Talk:List of oldest living state leaders

Unproven possibilities and future additions

There is a list of all leaders for which there is not a death date on Rulers.org:

Name	State	Position	Birth	note
Possibly dead, but potential additions if a recent source can be found
Emmanuel Bruny	Haiti	Executive Government Council (1957)	1915
J.L. Malhautra	Sikkim	Acting Political Officer (1964)	1915	Unlikely position qualifies
Feliciano Avelar	El Salvador	Member of the Civic-Military Directory (1961-1962)	1919	Could this be him? [1] ; Obviously not, as there are sources of him being alive in 1965
Avtar Singh	Sikkim	Political Officer (1964-1966)	18 October 1921	Unlikely position qualifies; possibly died in 2015 [2] common name/surname combination though
Ricardo Falla Cáceres	El Salvador	Junta of Government (1960-1961)	1921	Spanish wiki [3] and some other sources [4] [5] claim 1929-1990
Jaime Florentino Mendieta Vargas	Bolivia	Junta of Commanders of the Armed Forces (1971)	1922	Possibly 1926-2000?
Marino Vagnetti	San Marino	Captain Regent (1971-1972, 1989)	1924
Ahmad al-Sayari	Yemen (Kingdom)	Prime Minister (1962)	1924	Unclear status/DoB list No citation, see discussion here
Ri Kun-mo	DPR Korea	Premier (1986-1988)	1926	Likely deceased, see discussion here; [[6]] claims that he didn't die in 2001, but simply retired
Emmanuel Bodjollé	Togo	Chairman of the Insurrection Committee (1963)	1928	Needs a better citation
Michel Lévêque	Monaco	Minister of State (1997-2000)	19 July 1933	Needs a more recent citation (2010: [7])
Martin M'Bia	Congo (People's Republic of the) [a.k.a. Congo-Brazzaville]	Member of the Military Committee (1977)	1934	Unclear status/DoB list Some sources indicate he might be dead: [8], [9] and [10]
Óscar Pammo Rodríguez	Bolivia	Junta member (1981)	1934	Unclear status/DoB list Needs a more recent citation (2006: [11])
Édouard Frank	Central African Republic	Prime Minister (1991–1992)	5 April 1934	Needs a more recent citation (2014: [12])
Mohammed Ali Salim	Libya	Acting President (2012)	1935	Possibly died in 2022 [13]

"None of the Soviet Republic Party Secretaries in this table were in power when their republics were recognized as independent states by other United Nations member states, or by the Commission of the European Economic Community, which should be the criterion for their inclusion in the main article table. Vaino Väljas is a special case, as he was still Party Chairman on August 20, 1991 (the day Estonia restored its independence); however, the Popular Front of Estonia had won the ESSR's republic elections on March 18, 1990, and were directing the government in Tallinn, not the republic's Communist Party." – Jwkozak91 (talk) 05:57, 26 August 2021 (UTC)

1. Good possibility of being alive (1926-1929, 1930 and later to be done): (U=3, A=0)

• Ambrose Patrick Genda, Sierra Leone, head of government, 1927, somebody with the same name died in London in 2001 (and in "Reinventing the Colonial State: Constitutionalism, One-party Rule, and Civil" (p. 138), it is claimed that he had lived in London) and German wiki claimed he died in 2015

Asked about him on German Wiki, he died in 2002, the user told me that the source is "The Paradoxes of History and Memory in Post-Colonial Sierra Leone". I still won't cross him, as I can't preview the book, but I am 99% sure he is not alive anymore StjepanHR (talk) 15:11, 7 November 2021 (UTC)

I agree he's very likely deceased, though I notice that the page reference given in the German article (p679) can't be right because the publisher only lists the book as having 332 pages! Curiously, Genda doesn't appear on List of heads of state of Sierra Leone at all - I don't know why, as others in 'office' for as little as a couple of days do appear. 217.155.59.206 (talk) 12:16, 15 February 2022 (UTC)

• Ri Kun-mo, North Korea, prime minister, 1926, published in 2004, chronology through 2001, now disputed. Died in 2001 according to Alexandre Mansourov.

• Emmanuel Bodjollé, Togo, committee, 1928

"Historical Dictionary of Togo" (ed. 2021) refers to him as "retired". Is it enough to put him on the list? StjepanHR (talk) 03:38, 2 November 2021 (UTC)

– Adding to prevent further archiving – Jwkozak91 (talk) 08:24, 1 May 2023 (UTC)

- and again, bot closed it TheCorriynial (talk) 15:27, 10 August 2023 (UTC)

Postponing archive Star Garnet (talk) 07:59, 17 November 2023 (UTC)

Re-postponing archive TheCorriynial (talk) 23:29, 28 February 2024 (UTC)

Preventing archiving. DerbyCountyinNZ ^{(Talk Contribs)} 23:48, 26 April 2024 (UTC)

Re-postponing archive TheCorriynial (talk) 22:45, 5 August 2024 (UTC)

