1 DECEMBER 2004

Israel, politics

Prime Minister Sharon dismissed the Shinui party from his government after a dispute over the budget. Shinui’s exit left Sharon’s coalition with only 40 of 120 seats in the Knesset (Reuters).

1-2 DECEMBER 2004

Mozambique, politics

In elections, Armando Guebuza of the ruling Front for the Liberation of Mozambique (Frelimo) won the presidential race with 63.7% of the vote, according to the National Election Commission; Afonso Dhlakama of the Mozambique National Resistance (Renamo) party received 31.7%. Frelimo reportedly won a similar percentage of the parliamentary vote, taking 160 of the 250 seats in parliament; Renamo won 90. Turnout was about 36% according to the Commission. Renamo charged electoral fraud; international observers said there were some irregularities, though not enough to affect the outcome. Guebuza was expected to continue existing policies (Reuters).

2 DECEMBER 2004

Bosnia-Herzegovina

The European Union (EU) formally took over NATO’s peacekeeping mission. At the time, NATO had 7,000 troops in the country (AP).

3 DECEMBER 2004

Colombia

Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela, leader of the Cali drug cartel, was extradited to the US (AP).

Iraq

A suicide bombing of a Shi’ite mosque in Baghdad killed 14 (CNN.com).

4 DECEMBER 2004

Diplomatic affairs

Pakistani President Pervez Musharaff met US President Bush in Washington (CNN.com).

6 DECEMBER 2004

Ghana, politics

General elections were held. In the presidential race, President John Kufuor won about 53.4% of the vote; John Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) received about 43.8%. The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) won 129 of the 230 seats in Parliament; the NDC won 90 seats. Turnout was 83% (IFES, AP).

Saudi Arabia

A group linked to al Qaeda claimed to be behind an attack on the US consulate in Jeddah (CNN.com).

8 DECEMBER 2004

Ukraine, politics

Parliament passed electoral reforms and changes to presidential powers. The electoral reforms reportedly included tight restrictions on absentee and home voting. The President will no longer appoint the government, but retains the power to reject parliament’s nominees for prime minister, foreign minister and defense minister (AP).

Venezuela

There was a riot by several hundred in Caracas when street vendors violently resisted police efforts to remove vendors’ stalls near banks and subway stations (Reuters).

10-11 DECEMBER 2004

Portugal, politics

On the 10th, President Jorge Sampaio dissolved parliament and called new elections for 20 February 2005. The next day, Prime Minister Pedro Santana Lopes announced the resignation of the government. It will continue in a caretaker role until the elections. There had been a series of embarrassments for the ‘conservative’ government, and feuding had beset both its own members and its relations with the Socialist President (AP).

11 DECEMBER 2004

Taiwan, politics

In parliamentary elections, the opposition retained its majority in the Legislative Yuan. The Pan-Blue Alliance of the Kumointang Party (KMT), the People’s First Party (PFP) and the New Party won 114 of the body’s 225 seats. The Pan-Green Alliance of President Chen Shui-bian's Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) won 101 seats (IFES, CNN.com).

Colombia

Security forces captured Ramiro Velez, a regional leader of the National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels, in Chachaui, about 480 km southwest of Bogota (AP).

12 DECEMBER 2004

Romania, politics

In the presidential runoff, Traian Basescu won 51.2% of the vote; Prime Minister Adrian Nastase won 48.8% (IFES).

Philippines

A bomb blast in General Santos on Mindanao Island killed 14 (CNN.com).

Egypt

About 1000 people demonstrated in Cairo against President Hosni Mubarak (AP).

15 DECEMBER 2004

Iraq

A bomb killed seven people near the Imam Hussein mosque in Karbala (CNN.com).

16 DECEMBER 2004

Israel

Prime Minister Sharon said there was a good chance in 2005 for progress in negotiations with the Palestinians, and that "We can reach a situation where terror will stop being such a tangible threat to the well-being of the citizens of Israel....The Palestinians can then also live in dignity and freedom in an independent state, and, together with us, enjoy good neighborly relations, while cooperating for the good of both our peoples." He also said the alternative "of one nation, where one rules over another, would be a horrible disaster for both peoples." At the same time, Sharon stated three of what he called Israel’s most essential interests – no return to Israel’s 1967 borders, retention of large settlement blocks in the West Bank, and no return of Palestinian refugees to Israel (CNN.com).

