# What countries have elected a leader from a minority racial group? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 5, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008 "2009-07-05T20:55:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DGem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/74df32/32.png) [@DGem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DGem)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008/21 "2009-07-06T04:40:52Z")
Edward Seaga was Prime Minister of Jamaica from 1980 - 1989. Jamaica is predominantly black, and he is of Lebanese descent. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008/22 "2009-07-06T05:11:15Z")
Asif Ali Zaradri is President of Pakistan and he is a Baloch, usually the smallest and most sidelined group in Pakistan. One of his predesessors (and political enemy) was [Farooq Leghari](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farooq_Leghari) also a Baloch. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008/23 "2009-07-06T05:23:34Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > I thought of him, in a somewhat similar vein Arthur Wellesley sprang to mind too, Irish born but went on to be Prime Minister. He of the famous “Just because you’re born in a stable doesn’t mean you’re a horse.” quip ? He didn’t think of himself as Irish. However, if we’re going down that route you could argue that any of the non-English British Prime Ministers are from minorities … including David Lloyd George and the present incumbent. PS Originally came here to mention Fujimori & Disreli. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008/24 "2009-07-06T05:23:50Z")
[Ahmed Aboutaleb,](http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Aboutaleb) a Moroccan, is the mayor of Holland’s second largest city, Rotterdam. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008/25 "2009-07-06T05:38:19Z")
> [@Cat\_Jones](#): > > He of the famous “Just because you’re born in a stable doesn’t mean you’re a horse.” quip ? He didn’t think of himself as Irish. However, if we’re going down that route you could argue that any of the non-English British Prime Ministers are from minorities … including David Lloyd George and the present incumbent. > > PS Originally came here to mention Fujimori & Disreli. It is disputed that whether he actually said that. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008/26 "2009-07-06T05:41:58Z")
Remember dudes, in many other Democracies, the “President” or other Head of State is a more or less powerless figurehead. For example, the President of India= (wiki)_The executive is split between a mainly ceremonial head of state (the President of India). The President enjoys all constitutional powers, but exercises them only on the advice of the actual executive, the head of government (Prime Minister of India) and his or her Council of Ministers (the cabinet), which enjoy all real powers and make important policy decisions._ A good number of nations have elected a woman or other minority to this ceremonial positions. It doesn’t matter much, however. In some cases, the “President” has less real power the the USA’s “First Lady”.😛 The Queen of England is an example of one we know is powerless in political reality. Margaret Thatcher, as PM, had a great deal of real power, however. Nancy Pelosi has quite a bit of real power. Neither one is directly elected to that position, however. Can anyone think of a woman who was directly elected to a position of primary political power in a nation? ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008/27 "2009-07-06T05:59:46Z")
It may be “ceremonial,” but the “ceremonial” head of state of Spain stopped a military coup by basically saying “bad boys!” I’m sure the “ceremonial” heads of state of other countries have similar powers: they’re “ceremonial” except when they’re not. ---
**Author:** ![Marienee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Marienee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marienee)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008/28 "2009-07-06T06:04:28Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > [Ahmed Aboutaleb,](http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Aboutaleb) a Moroccan, is the mayor of Holland’s second largest city, Rotterdam. Well, if we are counting local elections, then Obama is not a breakthrough at all. It’s arguable whether Aboutaleb is a minority in Rotterdam – depends on how you slice it. He is _allochtoon_, but then so are the Crown Prince and Princess Maxima. No, the Dutch national elections are (unless he explodes in the mean time) quite likely to deliver Geert Wilders as Minister President. Also _allochtoon_ I suppose, but not really a breakthrough for race relations. ---
**Author:** ![willthekittensurvive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/91b2a8/32.png) [@willthekittensurvive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/willthekittensurvive)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008/29 "2009-07-06T09:42:09Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > [Ahmed Aboutaleb,](http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahmed_Aboutaleb) a Moroccan, is the mayor of Holland’s second largest city, Rotterdam. I thought he was appointed, not elected… ---
**Author:** ![Indian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@Indian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indian)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008/30 "2009-07-06T10:02:23Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > India currently has a female president (Pratibha Patil) and a Sikh prime minister (Manmohan Singh). I believe they used to have a Dhalit (Untouchable) PM, but could be mistaken. > > Fiji’s former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry, an ethnic Indian, served from 1999-2001. A coup in 2000 led by ethnic Fijian George Speight contributed to the brevity of his term. Indians account for about a third of the population. In India , minorities have held important posts ( cabinet berths included) Gyany Jail Singh ( Sikh) was president of the country in first half of 1980s. George Fernandes,and A K Antony ( both christians) have held defence portfoilio in cabinet. K R Narayanan was president of the country in 90s . He, (from dalit or untouchable caste), rose from the lower ranks of society, through sheer hard work. Manmohan singh ( Sikh and an oxford scholar) is just into his second term as the prime minister. Pratibha Patil is the first woman to be president. Meira kumar, a dalit and a woman, is currently parliament speaker. India had 2 muslim presidents between 50s and 70s. Lots of state goverments are lead by lower caste leaders/ minorites. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008/31 "2009-07-06T10:14:19Z")
Keep in mind that in many, if not most, democracies, the people do not directly elect the head of state or head of government. So, for example, while the Scot Gordon Brown, the leader of the United Kingdom, is a member of an ethnic minority, he was elected leader only by his own party, and then appointed head of government by the Queen. Following this logic, the pope, who is democratically elected, is probably a member of a racial minority among those who regard him as their leader (i.e., all Roman Catholics), though perhaps not among his electors (i.e…, the College of Cardinals). ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008/32 "2009-07-06T10:25:11Z")
> [@willthekittensurvive](#): > > I thought he was appointed, not elected… Oops, you’re right. I watch too many American TV series, where mayors are, IIRC, elected, instead of appointed like in the Netherlands. ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008/33 "2009-07-06T11:06:42Z")
I think it’s not uncommon for Thai Prime Ministers to be at least somewhat ethnically Chinese (Hakka). Many wealthy Thais retain strong links to their Chinese ethnic heritage. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008/34 "2009-07-06T11:27:56Z")
suranyi writes: \> On what planet could John Major possibly be considered of a minority ethnic \> group in Great Britain? Please read the entire thread instead of just replying ramdomly to one post. I didn’t claim that John Major was part of an ethnic minority. I was replying to dtilque, who mentioned that Winston Churchill’s mother was American. He was apparently jokingly suggesting that therefore he was part of a minority ethnic group. I was noting that Major also sort of kind of had an American father. Nobody was ever seriously suggesting that either Churchill or Major was part of an ethnic minority. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008/35 "2009-07-06T12:59:30Z")
In most countries neither the head of state (usually a ceremonial position) nor the head of government is directly elected. Technically, neither is the US president, a technicality that resulted in George Bush being elected in 2000 (and coming close to not being elected in 2004). That said, no one has mentioned two Jewish French premiers: Leon Blum in the 30s and Pierre Mendes-France in the 60s (I think). ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008/36 "2009-07-06T14:11:40Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Can anyone think of a woman who was directly elected to a position of primary political power in a nation? Currently, there are two in Latin America: President Michele Bachelet of Chile and President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina. Back to the OP, President Carlos Menem (former president of Argentina), is the son of syrian inmigrants. ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008/37 "2009-07-06T14:32:09Z")
Nicolas Sarkozy is from hungarian-greek-jew stock. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008/38 "2009-07-06T14:49:46Z")
He sounds delicious. ---
**Author:** ![WormTheRed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/bbe5ce/32.png) [@WormTheRed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WormTheRed)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008/39 "2009-07-06T15:06:08Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Can anyone think of a woman who was directly elected to a position of primary political power in a nation? Iceland just elected a Gay Woman to be PM. Well, they chose her party, but there was no doubt that she was going to be the PM once they won. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008/40 "2009-07-06T17:37:54Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Following this logic, the pope, who is democratically elected, is probably a member of a racial minority among those who regard him as their leader (i.e., all Roman Catholics), though perhaps not among his electors (i.e.., the College of Cardinals). The Pope is elected “oligarchically” not democratically. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-countries-have-elected-a-leader-from-a-minority-racial-group/502008.md?page=3)