As of this date I post this, the oldest living man is 112, born in 1912. But, you would think someone born in 1915 by now would have been noticed by a source like the GRG or Guinness World Records and hasn't. Maybe its time to remove the 1915 "class". TheCorriynial (talk) 16:52, 26 August 2024 (UTC)

I don't disagree, however I think the existing convention on Wikipedia (I'm sure someone's mentioned it before on this talk page) is to remove people on that basis specifically when they reach 110 (or would do if there were evidence of life). In these cases that cutoff would be reached in 2025; as that's only four months from now, it probably does no harm to leave them here until then. 2A02:8012:227B:0:7849:E3FD:3164:D7B7 (talk) 14:34, 1 September 2024 (UTC)

1935 births

I appreciate it may be a little too soon for this, but I've put together the following list of 1935 births, who will start to be eligible for inclusion in the article within a few months. To make sure I found as many as possible, I went through the articles on heads of state and heads of government for each state in turn. Of course I may nonetheless have missed some, so additions would be welcome. Any sources that can be found that's newer or better is also welcome.

Name	State	Position	Birth	Note/sources
Giovanni Lajolo	Vatican	President of the Governorate (2006–2011)	3 January 1935	Added to Unclear status list 12/6/24
António Ramalho Eanes	Portugal	President of the Revolutionary Council (1976–1982) President (1976–1986)	25 January 1935	[14] Added to main list on 12/6/24
Brian Mullooly	Ireland	Member of the Presidential Commission during vacancy (1997)	21 February 1935	Added to Unclear status list on 6/7/24
Artur Rasizade	Azerbaijan	Prime Minister (1996–2003, 2003–2018)	26 February 1935	[15] Added to main list on 6/7/24
Mohammed Basindawa	Yemen	Prime Minister (2011–2014)	4 April 1935	Added to main list on 25/8/24
Peter Hollingworth	Australia	Governor-General (2002–2003)	10 April 1935	[16] Added to main list on 4/10/24
P. J. Patterson	Jamaica	Prime Minister (1992–2006)		[17] Added to main list on 4/10/24
Sharavyn Gungaadorj	Mongolian People's Republic	Prime Minister (1990)	2 May 1935	[18]
Nemesi Marquès i Oste	Andorra	Representative of the Episcopal Co-Prince (1993–2012)	17 May 1935	[19]
José Mujica	Uruguay	President (2010–2015)	20 May 1935	[20] He speaks a lot to press, newer sources could be used.
Léon Kengo wa Dondo	Zaire	First State Commissioner (1982–1986, 1988–1990); Prime Minster (1994–1997)	22 May 1935	[21]
Sultan Ali Keshtmand	Afghanistan (Democratic Republic of)	Prime Minister (1981–1988, 1989–1990)	22 May 1935	[22]
Jim Bolger	New Zealand	Prime Minister (1990–1997)	31 May 1935	[23]
Lee Hoi-chang	South Korea	Prime Minister (1993–1994)	2 June 1935	[24]
Rodrigo Borja Cevallos	Ecuador	President (1988–1992)	19 June 1935	[25]
Tenzin Gyatso	Tibet	Ruler (1950–1959) Dalai Lama (1937–present)	6 July 1935	Unclear status list? [26]
Leonel Mário d'Alva	São Tomé and Príncipe	Acting President (1991)	22 July 1935
Hifikepunye Pohamba	Namibia	President (2005–2015)	18 August 1935	[27]
Abdou Diouf	Senegal	Prime Minister (1970–1980) President (1981–2000)	7 September 1935	[28]
Henri Benoit de Coignac	Andorra	French Viguier (1982–1984)	3 October 1935
Young Vivian	Niue	Premier (1992–1993, 2002–2008)	12 November 1935	[29] Unclear status list
Mahmoud Abbas	Palestine	President (2005–present) Prime Minister (2003) Chairman PLO (2004–present)	15 November 1935	Unlclear status list? Member state of the UN. [30] With the Israel Gaza events, expect sources for him for quite a bit of time.
Adnan Badran	Jordan	Prime Minister (2005)	15 December 1935	[31]
Edward Schreyer	Canada	Governor General (1979–1984)	21 December 1935	[32]
Salman	Saudi Arabia	King (2015–present) Prime Minister (2015–2022)	31 December 1935	[33]
Al-Jazuli Daf'allah	Sudan	Prime Minister (1985–1986)	December 1935	Unclear DoB list

2A02:8012:227B:0:DDF6:42C0:DAA6:FD03 (talk) 12:50, 29 May 2023 (UTC)

I did some looking up of this as well, and I'll add the few missing I've found. And my list has sources, maybe I'll add them as well. TheCorriynial (talk) 15:57, 29 May 2023 (UTC)

Thank you for adding sources and Sharavyn Gungaadorj, who I missed. I've removed Sir John Swan though as Bermuda isn't an sovereign state, but a British Overseas Territory. On a similar basis, I looked again at whether Young Vivian of Niue should be included. Political status of the Cook Islands and Niue seems quite clear that the island's status is akin to the Compact of Free Association states. 2A02:8012:227B:0:DDF6:42C0:DAA6:FD03 (talk) 17:00, 29 May 2023 (UTC)

In relation to Mahmoud Abbas, Palestine has been recognised by the UN since 2012, but his tenure goes back before that, so I was unsure precisely what description to use for him and whether/in what way the shift in status should be indicated in the table. That's why I put 'Unclear staus?' with a question mark - I was unclear about his specific title(s) as leader over time.

