Ghana September 21 Public Holiday Update

Sources: GNA (Accra) and Ghana public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Kwame Nkrumah Foundation (KNF) has renewed calls on Ghana's President, John Atta Mills, to declare a public holiday on September 21, the birth date of Ghana's first president, Kwame Nkrumah.

Nigeria's Yobe State Declares January 29-30 Public Holiday

Sources: The Guardian (Lagos) and Nigeria public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Director of Press Affairs for Nigeria's State of Yobe, Abdullahi Bego, announced that a two-day public holiday had been declared by the Yobe State government in honour of the immediate past governor, Alhaji Mamman Ali, who died on Tuesday.

Afghanistan Announces August 20 Presidential Election

Sources: Reuters (Kabul) and Afghanistan public holidays (qppstudio.net). Earlier today, the government of Afghanistan announced that the presidential elections, widely expected in late-April, had been pushed back to August 20, 2009.

Brazil's November 20 State Public Holiday Also Declared Void

Sources: Última Instância (Rio de Janeiro) and Brazil public holidays (qppstudio.net). Another public holiday in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro State has been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, which agreed with the Adin (Ação Direta de Inconstitucionalidade) 4091 that the state's declaration of a public holiday on November 20 was unconstitutional.

Switzerland Keeps May 1st Public Holiday In Zurich Canton

Sources: Tages Anzeiger (Zürich) and Switzerland public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Consultative Commission (Kommission des Kantonsrates) of Switzerland's Zürich Canton has rejected an SVP motion to cancel the May 1st public holiday and replace it with a "joker" holiday to be chosen from a shortlist of other possible commemorative dates.

Israel Declares February 10 Public Holiday

Sources: The Jerusalem Post (Jerusalem) and Israel public holidays (qppstudio.net). As we had forecast late last year, the government of Israel has announced that Tuesday, February 10, 2009, had been announced as a public holiday to coincide with that day's general elections.

Uganda's Opposition Calls For Scrapping Of NRM Public Holiday

Sources: Monitor Online (Kampala) and Uganda public holiday (qppstudio.net). Uganda's opposition Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) and Democratic Party have criticised the NRM Liberation Day celebrations saying that the January 26 public holiday is a partisan day and should be scrapped off the list of national holidays.

Botswana Election Day Public Holiday Update 2

Sources: Sunday Standard Reporter (Gaborone) and Botswana public holidays (qppstudio.net). The ruling Botswana Congress Party (BCP) has asked the Government to declare Election Day a public holiday so as to give everybody a chance to go to the polls.

Australia's PM Rules Out Australia Day Date Change

Sources: Herald Sun (Melbourne) and Australia public holidays (qppstudio.net). Both Australia's Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, and Opposition Leader, Malcolm Turnbull, have rejected calls to change the date of the Australia Day public holiday, made yesterday by 2009 Australian of the Year, Mick Dodson.

Australia Refusing To Confirm December 28 NSW Day In Lieu

Sources: The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) and Australia public holidays (qppstudio.net). The State Government of Australia's New South Wales, announced on Saturday that it would not commit to guarantee a day in lieu public holiday for Boxing Day, despite all other states declaring an official public holiday for Monday, December 28, 2009.

Iraq Announces Electoral Public Holidays

Sources: Zawya (Baghdad) and Iraq public holidays (qppstudio.net). Iraqi election officials have announced that Saturday, January 31, and Sunday, February 1st, 2009, had been declared public holidays throughout Iraq, on the occasion of the upcoming provincial elections.

Additional Lunar New Year Bank And Financial Holidays

Sources: Interfax TMT China (Shanghai) and China public holidays (qppstudio.net). Commodity, financial and stock markets in mainland China will close from Saturday, January 24 to Sunday, February 1, 2009, inclusively, due to the Chinese New Year holiday.

Indonesia Presidential Election Public Holiday Likely On July 9

Sources: ANTARA (Jakarta) and Indonesia public holidays (qppstudio.net). Indonesia's General Election Commission (KPU) member, Andi Nurpati, has said that the upcoming Presidential Election will probably occur on Thursday, July 9, 2009. Based on historical patterns, this date is expected to be declared a one-off public holiday in Indonesia.

Brazil Carnival Tuesday State Public Holiday Declared Illegal

Sources: Última Instância (Rio de Janeiro) and Brazil public holidays (qppstudio.net). The recent promotion of Carnival Tuesday from ponto facultativo to state public holiday, in the State of Rio de Janeiro, was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court (Supremo Tribunal Federal, STF).

Vietnam Bank And Financial Holiday January 30

Sources: Vietnam State Securities Commission (Hanoi) and Vietnam public holidays (qppstudio.net). The State Securities Commission has declared that Friday, January 30, 2009, would be a bank and financial exchange holiday in Vietnam.

Guatemala To Consider Moving Mid-Week Public Holidays

Sources: Prensa Libre (Guatemala City) and Guatemala public holidays (qppstudio.net). In a recent interview, Mariano Beltranena, the president of Guatemala's Chamber of Tourism (Cámara Guatemalteca de Turismo, or Camtur), has indicated that his organization will sponsor a new law to move mid-week public holidays to the nearest Friday or Monday, as is done in many other Latin American countries.

