[LINK] "Francophonie secretary-general [Michaëlle Jean] wins wide applause"

[rfmcdonald]

The Ottawa Citizen's Robert Sibley notes the selection of former Canadian governor-general Michaëlle Jean as new head of la Francophonie, hinting at the Canadian domestic politics behind this.

In a well-timed dovetailing of political promotion, personal ambition, and international aid, former governor-general Michaëlle Jean has been named the new head of la Francophonie.

The appointment was announced Sunday at the conclusion of the 15th Francophonie Summit in Dakar, Senegal, with Prime Minister Stephen Harper present to praise the decision even as he promoted his African out-reach agenda of maternal and child health. Jean, who actively campaigned for the post of secretary general — with the backing of the Canadian government — fended off challenges from four other candidates. The 57-year-old replaces Abdou Diouf, who held the post for 10 years.

[. . .]

Jean, a former Radio-Canada reporter whose family emigrated to Canada from Haiti in the 1960s, was appointed governor-general in 2005 by then-prime minister Paul Martin, serving until 2010. Since then she’s been appointed to the chancellorship of the University of Ottawa and served as a UNESCO special envoy in Haiti.

During her tenure as governor general, Jean’s relationship with the Conservative government was sometimes controversial. In 2008, when the Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Québécois threatened to bring the down Conservatives’ minority government six weeks after an election and seek to form their own government, Jean met with Harper and, after nearly three hours of deliberation, accepted his advice to prorogue parliament until late January 2009.

Her decision blocked the opposition’s non-confidence vote and, as well, allowed her to avoid her making a politically difficult choice between asking the opposition coalition to form a government or call another federal election so soon after the previous one.

Five years later, Jean had Harper’s active support in her campaign for the Francophonie post. Late last week, the prime minister’s office acknowledged the government was covering about $55,000 in Jean’s travel costs as she campaigned with visits to several countries.