Chile To Consider Moving July 16 Public Holiday

Sources: Terra Networks (Valparaíso) and Chile public holidays (qppstudio.net). A draft law has been submitted for review to Chile's Comisión de Gobierno Interior by the parliamentarians Enrique Accorsi, Germán Becker, Francisco Chahuán, Gonzalo Duarte and Marco Enríquez-Ominami. This law would make the day of the observance of the recently declared Día de la Virgen del Carmen (July 16) move to the following Monday if it occurs on mid-week weekday (as is the case for other public holidays, such as the October 12 public holiday).

Currently, the July 16 public holiday, which replaced the Corpus Christi public holiday, beginning in 2007, remains on the exact date of July 16, as it is considered a religious holiday. But the proponents of the current bill have argued that observing the Día de la Virgen del Carmen is not part of the Catholic church's precepts, and thus it can be considered a civil holiday whose observance can be moved.

Parliamentarians of all parties had earlier written a letter to the president of the Conferencia Episcopal de Chile, Monseñor Alejandro, asking him for his official position on the matter, but to this date no reply has been received.

Uruguay Considering One-Off 2009 Public Holiday In Paso de los Toros

Sources: Diario El País (Montevideo) and Uruguay public holidays (qppstudio.net). A bill has been introduced to the Parliament of Uruguay which would declare April 17, 2009, a one-off public holiday in Paso de los Toros, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1959 inundations.

Note that law Nº 17.238 of 2000 already makes April 17th an annual Día Nacional de la Solidaridad, but this is only a commemorative day, not a public holiday as the new bill would have it for 2009.

Azerbaijan Confirms Dates Of Upcoming Ramazan Bayram Public Holiday

Sources: Azerbaijan Press Agency (APA) and Azerbaijan public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Press Officer of the Azerbaijan Cabinet of Ministers, Akif Ali, has announced that the dates for the upcoming Ramazan Bayram (End of Ramadan) public holiday, had been confirmed as Tuesday, September 30, and Wednesday, October 1, 2008.

Based on past practices, as the announced dates begin on a Tuesday, we think it likely that, in the coming weeks, the Azerbaijan government will announce that Monday, September 29, 2008, is a one-off bridge public holiday, to be compensated by having a regular working day on Saturday, September 27, 2008.

Update (September 23) The spokesman for the Cabinet of Ministers, Akif Ali, has announced that the day of Monday, September 29, 2008, had been declared a one-off bridge public holiday, to link the weekend to the Ramazam Bayram (End of Ramadan) public holiday. However, in compensation, Saturday, September 27, 2008 has been declared a regular working day.

Azerbaijan Presidential Election Will Be A Public Holiday

Sources: APA (Baku) and Azerbaijan public holidays (qppstudio.net). A spokesman for the Azerbaijan Central Election Commission, Azer Sariyev, announced that according to item 8.2 of the Electoral Code, the date of the upcoming presidential election, Wednesday, October 15, 2008, would be a non-working day (ie. a public holiday).

Trinidad and Tobago PM Deems September 8 Public Holiday "Very Unlikely"

Sources: Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday and Trinidad and Tobago public holidays (qppstudio.net). Asked about the much-rumoured September 8 public holiday to honor the 4x100m relay team's silver medal, Trinidad and Tobago's PM, Patrick Manning, said that while Cabinet was yet to decide on the best method by which to honour the achievement, he thought that the declaration of a one-off public holiday was "very unlikely".

Kyrgyzstan Declares August 26 National Day Of Mourning

Sources: China Daily and Kyrgyzstan public holidays (qppstudio.net). Following last week-end's plane crash in which 65 people died, Kyrgyzstan's President, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, ordered a day of national mourning for Tuesday, August 26. On that day, flags will fly at half mast on public buildings and shows, theaters and cinemas will close for the day as a mark of respect for the dead, but it will not be a public holiday.

Argentina Introduces Law Moving October 12 Weekend Public Holiday

Sources: La Nación and Argentina public holidays (qppstudio.net) and our post of August 22. The Minister of the Interior, Florencio Randazzo, has finally released the text of the draft bill sent to Parliament concerning the amendment of law 23.555 to allow for the moving of the October 12 Día de la Raza public holiday to the next Monday, if it falls on a Saturday or Sunday, making the change permanent for years to come.