Pakistan's Punjab Province Releases Official List Of 2009 Public Holidays

Sources: The News (Lahore) and Pakistan public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Services Department of the government of Pakistan's Punjab Province has released it list of 11 official public holidays for 2009.

Mongolia Official Public Holidays List Review This Spring

Sources: Montsame Agency (Ulaanbaatar) and Mongolia public holidays (qppstudio.net). Mongolia's Parliament has approved a legislative agenda for the spring of 2009, which includes "Draft amendments to the law on national holidays and remarkable days".

Romania Considering January 24 Public Holiday

Sources: Ziare (Bucharest) and Romania public holidays (qppstudio.net). Romania's Social Democratic Party (Pesedistii) has prepared a draft law that would create a new annual official public holiday, ziua Micii Uniri, on January 24, the date when Wallachia and Moldavia were reunified in 1859.

Bhutan To Restore Blessed Rainy Day Public Holiday

Sources: Kuensel (Thimphu) and Bhutan public holidays (qppstudio.net). Earlier today, Bhutan's home minister, Lyonpo Minjur Dorji, announced that the holiday of Thrue bab (Blessed Rainy Day) will be restored as a public holiday.

Bangladesh Revises 2009 Muslim Public Holidays Dates

Sources: Central Bank of Bangladesh (Dhaka) and Bangladesh public holidays (qppstudio.net). Barely a week after issuing its list of 2009 public holidays, the government of Bangladesh has issued a decree changing the dates and duration of the 2 Eid public holidays.

Paraguay Could Restore San Blas Public Holiday

Sources: ABC Digital (Asunción) and Paraguay public holidays (qppstudio.net). Once again, Paraguay's religious and civil organisations are asking the government to restore as a full annual public holiday, the date of February 3, San Blas, the patron saint of Paraguay.

China Announces Date Of New Tibetan Public Holiday

Sources: AFP (Beijing) and China public holidays (qppstudio.net). China announced that, from this year onward, March 28, the date in 1959 when China announced the dissolution of the Tibetan government, would be an annual holiday officially called "Serfs Emancipation Day", to be commemorated in the Chinese Administrative Region of Tibet. It is still not clear, yet, if this will be a public holiday or not.

UK Parliamentarians Calling For Charles Darwin National Holiday

Sources: The Canadian Press (London) and UK public holidays (qppstudio.net). A group of 10 MP's, led by MP Ashok Kumar, is calling for February 12, the birthdate of Charles Darwin, to be made a new national holiday, to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the scientist's birth.

Australia Harmonizes ANZAC Day Public Holiday Day In Lieu Rules

Sources: Australian Associated Press (Melbourne) and Australia public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Council for the Australian Federation (CAF) has finally announced the long-awaited agreement to harmonize the treatment of the ANZAC Day public holiday, across all Australian states and territories, when ANZAC Day falls on a Sunday.

Malaysia Changes Date Of Negeri Sembilan State Public Holiday

Sources: Bernama (Seremban) and Malaysia public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Chief Executive (Menteri Besar) of Malaysia's State of Negeri Sembilan has announced that, following the recent death of its ruler (Yang di-Pertuan Besar) the State public holiday of July 19, corresponding to the former ruler's birthday would be moved to January 14, the birthday of the new ruler, Tuanku Muhriz ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir.

Chile Considering Moving Year-End Elections

Sources: Radio Infinita (Santiago) and Chile public holidays (qppstudio.net). A group of parliamentarians from both sides of the aisle have started discussing the possibility of moving the upcoming Presidential and Legislative Elections from Friday, December 11, to Sunday, December 13, 2009.

Nepal Committee To Review Official Public Holidays List

Sources: Republica (Kathmandu) and Nepal public holidays (qppstudio.net). Nepal's Home Secretary, Dr Govind Prasad Kusum, will head a four-member committee to review and systematize the declaration and duration of public holidays in Nepal.

Nepal Extends Maghe Sankranti Public Holiday Nationwide

Sources: Nepal Mountain News (Kathmandu) and Nepal public holidays (qppstudio.net). Late on Sunday, Nepal's Ministry of Culture and State Restructuring announced that this year's Maghe Sankranti public holiday would be observed nationally.

Bangladesh Announces List Of Official Public Holidays For 2009

Sources: bdnews24 (Dhaka) and Bangladesh public holidays (qppstudio.net). The newly elected government of Bangladesh has released the list of official public holidays for 2009, 13 of which have been gazetted and 9 others have been declared by executive order.

Israel Election Day Update

Sources: Haaretz (Tel Aviv) and Israel public holidays (qppstudio.net). An editorial in today's influential Haaretz newspaper makes the case for postponing the upcoming February 10 elections by 60 days. The Basic Law on the Knesset guarantees that Election Day be a national public holiday in Israel.

Indonesia Election Date In Question

Sources: Jakarta Globe (Jakarta) and Indonesia public holidays (qppstudio.net). Religious leaders in the East Nusa Tenggara Province have called on the General Elections Commission (KPU) to change the date for the upcoming, April 9, 2009, legislative elections, pointing out that April 9 is Maundy Thursday, the day before a national public holiday in Indonesia.

