LETTER N° 48

From 26 November to 02 of December

26 Switzerland		Referendum on people's initiatives on cutting military spending, changing the age of retirement, hospital spendings and the new law about the Federal Staff. Results : most of the swiss voters refused the proposals about retirement at 62 for everyone (the French-speaking Swiss supported the proposal) and about military and hospital spendings. Still, the new law about the federal staff was accepted.
26 Romania		Presidential and parliamentary elections. Results : In the first round of presidential elections, former president Ion Iliescu of the Party of Social Democracy (PDSR) wins about 37% of the vote, followed by Corneliu Vadim Tudor of the Greater Romania Party (PRM) with about 27%. In parliamentary elections the PDSR wins about 40% and the PRM about 22%.
26 Haiti		Presidential and senatorial elections. Results : Former Haiti President Jean-Bertrand Aristide has being re-elected to the post with nearly 92% of the vote. The electoral council has announced the runner-up, Arnold Dumas, had just 2.4% of the vote in elections and the other five candidates, less than 5% between them.
26 Japan		Former foreign minister (1960-62, 1976) Zentaro Kosaka dies.
27 Canada		General election. Results : In parliamentary elections, Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberals win 173 of 301 seats (40.8% of the vote), the Canadian Alliance 66 (25.5%), the Bloc Québécois 37 (10.7%), the New Democratic Party 13 (8.5%), and the Progressive Conservatives 12 (12.2%).
27 Austria (OSCE)		The Foreign Ministers of 54 countries meet in Vienna, within the framework of Organization for the co-operation and the security in Europe (OSCE - Organization for Security an co-Operation in Europe). Yugoslavia President Vojislav Kostunica added his signature to three landmark OSCE documents symbolizing the country's official status as the 55th OSCE participating State.
28 Albania		National holiday : Independence Day, (28 November 1912, from Ottoman Empire) After more than four centuries of Turkish Islamic rule and during the First BALKAN WAR, Albania proclaimed independence (1912). After World War I, it became a republic in which a conservative Muslim landlord, Ahmed Zogu, proclaimed himself president in 1925, and king (Zog I) in 1928. Annexed in 1939 by Italy, unto 1944 when Communist guerrillas under Enver Hoxha seized power.
28 Mauritania		National holiday : Independence Day (28 November 1960, from France) Until 1920, when it became a separate colony in French West Africa, Mauritania was administered as part of Senegal. Saint-Louis, in Senegal, continued to be Mauritania's administrative center until 1957, when it was replaced by Nouakchott. The French ruled through existing political authorities and did little to develop the country's economy or to increase educational opportunities for the population. National political activity began only after World War II. In 1958, Mauritania became an autonomous republic within the French Community. On Nov. 28, 1960, Mauritania became fully independent. Its leader at independence was Makhtar Ould Daddah, who in 1961 formed the Mauritanian People's Party (which in 1965 became the country's only legal party) and was the leading force in establishing a new constitution. Ould Daddah was elected president in 1961; the same year Mauritania became a member of the United Nations.
28 East Timor		An East Timorese youth clenches his fist as he watches the national flag being raised in Dili. On this day, 25 years ago, East Timor's biggest political party Fretilin declared independance, only to see Indonesia invading 2 weeks later. Thousands of people took to the streets of Dili to celebrate it's 25th Anniversary of Declaration of Independence with songs, dance, speeches and flag raising ceremonies.
28 United Kingdom (Scotland)		A survey has found Scottish councils - and Labour councils in particular - are opposed to proportional voting in local elections.
29 Malaysia		By-election will be held for the Kedah state assembly seat of Lunas.
30 Slovenia		Parliament approved a new government headed by Prime Minister Janez Drnovsek.The government was voted in by 66 votes against 20. Dimitrij Rupel becomes foreign minister for the third time and former labor minister Anton Rop becomes finance minister. Igor Bavcar reclaims his old job of European Affairs Minister, as oes Minister of Economic Affairs Tea Petrin.