Nigeria's Jigawa State Establishes New Annual State Holiday

Sources: Triumph (Dutse) and Nigeria public holidays (qppstudio.net). Nigeria's Jigawa State Governor, Sule Lamido, has announced that, starting in 2008, August 27th would become an annual public holiday in Jigawa State. This date corresponds with the anniversary of the day the state was created in 1991.

Zambia Could Declare A Public Holiday On September 3

Sources: Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) and Zambia public holidays (qppstudio.net). The president of the Zambia Congress of Trade Unions (ZCTU), Leonard Hikaumba, has called on the Government of Zambia to declare a one-off national non-working public holiday on Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008, on the day of the funeral of President Levy Mwanawasa.

The government of Zambia has not reacted yet to this, and other similar requests, but we think that is is likely that a public holiday will be declared on Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008, in Zambia.

Update (Monday, August 25) Acting Zambian president, Rupiah Banda, declared as a public holiday Wednesday, September 3, 2008, the day on which the late President Levy Mwanawasa is to be interred, and which would have been his 60th birthday.

Malaysia Declares August 26 Penang State Public Holiday

Sources: New Straits Times and Malaysia public holidays (qppstudio.net). After much back and forth (our post of August 22), Malaysia's Penang State Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng, has instructed the Penang State Government to declare Tuesday, August 26, 2008, as a one-off, public holiday throughout the State of Penang, on the occasion of the Permatang Pauh by-election.

Saudi Arabia Public Sector Upcoming Eid Holiday To Last 13 Days

Sources: Al Watan (Dammam) and Saudi Arabia public holidays (qppstudio.net). Basing itself on Article 4 of the Vacations List issued by the Civil Service Council in 1426 AH (AD 2005), the Government of Saudi Arabia has declared Wednesday, September 24, 2008, as a one-off public holiday for the public sector, to bridge the 1-day gap between the National Day public holiday, and the beginning of the Eid al-Fitr holiday for the government and public service. This means that government and public sector employees will benefit from holidays for 13 consecutive days, from Tuesday, September 23, to Sunday, October 5, 2008.

Liberia Declares Day In Lieu For Flag Day Public Holiday

Sources: Liberia Broadcasting System (Monrovia) and Liberia public holidays (qppstudio.net). Although the Liberia Public Holidays Act does not address the issue of public holidays that occur on a week-end, earlier today, the Liberian Foreign Ministry released a statement saying that since August 24th falls on Sunday, this year, a day in lieu public holiday is to be officially observed on Monday, August 25, 2008.

Argentina President To Declare October 13 Day In Lieu Public Holiday

Sources: Tucumán Noticias (San Miguel de Tucumán) and Argentina public holidays (qppstudio.net). Argentine President, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, confirmed earlier rumours that she would decree Monday, October 13, 2008, as a day in lieu public holiday to compensate the fact that the Día de la Raza public holiday falls on a Sunday in 2008.

It is not clear, yet, if this is to be a permanent change or not, but in any case the issue will not come up again until 2013, when the Día de la Raza public holiday falls on a Saturday, and in 2014 when the Día de la Raza public holiday falls on a Sunday again.

Azerbaijan Holiday For State Security Employees

Sources: Azerbaijan Business Center (Baku) and Azerbaijan public holidays (qppstudio.net). A presidential decree, signed yesterday by President Ilham Aliyev, establishes August 23 as the annual Professional Holiday of employees of the State Security Service.

This will not be a general public holiday, and as the presidential press-service release states that it will be observed on Saturday, August 23, 2008, it will most likely not even be a day off for state security employees (otherwise this year's observance would have been moved to the following Monday).

Pakistan Announces September 6 Presidential Election

Sources: Xinhua and Pakistan public holidays (qppstudio.net). Earlier today, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) announced that the presidential election will be held on Saturday, September 6, 2008. We expect that day to be declared a general public holiday (civil servants do not work on Saturdays in Pakistan).

Malaysia: Possible Election Day Public Holiday In Penang State

Sources: The New Straits Times and Malaysia public holidays (qppstudio.net). Speaking to reporters, earlier today, Penang State Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng, said that he may yet declare a election day one-off state-wide public holiday, on Tuesday, August 26, 2008.

Update (August 23) In the end, it was announced by Education Director-General, Datuk Alimuddin Mohd Dom, that the Tuesday, August 26, 2008, special polling day holiday would be limited to all primary, secondary and government-aided schools in the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency. After consultations with Education Minsiter, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, it was decided that the lost school day would not need to be compensated.