17-18 DECEMBER 2004

Haiti

There were small clashes between rebels and police in Petit Goave, Miragoane and Mirebalais (AP).

19 DECEMBER 2004

Iraq

A suicide car bomb attack outside of the Imam Ali Mosque in Najaf killed 52 people and wounded 142. A car bomb in Karbala killed 16 (CNN.com).

20-21 DECEMBER 2004

Pakistan, civil affairs

There were large scale arrests of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) members, including PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari. On the 22nd Zardari was released on bail (CNN.com).

Europe, diplomatic affairs

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder (AP).

22 DECEMBER 2004

Middle East and North Africa, diplomatic affairs

Saudi Arabia announced it was withdrawing its ambassador to Libya and expelling Libya’s envoy over reports that Libya had planned to assassinate Crown Prince Abdullah (AP).

23 DECEMBER 2004

Afghanistan, politics

President Hamid Karzai named a new cabinet. The number of warlords was decreased. Defense Minister Mohammed Fahim was replaced by Abdul Rahim Wardak. The Foreign and Interior Ministers were unchanged. Habibullah Qaderi was named head of the new Counternarcotics Ministry (AP).

26 DECEMBER 2004

Asia and the Pacific

In the Indian Ocean, about 160 km from the coast of Sumatra island, Indonesia, a magnitude 9.15 earthquake sent shock waves in every direction. These shock waves, traveling at hundreds of miles per hour, slowed and developed into massive waves or tsunamis as they approached coastlines. These struck hard and caused major devastation and loss of life in Indonesia’s Aceh province on the northern tip of Sumatra, as well as in Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, The Maldvies and elsewhere. Over 176,000 people were killed and another 50,000 were listed as missing as of June 2005. Around 2.2 million were either left homeless or were forced to leave their homeland. There were 166,000 dead or missing in Aceh, 31,000 dead and 4,000 missing in Sri Lanka, 10,700 dead and 5,600 missing in India, and about 5,400 dead and 2,800 missing in Thailand. The earthquake was so powerful that even the east coast of Africa was affected.1

In the following weeks, a few thousand US military personnel were involved in relief operations in Indonesia and Sri Lanka. India also sent a small military contingent to Sri Lanka. It appeared that in Aceh government and rebel forces were able to at least temporarily cooperate in facilitating the distribution of aid (CNN.com).

Uzbekistan, politics

Parliamentary elections were held. The parties involved were all loyal to President Islam Karimov; opposition parties were barred from participating (AP).

26 DECEMBER 2004-24 JANUARY 2005

Ukraine, politics

The re-run of the presidential runoff was held on the 26th. Preliminary results showed a victory for Viktor Yushchenko over Prime Minister Victor Yanukovych, but Yanukovych disputed the result saying that a significant number of his supporters had been unable to vote. On the 31st Yanukovych resigned as Prime Minister but continued his legal challenge of the presidential election. On 5 January 2005 President Leonid Kuchma named Mykola Azarov acting prime minister. On 10 January the Central Election Commission said Yushchenko had won 52.0% of the vote and Yanukovych had won 44.2%. On the 23rd, Yushchenko was sworn into office. The next day he appointed Yulia Tymoshenko acting prime minister (CNN.com, AP).

27 DECEMBER 2004

Iraq

A suicide bomb attack in Baghdad on the headquarters of the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq killed six people (CNN.com).

30 DECEMBER 2004

Senegal

The government and the Movement of Casamance Democratic Forces rebel group signed a peace deal in Ziguinchor (AP).

31 DECEMBER 2004

Sudan

Government and SPLA officials signed a permanent cease-fire deal in Naivasha, Kenya. The agreement spells-out the implementation of previously-signed protocols on power- and wealth-sharing, disposition of military forces during the six-year transition period and the administration of disputed areas. The signing of the comprehensive peace deal was expected in January (AP).

Notes

1. "Anniversary stirs painful memories", CNN.com, 26 June 2005; "Ex-presidents: Don't forget commitment to tsunami relief", CNN.com, 19 February 2005.