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28 June 2009 Honduras
Members of the army, acting on the instructions of the Supreme Court, took President José Manuel Zelaya Rosales by force at his official residence; he was subsequently flown by military aircraft to Costa Rica. Zelaya’s detention occurred several hours before polls were due to open in a non-binding referendum on the subject of future constitutional reform: the referendum had been promoted by the President but was opposed by the Supreme Court and the National Congress—both of which had declared it illegal—along with other state institutions and civil society organizations. (On 24 June Zelaya had dismissed the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Romeo Vásquez, for refusing to assist in the organization of the referendum.) Later on 28 June the National Congress voted unanimously to accept Zelaya’s resignation as President (although Zelaya maintained that he had not resigned and that he remained the legitimate head of state), and, under the terms of the Constitution, installed the President of the legislature, Roberto Micheletti Baín, as interim President to serve out the remainder of Zelaya’s term of office, which was due to end in January 2010. Micheletti subsequently announced that presidential and legislative elections scheduled for 29 November 2009 would proceed as planned. On 30 June the UN General Assembly adopted by acclamation a resolution condemning the coup and deciding not to recognize the new administration in Honduras.
23 June 2009 France
President Nicolas Sarkozy reorganized the Council of Ministers, following the election to the European Parliament of the Minister of Justice, Rachida Dati, and the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Michel Barnier. The reallocation of portfolios included eight changes of responsibility and eight new appointments. Among the most notable changes, Brice Hortefeux, hitherto the Minister of Labour, Social Relations, the Family, Solidarity and Urban Affairs, was allocated the interior portfolio, while Michèle Alliot-Marie, who had previously held this role, became a Minister of State and assumed responsibility for the justice portfolio. New appointees included Frédéric Mitterrand, a writer and film-maker and the nephew of the former Socialist President, François Mitterrand, as Minister of Culture and Communications.
12 June 2009 Iran
A presidential election took place, in which an estimated 85% of registered voters participated. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the incumbent, was pronounced the winner, with 62.6% of the vote, according to figures released by the Ministry of the Interior on 13 June. His nearest opponent, the ‘reformist’ candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, secured 33.8% of the votes cast; Mohsen Rezai took 1.7%; and Mahdi Karrubi 0.9%. The official result was disputed by the defeated candidates, who demanded that the result be annulled on the grounds of alleged irregularities. Mass demonstrations against the disputed result took place in Tehran from 13 June; numerous violent clashes between participants and security forces occurred in the following days. In an address made on 19 June Iran’s supreme religious leader, Ayatollah Sayed Ali Khamenei, declared the validity of the election and urged an end to the demonstrations. The Council of Guardians, having investigated the opposition’s allegations, considered that irregularities in voter registration in numerous districts were insufficient to affect the overall outcome of the election. Following a recount of 10% of the votes cast, the Council of Guardians ratified the election result on 29 June. By this time 20 people were reported to have been killed, and more than 1,000 arrested, during the unrest arising from the disputed result. Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mahdi Karrubi continued to reject the legitimacy of the election. (Mohsen Rezai had withdrawn his opposition to the result on 24 June.)
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8 June 2009 Gabon
The death was announced of El Hadj Omar Bongo Ondimba, President of Gabon since 1967. On 10 June 2009, as stipulated in the Constitution, the President of the Senate, Rose Francine Rogombé, was sworn in as Interim President for a period of 45 days. A presidential election was to be held at a date no later than that of the expiry of Rogombé's term.
7 June 2009 Lebanon
At legislative elections the Western-backed March 14 Alliance—a coalition of mostly Sunni Muslim and Christian parties led by Saad ed-Din Hariri’s Future Movement and also involving the Parti socialiste progressiste, the Lebanese Forces Party and Al-Kataeb—won 71 of a total 128 seats in the National Assembly. The pro-Syrian March 8 Alliance—a predominantly Shi‘a Muslim and Christian coalition comprising Hezbollah, Amal, the Free Patriotic Movement and others—won 57 seats. The rate of participation by voters was estimated at 54.8%. International observers declared the conduct of the elections to have been mainly free and fair, and noted that the polls took place in a peaceful environment.
5 June 2009 United Kingdom
The Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, whose leadership appeared threatened by a series of ministerial resignations, announced a reorganization of the Cabinet, following a poor electoral performance by the Labour Party in local elections held the previous day and in expectation of a similar loss of support for the party in simultaneous elections to the European Parliament. Lord Mandelson was designated First Secretary of State and retained responsibility for a much-expanded business portfolio, while Alan Johnson, hitherto the Secretary of State for Health, was appointed Secretary of State for the Home Department, replacing Jacqui Smith (who had resigned following allegations of impropriety regarding her expenses claims). Alistair Darling and David Miliband remained in their positions as Chancellor of the Exchequer and Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, respectively. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, James Purnell, who had resigned the previous day, was replaced by Yvette Cooper, previously Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Purnell’s resignation had followed that of the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Hazel Blears, which had been submitted on the eve of the elections. Three further cabinet ministers subsequently resigned, but announced their continuing support for the Prime Minister; these included John Hutton, the Secretary of State for Defence, who was replaced by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence, Bob Ainsworth, and Geoff Hoon, the Secretary of State for Transport, who was succeeded by the Minister of State in the Department for Transport, Lord Adonis.
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