Botswana Moving Towards Election Day Public Holiday

Sources: The Daily News and Botswana public holidays (qppstudio.net). During the parliamentary debate on the "Electoral (Amendment) Bill" this week, the MP for Selebi-Phikwe West, Mr Kavis Kario, supported by the MP for Lobatse, Mr Nehemiah Modubule, introduced an amendment, which among other things, would make election day a public holiday in Botswana (the next legislative and presidential elections are expected to occur in October 2009).

Nigeria: Renewed Calls For Traditional Public Holidays

Sources: The Nigerian Tribune and Nigeria public holidays (qppstudio.net). Chief Ifalere Adedosu, of the Adimula Improvement Movement, has added his voice to those asking the federal government of Nigeria to declare at least one public holiday for traditional African religions, considering that "imported" religions such as Christianity and Islam, already each have one or more official federal public holidays. The festival suggested is August 20th, the celebration day of Isese festival, where all the traditional religious group gather to worship divinities and the supreme being.

Bhutan Coronation And Centenary Holidays Likely To Last 7 Days

Sources: The Bhutan Times and Bhutan public holidays (qppstudio.net). According to a draft document released by the National Steering Committee for the Coronation and Centenary Celebrations (NSCCC), the 3-day coronation public holiday, announced on August 4, will be extended by 2 additional days (November 10 and 12, 2008) giving the people of Bhutan a 7-day long public holiday on the occasion of the upcoming coronation and centenary celebrations (November 11 is already a public holiday in Bhutan).

Antigua and Barbuda Half-Day Public Holiday On September 1st

Sources: The Antigua Sun and Antigua and Barbuda public holidays (qppstudio.net). Yesterday, Prime Minister, Baldwin Spencer, announced that cabinet had approved a recommendation making Monday, September 1, 2008, a one-off, half day national public holiday to be observed as a day of prayer and fasting by the entire nation.

This follows a series of recent crimes and calls by the representatives from many church and women's groups asking the government to declare a national holiday to allow the people to assemble as one to repent, both for their own and the nation’s sins and seek God’s blessings.

Argentina Considering Amending Law On Movable Public Holidays

Sources: La Capital (Mar del Plata) and Argentina public holidays (qppstudio.net). During yesterday's visit of Argentina's President, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, to Mar del Plata, the topic of the upcoming Día de la Raza public holiday was raised. Advisers close to the President, speaking off-record, said that there was a high likelihood ("hay muchísimas chances") that the President would approve the creation of a day in lieu public holiday on Monday, October 13, 2008, to compensate for the fact that this year's Día de la Raza public holiday falls on a Sunday, and considering what a success the recent August 18 public holiday long week-end was.

In Argentina, the observance and dates for the Día de la Raza public holiday are regulated by laws 23.555 and 24.455 which mandate that the public holiday's observance be moved to the nearest Monday if October 12 falls mid-week, but keeps the October 12 date if that date falls on a week-end.

Panama Declares Olympic Medal Public Holiday

Sources: El Sendero del Peje (Panamá) and Panama public holidays (qppstudio.net). Panama's President, Martín Torrijos Espino, has declared Thursday, August 21, 2008, a one-off public holiday to celebrate the return on Panamanian soil of Irving Saladino, the first Olympic gold medallist of Panama's history. The decree is, by law limited to the public sector and to schools and educational establishments, but the private sector is expected to follow the holiday.

Jamaica's PM Considering Public Holiday To Celebrate Olympic Medals

Sources: Reuters and Jamaica public holidays (qppstudio.net). Earlier tonight, Bruce Golding, the Prime Minister of Jamaica, told Reuters he hoped to declare a national public holiday after the current Olympic Games to celebrate the island's success (as of tonight, Jamaica has collected seven athletics medals, including golds in three sprints).

Romania To Consider Adding Dormition Public Holiday

Sources: The Press Bureau Of The Romanian Patriarchate (Bucarest) and Romania public holidays (qppstudio.net). On the recent feast of the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God (August 15, aka. Assumption), His Beatitude Daniel, Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, announced that he had filed a request with the Romanian Parliament to make August 15 one of the Romanian legal public holidays.

