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13 September 2021 Norway
According to preliminary results, Arbeiderpartiet (Labour Party), led by Jonas Gahr Støre, won 48 seats at the general election, while Høyre (Conservative), the party of Prime Minister Erna Solberg (who had been premier since 2013), lost nine seats to secure 36. Støre immediately commenced negotiations on forming a coalition with other parties of the left, Senterpartiet (Centre Party, 28 seats) and Sosialistisk Venstreparti (Socialist Left Party, 13 seats). The populist Fremskrittspartiet (Progress Party) lost six seats to win 21, while Høyre’s erstwhile coalition partners, Venstre and Kristelig Folkeparti, garnered eight and three seats, respectively. The far-left Rødt increased its representation from one seat to eight, and environmentalist Miljøpartiet De Grønne also increased its tally, to three seats. Regional party Pasientfokus, focused on health care, took the remaining seat in the 169-seat Storting.
7 September 2021 Afghanistan
The Taliban, who swept to power on 15 August 2021 following the withdrawal of US and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) troops after a 20-year occupation, announced the formation of an interim Government. Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, a deputy foreign minister under the previous Taliban administration in 1996–2001, was installed as Acting Prime Minister (head of state), while Taliban co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Abdul Salaam Halafi were to serve as his deputies. Despite previous assurances that a new government would be inclusive, the caretaker Cabinet comprised only established Taliban members and women were not represented.
5 September 2021 Guinea
President Alpha Condé, head of state since 2010, was detained by disaffected members of an elite military unit, who announced the formation of the Comité National pour le Rassemblement et le Développement (CNRD). The new ruling body temporarily closed Guinea’s borders, and announced the suspension of the Constitution and the dissolution of the Government. (Condé had in early 2020 controversially overseen the introduction of constitutional changes which allowed the two-term restriction on the presidential mandate to be reset, and he successfully secured a third term in office at elections in October. The announcement of the results precipitated widespread violence in which at least 21 people were killed.) The military takeover was immediately condemned by the international community, with the African Union, the United Nations and the Economic Community of West African States all demanding the immediate release of Condé. The leader of the CNRD, Col Mamady Doumbouya, stated that a ‘government of national union’ would be installed to lead the country through a transitional period.
5 September 2021 Sao Tome e Principe
Carlos Vila Nova, representing the Acção Democrática Independente, defeated Guilherme Pósser da Costa of the Movimento de Libertação de São Tomé e Príncipe—Partido Social Democrata in the run-off presidential election. According to provisional results released by the Comissão Eleitoral Nacional, Vila Nova secured 57.5% of the valid votes cast. Turnout was recorded at some 65% of the eligible electorate. At the first round, conducted on 18 July, Vila Nova had won 43.7% of the valid votes cast and Pósser da Costa 20.2%.
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3 September 2021 Japan
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced that he would not contest the forthcoming leadership election for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and would thus be stepping down as Prime Minister. Suga had succeeded Shinzo Abe as premier following Abe’s resignation due to ill health in September 2020, but his approval ratings were low amid widespread discontent with his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. The new leader of the LDP, who was to be elected on 29 September 2021, would assume the position of Prime Minister prior to a general election which was due to take place by the end of November.
16 August 2021 Malaysia
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin bin Yassin submitted his resignation and that of his Cabinet to the head of state, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Abdullah of Pahang, after the ruling Perikatan Nasional (PN—National Alliance) lost its narrow parliamentary majority following the withdrawal of support of several legislators belonging to the United Malays National Organization (UMNO). Muhyiddin assumed the role of Caretaker Prime Minister without a cabinet. On 21 August Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri bin Yaakob, the Vice-President of UMNO and former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, was sworn in as Prime Minister, leading a renewed PN, having secured the support of 114 of the 220 members of the House of Representatives (two seats in which were vacant).
16 August 2021 Zambia
The Electoral Commission of Zambia released the results of the presidential election held on 12 August. According to these, Hakainde Hichilema, the candidate of the opposition United Party for National Development, defeated the incumbent head of state, Edgar C. Lungu, representing the ruling Patriotic Front, having secured 59.4% of the valid votes cast. (Lungu received 38.3% while none of the 14 other candidates won more than 0.5% of the votes.) The rate of voter participation was officially recorded at 71.0%.
14 August 2021 Haiti
An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 struck Les Cayes in the south-west of Haiti, destroying an estimated 53,000 homes and damaging tens of thousands more. Official estimates put the death toll from the quake at over 2,200 people, with more than 12,200 injured and a further 340 missing. The international community dispatched aid, with the United Nations World Food Programme setting up a camp in the affected area, while the US Agency for International Development sent US $32m. in humanitarian help. However, damaged roads, as well as ongoing gang violence, delayed the arrival of aid to affected areas. In addition, the passage of Hurricane Grace two days later further impeded relief efforts.
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