Muni.
12 Spain		National holiday : National Day (12 October 1292 discovery of Amerca by Colombus)
12 Philippines		Vice-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo resigned from a ministerial post in the cabinet of President Joseph Estrada who faces a political storm after allegations he took payoffs from gambling lords.
14 Bosnia and Hercegovina		Zivko Radisic replaces Alija Izetbegovic as chairman of the Presidency.
14 Bosnia and Hercegovina		Citing his age and poor health condition Alija Izetbegovic, 75, who led Bosnian Muslims through Europe's bloodiest conflict since World War II, resigned Saturday from the Bosnia's joint presidency.
14 Germany		PSD Congress (ex-comunist) in Cottbus. The congress elected Gabriele (Gabi) Zimmer as chairwoman of the party with 93,3% of the votes.