Philippines May Yet Again Review Its Holidays Law

Sources: Philippine Daily Inquirer (Manila) and Philippines public holidays (qppstudio.net). Philippines Senator, Benigno Aquino III (aka. “Noynoy”), has announced that he will soon introduce legislation to change the "holiday economics" policy mandated by last year's Republic Act No. 9492, which moves certain public holidays, except those religious in nature, to form three-day weekends to encourage travel and leisure spending (see our post of July 25, 2007).

Two of the public holidays that Senator Aquino III specifically mentioned as it not being proper to move were Independence Day (June 12) and the anniversary date of the assassination of his father, Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr., on August 21.

UK Government Responds To Calls For New Annual Public Holiday

Sources: The official site of the Prime Minister's Office and UK public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of the United Kingdom has posted an official response to last year's e-petition “... to create a new public holiday, the National Remembrance Holiday to commemorate The Fallen and our Nation, with the holiday falling on the second Monday in November each year, the day after Remembrance Sunday”.

The response does not dismiss the idea of an additional annual public holiday (called bank holidays in the UK), but does point out that the Royal British Legion, and many others, feel that a public holiday, and associated drinking and merry-making, close to Remembrance Day, would be inappropriate. Some alternatives mentioned in the response would be VE-Day (May 8), D-Day (June 6) or the current Veterans' Day (June 27).

Kuwait Draft Law Making Last 10 Days Of Ramadan An Official Religious Holiday

Sources: Al Watan (Kuwait City) and Kuwait public holidays (qppstudio.net). A draft law presented by MPs Faisal AlـMislem, Jamaan AlـHarbash, Ali AlـOmair and Abdullatif AlـOmairi, would add a new Article 23 to Amiri decree 15/1979, stipulating that the last ten days of Ramadan (September 21-30, in 2008) to be an official religious holiday.

Canada's NB PM Rejects Calls For Acadian Day Public Holiday

Sources: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (Moncton, NB) and Canada public holidays (qppstudio.net). Reacting to renewed calls to have August 15, Acadian Day, made into a provincial, if not national, public holiday, New Brunswick's provincial Premier, Shawn Graham, indicated that this was not a priority for his government.

This leaves supporters of this new public holiday with the hope that the 2009 federal elections bring the leader of the federal opposition party, Stéphane Dion, to power ... and that he keeps the promise he made last year (our post of August 17, 2007).

Australia Extends Melbourne Cup Public Holiday To Entire Victoria State

Sources: The Advertiser (Bendigo, VIC) and Australia public holidays (qppstudio.net). As announced last year by the Victoria State government (see our post of November 9, 2007), it introduced the Public Holidays Amendment Bill 2008 to compensate regional Victorians in 28 regional councils which do not observe the Melbourne Cup public holiday or offer an alternative paid day off.

This bill, which amends the Public Holidays Act 1993, will bring bring these 28 rural councils in line with the 31 metropolitan councils which celebrate Melbourne Cup Day on the first Tuesday in November, giving all Victorian 11 public holidays a year instead of 10.

The aforementioned legislation would also clear up uncertainty about public holidays falling on a weekend, including New Year's Day, Australia Day, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Argentina's Chubut Province Proposes Public Holiday For Restoration of Democracy's 25th Anniversary

Sources: Chubut Government Website and Argentina public holidays (qppstudio.net). A group of UCR deputies in Argentina's Chubut Parliament has introduced a bill to make Thursday, October 30, 2008, a one-off provincial public holiday to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the restoration of democracy in Argentina.

Vietnam September 1 Bank And Financial Bridge Holiday

Sources: Vietnam State Securities Commission (Hanoi) and Vietnam public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Vietnam State Securities Commission has declared that, due to the Tuesday, September 2, public holiday, Monday, September 1, 2008, would be an exchange holiday in Vietnam which means that there will be no trading, settlement and clearing activity on this date, and the Vietnam Securities Depository, the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange and the Hanoi Securities Trading Center will be closed.

Banks are generally expected to follow suit, and it is still possible that the government will declare a general bridge public holiday on Monday, September 1, 2008. We will publish an update as soon as this is confirmed or infirmed.

Philippines Declares Upcoming Regional and Municipal Public Holidays

Sources: Philippines' Presidency Website and Philippines public holidays (qppstudio.net). Philippines' President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (PGMA) has declared a series of upcoming dates as special non-working public holidays in five cities, one municipality and one province. These are, Friday, August 15 (Tuguegarao), Wednesday, August 20 (Lucena), Saturday, august 30 (Mandaue), Friday, August 22 (Davao), Thursday, August 28 (Cagayan de Oro), Tuesday, August 19 (municipality of Angono, Rizal), and Tuesday, September 2 (Albay province).

