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Takeshita, Noboru

(Encyclopedia)Takeshita, Noboru täkĕshˈtä [key], 1924–2000, Japanese politician, b. Kakeya. The son of a sake brewer, he was first elected to parliament in 1958 and served as chief cabinet secretary, construc...

Pindling, Sir Lynden Oscar

(Encyclopedia)Pindling, Sir Lynden Oscar, 1930–2000, prime minister of the Bahamas (1967–92). The son of a policeman, he received a law degree (1952) from London Univ. As leader of the Progressive Liberal party...

De Gasperi, Alcide

(Encyclopedia)De Gasperi, Alcide älchēˈdā dā gäˈspārē [key], 1881–1954, Italian premier and a founder of the Christian Democratic party. Born in the Trentino—then under Austria—he represented Italian...

Gomułka, Władysław

(Encyclopedia)Gomułka, Władysław vwädĭsˈwäf gəmo͝oˈkə [key], 1905–82, Polish Communist leader. Long a Communist, he helped establish the Polish Workers' party and was (1943–49) secretary of its centr...

Martin, Paul Edgar Philippe, Jr.

(Encyclopedia)Martin, Paul Edgar Philippe, Jr., 1938–, Canadian politician, prime minister (2003–6) of Canada, b. Windsor, Ont. The scion of a politically active family (his father served in parliament and ran ...

Kumaratunga, Chandrika Bandaranaike

(Encyclopedia)Kumaratunga, Chandrika Bandaranaike chŭnˈdrēkə bändränīˈkē ko͞omärˌəto͝ongˈgə [key], 1945–, Sri Lankan politician, president of Sri Lanka (1994–2005). The daughter of two former pr...

Stoph, Willi

(Encyclopedia)Stoph, Willi vĭlˈē shtôf [key], 1914–99, East German political leader. A member of the German Communist party from 1931, he helped build the East German Socialist Unity (Communist) party after W...

Deve Gowda, H. D.

(Encyclopedia)Deve Gowda, H. D. (Haradanahalli Dodde Gowda Deve Gowda) härˌədänˌəhäˈlē dōˈdā dāˈvā gouˈdə [key], 1933–, Indian political leader, prime minister of India (1996–97), b. Haradanaha...

Hun Sen

(Encyclopedia)Hun Sen ho͝on sĕn [key], 1952–, Cambodian political leader, premier of Cambodia (1985–93, 1998–; second premier, 1993–98). A member of the Khmer Rouge from 1970, he fled to Vietnam with Heng...

González Márquez, Felipe

(Encyclopedia)González Márquez, Felipe fəlēˈpā gōnthäˈlĕth [key], 1942–, Spanish political leader. After joining (1962) what was then the Spanish Socialist Workers' party, González became (1974) its se...