I was similarly unsure about the Dalai Lama. He will almost certainly be in the 'Unclear status' table, but what to describe him as, and over what time period? I think what I've put in the table is simple and accurate, but it may not be. 2A02:8012:227B:0:8875:5FA5:E124:5FEB (talk) 14:12, 30 May 2023 (UTC)

José Mujica is from Uruguay, not from Paraguay Pindrice (talk) 22:55, 13 June 2023 (UTC)

The claim of the Palestinian Territories (the only legal entity that exists under the Oslo Accords) to legal statehood is not recognised by most of the Big Five in the UN (UK, USA, France) and observer status at the UN is not actual membership. Those factors should weigh the most when considering where Abbas should go. 180.150.38.126 (talk) 14:52, 14 June 2023 (UTC)

Postponing archive Star Garnet (talk) 07:59, 17 November 2023 (UTC)

Recovered tables from archiving bot.– Jwkozak91 (talk) 10:22, 28 February 2024 (UTC)

Re-postponing archive TheCorriynial (talk) 23:29, 28 February 2024 (UTC)

Preventing archiving. DerbyCountyinNZ ^{(Talk Contribs)} 23:48, 26 April 2024 (UTC)

Re-postponing archive TheCorriynial (talk) 22:45, 5 August 2024 (UTC)

References

Two possible additions

Mohammed Ali Salim of Libya is shown in the table as born 1935 with no specific date - therefore he might possibly be older than #98-100 in the main list, plus the youngest two in the unclear status list. He can't go in any of the lists as things stand because there isn't a source to say he's alive, but moving him to the 'Unproven possibilities' table seems like a reasonable next step. Any thoughts? 2A02:8012:227B:0:810:58F2:C459:BB38 (talk) 16:37, 30 August 2024 (UTC)

Lyudvig Chibirov of South Ossetia was born in 1932 and gave an interview to the The Globe and Mail in 2018 [34]. The current notation on the unclear status list reads (in part) "......leaders of political entities whose status as sovereign states was unclear or disputed". I would contend that he fits that description neatly; former leader of a de-facto state that has existed on the ground for quite some time as these things go (c.35 years) largely unrecognised by other states (but not totally, which was new information to me - currently five do, and two more used to according to the list here). Might this provide a possible basis for adding him? 2A02:8012:227B:0:810:58F2:C459:BB38 (talk) 16:37, 30 August 2024 (UTC)

South Ossetia im pretty sure would not count. Its barely recognized as it is, and most UN states don't see it as a country. Its not a case like where Sikkim, for example, existed on its own and took awhile to join India, or Yemen when it had split governments. The same argument is also used for places that were former territory in places like in Ukraine where its separate, but is controlled by Russia, for example. TheCorriynial (talk) 16:05, 2 September 2024 (UTC)

You appear not to have engaged with the specific reasoning I put forward. I am not suggesting South Ossetia counts for the main list (it obviously doesn't), merely the unclear list based on the wording of the existing footnote. I made reference to the UN states which do/did recoognise it, which places it on a different level to others which might be thought broadly comparable, like Transnistria or (former) Nagorno-Karabakh, which never had such formal recognition at all. The entities in Ukraine claimed independence for a much shorter time span, have since subsumed themselves into/been annexed by Russia (so wouldn't count for the purposes of the list in any case as they no longer claim to be states) plus those areas are subject to an active and ongoing war. The Georgia-South Ossetia conflict in contrast has been frozen for a considerable period. Of course it could 'unfreeze' and change dramatically like the Nagorno-Karabakh case, but it hasn't as of now. I don't see what Sikkim has to do with it as it's status and context isn't remotely comparable, and anyway there are no sources to confirm if the relevant people are still alive, whereas there is a source for Chibirov. 2A02:8012:227B:0:2151:3FF2:C62D:D7F5 (talk) 13:24, 4 September 2024 (UTC)

IMHO, Chibirov is a clear example of a leader for whom the "unclear" list was created.

As for Mohammed Ali Salim, it seems that he died in 2022: [35]. However, that is the only source I have managed to find. StjepanHR (talk) 00:50, 19 October 2024 (UTC)

A more recent leader of South Ossetia would qualify for the unclear status section, but Chibirov's leadership ceased in 2001. Russia became the first state with even a modicum of recognition to recognize South Ossetia in 2008. For any leader from the past half century, I would think recognition by at least one widely recognized state would be a low enough bar to clear for inclusion under unclear status. Star Garnet (talk) 03:22, 19 October 2024 (UTC)