Bulgaria Declares August 15 Regional Public Holiday

Sources: Cabinet Decree and Bulgaria public holidays (qppstudio.net). A recent Cabinet Decree has made Friday, August 15, 2008, a one-off municipal public holiday in the Black Sea city of Varna which, on this date, celebrates its holiday. This is also the date when the day when the Bulgarian Orthodox Church marks the Assumption of the Holy Mother.

Georgia Declares August 12 Bank Holiday

Sources: JSC Bank of Georgia (Tblisi) and Georgia public holidays (qppstudio.net). Nicholas Enukidze, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Central Bank of Georgia, announced late last night that the government of Georgia had declared a one-off bank holiday for today, Tuesday August 12, 2008.

Bangladesh Officially Restores August 15 Public Holiday

Sources: bdnews24 (Dhaka) and Bangladesh public holidays (qppstudio.net). Earlier today, Syed Fahim Munaim, chief spokesman for the head of the interim government of Bangladesh, announced that, at a regular weekly meeting of the council of advisers, with Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed in the chair, it had decided to restore the date of August 15th as an annual government holiday and national day of mourning.

This follows last month's High Court ruling that judged illegal the 2002 cancellation of this public holiday by the government of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia (our post of July 27).

At the same meeting, the council-of-advisers also approved timetable for government offices for the upcoming holy month of Ramadan (estimated to be from September 2nd to October 1st, 2008); government offices will run from 9 am to 3:30 pm from Sunday to Thursday with Johr prayer break from 1:15 pm to 1:30 pm. Fridays and Saturdays will remain as government weekly holidays.

Spain's Melilla Will Not Observe Feast Of Sacrifice As Public Holiday In 2009

Sources: Melilla Hoy and Spain public holidays (qppstudio.net). Recall, from our post of July 24, that both the CpM and local Socialist parties had petitioned the government of Spain's autonomous region of Melilla to make the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha (Feast of Sacrifice, known locally as Pascua del Sacrificio or Aid El Kebir) one of the region's 2 self-determined public holidays in 2008 and more recently for 2009.

On Friday, the Governing Council of the autonomous region of Melilla, through its spokesperson, Daniel Conesa, has announced that the 2 regional public holidays for 2009 would remain the same as in the past. It justified its decision not to include the Eid al-Adha Muslim festival as one of the region's regional public holidays by the fact that the dates of Muslim festivals cannot be predicted in advance and are always subject to last-minute changes by religious authorities.

The government spokesperson did however say that the municipal government would treat the date of the 2009 Aid El Kebir as a school holiday (día no lectivo) and enjoined the region's government to do the same.

Philippines Declares August 8 and 11 Public Holidays In Muslim Regions

Sources: GMA News and Philippines public holidays (qppstudio.net). Earlier today, Executive Secretary, Eduardo R. Ermita, signed Proclamation 1578, declaring Friday, August 8, and Monday, August 11, as non-working holidays in the ARMM (Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao) where elections will be held, as well as in Cotabato and Isabela cities, areas where the counting of votes will be held.

Maldives Declares Public Holiday For Tomorrow's Constitution Ratification

Sources: High Commission of the Republic of Maldives in the United Kingdom (London) and Maldives public holidays (qppstudio.net). As we had anticipated in our post of July 30, the President of the Maldives, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, has declared tomorrow, Thursday, August 7, 2008, a one-off public holiday in the Maldives to coincide with the ratification of the new Constitution. Note that, as weekends are Friday/Saturday in the Maldives, this means a 3-day holiday.

China's Capital Declares August 8 Public Holiday

Sources: The Times (London) and China public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Beijing municipal government has declared Friday, August 8, 2008, the day of the Olympics' opening ceremony, a one-off municipal public holiday.

Hong Kong Bank, Financial, School And Government Closings Today

Sources: Bloomberg (Hong Kong) and Hong Kong public holidays (qppstudio.net). Earlier this morning, the level 8 cyclone warning was raised in Hong Kong, in expectation of cyclone Kammuri's passage later in the day. In response, the government of Hong Kong closed government offices and schools for the day.

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange also extended its earlier morning-only suspension of trading to also include the afternoon session, and the Hong Kong Association of Banks announced that all banks in the Hong Kong will be closed for the day.

