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Sharif, Nawaz

(Encyclopedia)Sharif, Nawaz näwäzˈ shärēfˈ [key], 1949–, Pakistani politician; grad. Government College, Lahore; Punjab Univ. Law College. Born into a prominent Lahore business family, he was by 1980 direct...

Ahern, Bertie

(Encyclopedia)Ahern, Bertie (Bartholomew Patrick Ahern) əhûrnˈ [key], 1951–, Irish politician, prime minister of the Republic of Ireland (1997–2008). Born into a working-class family, he studied accounting a...

Liberal party, Canadian political party

(Encyclopedia)Liberal party, Canadian political party. Prior to confederation in 1867, reform parties advocating greater local participation in provincial governments, free trade, and increased separation of church...

Abhisit Vejjajiva

(Encyclopedia)Abhisit Vejjajiva äpēˈsĭt wāchäˈchēwä [key], 1964–, Thai politician, prime minister of Thailand (2008–11), b. Newcastle, England. Born into a wealthy Thai-Chinese family, Abhisit was educ...

Modi, Narendra Damodardas

(Encyclopedia)Modi, Narendra Damodardas närĕnˈdrä dämōdärdäsˈ mōdē [key], 1950–, Indian politician. A member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, a right-wing, paramilitary Hindu nationalist group and t...

Yingluck Shinawatra

(Encyclopedia)Yingluck Shinawatra yēngˈlŭkˈ shĭˈnäwät [key] 1967–, Thai business executive and political leader, first female prime minister of Thailand (2011–14), grad. Chiang Mai Univ. (B.A., 1988), K...

Prachanda

(Encyclopedia)Prachanda po͞oshˈpä kəmälˈ dəhäl [key], 1954–, Nepalese military and political leader, prime minister of Nepal (2008–9, 2016–17). Born into a Brahmin family, he earned a degree in agricu...

Ponta, Victor

(Encyclopedia)Ponta, Victor vēkˈtôr pônˈtä [key], 1972–, Romanian lawyer and politician, Ph.D. Univ. of Bucharest Law School, 2003. Ponta has taught at the Romanian-American Univ. of Bucharest (1996–98, 2...

premier

(Encyclopedia)premier: see prime minister.

Desai, Morarji Ranchhodji

(Encyclopedia)Desai, Morarji Ranchhodji dĕsīˈ [key], 1896–1995, Indian political leader. He joined the government in 1956, becoming minister of finance (1958–63). He returned to government in 1967 as deputy...