Leaders Whose Sudden Resignations Shocked Their Nations, Parties. A List

As the world woke up to the news of New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s resignation on Thursday, many in New Zealand as well as her fans across the globe were surprised with her decision.

Ardern’s resignation comes at a time when the Labour Party is preparing for the upcoming elections in October. A leader with a strong global image, Ardern, however, faced difficulties as she struggled to reduce child poverty and lessen incarceration rates among New Zealand’s indigenous Maori population.

However, her resignation was surprising for her party and those who follow New Zealand politics closely. Some expected her to concede that her objectives were not fulfilled but did not fathom a sudden resignation.

Ardern has not been the only leader to announce sudden resignation. Several other leaders also resigned without any prior notice throwing their parties into disarray.

Here is a small list of leaders who resigned in a similar fashion:

• Peru: Former prime minister Salomon Lerner resigned on December 10, 2011 without any prior notice bringing down his entire cabinet along with him. His sudden resignation was precipitated by unrest over protests against plans for a huge, open-cast gold and copper mine.
• Kazakhstan: This was most probably the most high-profile sudden resignation, as far as sudden resignations go. Nursultan Nazarbayev, strongman president of Kazakhstan who even shifted the capital to a city named after him decided on March 19, 2019, to step down from his post. He gave up his power after three decades but it is alleged that he continues to pull the strings and influence the functioning of the government.
• Israel: Former prime minister Ehud Barak resigned from his post all of a sudden on December 10, 2000. He defeated current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 1999 to become prime minister but later lost the 2001 elections to Ariel Sharon, which he triggered via his resignation. “There are those who doubt the mandate I received from the citizens of Israel. Tomorrow I will advise the president of my resignation (and) in 60 days we will go to special elections for prime minister,” Barak said. He is hailed for hosting peace talks with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
• Armenia: Armenia’s ex-president Armen Sarkissian tendered his resignation on January 24, 2022 after citing that he lacked the ability to influence policy during times of crisis. His resignation came at a time when the nation was embroiled in a war with neighbour Azerbaijan over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh territory. “We live in a unique reality, a reality where the President cannot influence matters of war or peace. “I hope that eventually the constitutional changes will be implemented and the next president and presidential administration will be able to operate in a more balanced environment,” Sarkissian was quoted as saying by Deutsche Welle.

(with inputs from BBC, Israeled, EurasiaNet and other agencies)

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