30 Czech Republic		The first ever international meeting of Roma or gypsy parliamentarians and elected representatives begins in the Czech capital, Prague. The gathering has been organised jointly by the Czech Foreign Ministry and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). It is intended to improve the chances of Roma representation and to share information.
30 Barbados		National holiday : Independence Day (30 November 1966, from UK) Although it was probably originally inhabited by Arawaks, it was uninhabited when the English expeditionaries first settled there in 1627 (1605, according to local tradition). Barbados remained a British colony until independence was granted in 1966. During the 19th cent. it was the administrative headquarters of the Windward Islands, but in 1885 it became a separate colony. It was a member of the short-lived Federation of the West Indies (1958&endash;62). The island became an independent associated state of the Commonwealth in 1966, with a parliamentary form of government.
01 Moldova		Presidential election. Results : parliamentary chairman Dumitru Diacov halted the procedure for the election of Moldova's new president after parties of the center-right coalition backing Pavel Barbalat walked out. Those parties were protesting the fact that deputies representing the Party of Moldovan Communists, who back Vladimir Voronin, failed to respect the secret ballot and instead cast votes by raising their hand.
01 Central African Republic		National holiday : National Day (1 December 1958, proclamation of the republic) The region was organized in 1894 as the colony of Ubangi-Shari and was united administratively with Chad in 1906 and incorporated into French Equatorial Africa in 1910. Chad later became a separate French territory. Much of the region was leased to French concessionaires, whose fostering of forced labor and other abuses sparked rebellions in 1928, 1935, and 1946. The population of Ubangi-Shari actively supported the Free French forces during World War II. In 1946 the colony was given its own territorial assembly and representation in the French parliament. In the French constitutional referendum of 1958 the country opted for membership in the French Community. It received autonomy and took its present name. Full independence was attained on Aug. 13, 1960, under President David Dacko.
01 Romania		National holiday : National Day of Romania (1 December1918) Reunification and creation of the Romanian State.
01 Mexico		President-elect Vicente Fox, is sworn in as Mexico's 62nd president. He invests a new Government. NEW GOVERNMENT OF MEXICO
01/03 France (UDF)		UDF congress in Angers.
02 Kyrgyzstan		National holiday : National Day (2 December). Independence Day (Aug.31) Kyrgyzstan proclaimed its independence from the Soviet Union on Aug. 31, 1991. On Dec. 21, 1991, Kyrgyzstan joined the Commonwealth of Independent States. The country joined the U.N. and the IMF in 1992
02 Laos		National holiday : National Day (1975) (proclamation of the Lao People's Democratic Republic) After Communist victories in Vietnam and Cambodia, the Pathet Lao took control of the country in 1975, abolished the monarchy, and made Laos a republic. Souphanouvong became president, and Kaysone Phomvihane, head of the Communist party, became premier.
02 United Arab Emirates		National holiday : National Day (Independence 2 December 1971, from UK) The states that comprise the UAE were formerly known as the Trucial States, Trucial Coast, or Trucial Oman. The term trucial refers to the fact that the sheikhs ruling the seven constituent states were bound by truces concluded with Great Britain in 1820 and by an agreement made in 1892 accepting British protection. Before British intervention, the area was notorious for its pirates and was called the Pirate Coast. After World War II the British granted internal autonomy to the sheikhdoms. Discussion of federation began in 1968 when Britain announced its intended withdrawal from the Persian Gulf area by 1971.
02 Egypt		Results of parliamentary elections- last round, Nov.13 : President Mubarak's National Democratic Party (Hizsb Al Dimuqratiyah Al Watanyah-HDW) won 353 seats in the 444-seat people's assembly, Independents joining the HDW won 35 seats, the New Delegation Party(Liberal) won 7, the extreme leftist Progressive National Unionist Party had 6, centrists from the Liberal Party won 1 seat, the Nasserist party(extreme left) had 3, non-partisans won 37 seats, 10 were nominated members, 2 remained vacant .