In addition, Cathay Pacific has announced that it would cancel all flights from 4pm to 8pm today. Other airlines have also canceled flight from and to Hong Kong.

Venezuela Adopts Law To Move Public Holidays To Nearest Weekend

Sources: Ministerio de Comunicación e Información (Caracas) and Venezuela public holidays (qppstudio.net). A revised organic law of tourism (Gaceta Oficial Extraordinaria 5.889 del 31 de julio) includes, for the first time in Venezuela, the concept of moving mid-week public holidays to the nearest weekend, to promote internal tourism.

Article 7 of the aforementioned law stipulates that, subject to case-by-case decrees, when a public holiday in Venezuela occurs on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, then it may be moved to adjoin the nearest weekend.

As with any organic law, the devil is in the details (ie. the implementation decrees) and we will publish a detailed follow-up update as soon as we obtain them from the qppstudio.net contacts in Venezuela.

Bhutan Announces Dates Of Upcoming Coronation Public Holiday

Sources: Bhutan Government Portal and Bhutan public holidays (qppstudio.net). The coronation ceremony of His Majesty the King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck will be held at the Tashichhodzong on the 8th Day of the 9th Bhutanese month of the Earth Male Rat year corresponding to November 6, 2008. The coronation ceremony will be followed by two days of celebrations at the Changlingmithang stadium.

The 3 days, from Thursday, November 6, to Saturday, November 8, 2008, have been announced as public holidays in Bhutan, according to a press release issued be the Royal Civil Service commission of Bhutan (note that the public holidays page on the Government portal, although labeled as 2008, actually refer to 2007 dates).

The date of the coronation was chosen after the Prime Minister of Bhutan consulted three enlightened astrologers: Lopon Samten Dorji, the head of the institute of Buddhists studies, Lopon Zungjug, the astrologer of the Central Monk Body and Lopon Ugyen Dorji, the principal of the institute of astrology in Pangrizampa, who jointly proposed that the 8th day of the 9th month of the Earth male rat year to be the most auspicious date for the coronation.

Bangladesh's BNP Demands May 30 Public Holiday And Restoration Of November 7 Public Holiday

Sources: The Financial Express (Dhaka) and Bangladesh public holidays (qppstudio.net). Following the Awami League's (AL) recent victory in getting the Bangladesh High Court to force the government to restore the August 15 public holiday commemorating the death of Bangladesh's founding father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (our post of July 27, 2008), the AL's erstwhile foe, the BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) has in turn petitioned the current caretaker government to restore the BNP November 7 trademark public holiday which was cancelled last year (our post of November 29, 2007).

In addition, the BNP also requested the current caretaker government to declared May 30 an annual public holiday to commemorate the date on which the party's founder and former president, Ziaur Rahman, was assassinated in 1981.

Recall that the 2 main competing political parties, since Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan, have been the AL and the BNP, whose founders were both assassinated. Thus, since the 1970's, when the AL comes to power, the November 7 public holiday is replaced by the August 15 public holiday, and vice-versa when the BNP was in power. However, since the inconclusive elections of 2006, a transitional caretaker government is at the helm and trying to please all sides (or at least displease no one), not an easy feat in Bangladesh.

Spain's La Rioja Region Changes 2009 Regional Public Holidays

Sources: larioja.com (Logroño) and Spain public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of Spain's autonomous region of La Rioja has released the list of its 2009 public holidays. This year, the traditional regional public holiday of Santiago Apostol (July 25) will be replaced by San José (March 19) while the bridge day of December 7, sandwiched between the public holidays of December 6 and 8, will also be a public holiday.

An earlier online polling initiative (our post of June 22) had indicated a preference by voters for the 2 regional public holidays to be San José and Easter Monday.

American Samoa Declares August 4th Government Public Holiday

Sources: KHJ Radio News (Pago Pago) and American Samoa public holidays (qppstudio.net). American Samoa Governor, Togiola Tulafono, has declared Monday, August 8, 2008, a government public holiday to celebrate and thank everyone in the Territory for making the recent 10th Festival of the Pacific Arts a huge success.

Niue Closed For Business During Upcoming PIFLS Summit

Sources: Niue Government and Niue public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Government of Niue has announced that the country would not be able to accommodate any visitors during the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Summit (PIFLS) which will be hosted in Niue from August 19-21, 2008.