China Announces March 10th Public Holiday

Sources: Xinhua (Lhassa) and China public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Chinese government has announced that it plans to declare a one-off public holiday, "Serf Liberation Day", on Tuesday, March 10, 2009, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Tibetan rebellion of 1959.

Panama Announces Dates Of Presidential Inauguration

Presidencia de la República de Panamá (Panama City) and Panama public holidays (qppstudio.net). The date of the upcoming Presidential inauguration has been announced as Wednesday, July 1st, 2009. Inauguration day is an official public holiday in Panama.

Lithuania Days In Lieu Public Holidays Officially Canceled

Sources: Bank Of Lithuania (Private Communication) and Lithuania public holidays (qppstudio.net). The announced cancellation of days in lieu (giving a Monday public holiday when a fixed date public holiday falls on a weekend) has now been officially confirmed, beginning in 2009.

Australia ANZAC Day Public Holiday Confirmed Fixed In NT And QLD

Sources: ABC (Darwin) and Australia public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Chief Minister of Australia's Northern Territory State, Paul Henderson, has confirmed that as per the state public holidays law, no day in lieu public holiday would be given for ANZAC day which, in 2009, falls on a Saturday.

Philippines Announces Official List Of 2009 Public Holidays

Sources: ABS-CBN (Manila) and Philippines public holidays (qppstudio.net). Earlier today, Philippines President Gloria Macapal-Arroyo (PGMA) signed Proclamation 1699 which lists the official public holidays (sub-divided into regular holidays and special non-working days) in the Philippines for 2009.

Sierra Leone Urged To Declare January 6 Public Holiday

Sources: African Press Agency (Freetown) and Sierra Leone public holidays (qppstudio.net). On the occasion of yesterday's 10th anniversary of the sacking of Freetown by RUF-led rebel forces, the national coordinator of the Coalition des organisations de la société civile, Charles Mambu, has indicated that he would soon re-iterate its call for the government of Sierra Leone to declare January 6 an annual commemorative public holiday.

India Changes Muharram Public Holiday Date In Kerala State

Sources: Kerala Online (Thiruvananthapuram) and India public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of the Indian state of Kerala has announced that it was moving the date of the upcoming Muharram public holiday from January 8, as it had earlier announced, to Wednesday, January 7, 2009.

India Declares Public Holiday Tomorrow In Tripura State

Sources: ThaiIndian News (Agartala) and India public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of the Indian State of Tripura has declared a public holiday for tomorrow, Monday, January 5, 2009, as a mark of respect for the death of 2 prominent Tripura leaders.

Trinidad and Tobago Could Declare CHOGM Public Holiday

Sources: The Commonwealth Secretariat and Trinidad and Tobago public holidays (qppstudio.net). The Commonwealth Secretariat has announced the exact dates for the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM); it will be hosted in Port of Spain from Friday to Sunday, November 27 to 29, 2009. As we surmised after the 2005 CHOGM summit in Valletta, we expect the first day of the upcoming CHOGM, Friday, November 27, 2009, to be declared a one-off public holiday in Trinidad and Tobago.

UAE Declares 3-Day Public Sector Holidays

Sources: Reuters (Dubai) and UAE public holidays (qppstudio.net). UAE President, Sheikh Khalifah bin Zayed al-Nahayan, all government institutions to close for three days starting from today, following the death of the elderly ruler of Umm al-Quwain, the smallest of the seven emirates.

Macedonia Turkish Minority Public Holiday Date Being Reconsidered

Sources: FOCUS Information Agency (Skopje) and Macedonia public holidays (qppstudio.net). Erdogan Sarac, the leader of the Movement for National Unification of Turks in Macedonia, is petitioning the Macedonian government for it to change the date of the public holiday accorded to the ethnic Turkish minority.

Australia Announces Dates Of NT Local Public Holidays

Sources: Northern Territory State Government Gazette (Darwin) and Australia public holidays (qppstudio.net). The government of the Australia Northern Territory State has gazetted the list of 2009 official public holidays throughout the state, including the local public holidays.

Philippines Could Move Rizal Day Public Holiday To June

Sources: Newsbreak (Manila) and Philippines public holidays (qppstudio.net). Consolidated House Bill 5408, was passed on third reading by the Philippines House of Representatives on December 10, 2008, and would move the observance of the Rizal Day public holiday from December 30 (the date of Rizal's execution) to June 19 (Rizal's birthday).

Iraq Henceforth To Declare January 1st As "Sovereignty Day"

Sources: The Arab Monitor (Baghdad) and Iraq public holidays (qppstudio.net). Iraq's prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, announced that he would ask the Council of Ministers and the Presidency Council to declare January 1st as a national holiday, from now, called "Sovereignty Day".

China Considering May Golden Week Public Holidays In Guangdong Province

Sources: China Daily (Guangzhou) and China public holidays (qppstudio.net). China's Guangdong provincial Governor, Huang Huahua, announced that Guangdong Province might extend the upcoming May Day public holidays to last for a week to boost tourism and stimulate domestic consumption amid the financial crisis.