DRUMS, DAMNATION AND A DOSE OF DEPARTMENTAL PUSH BACK
Jeff Davis
Embassy
July 2nd, 2008
Canada
CHATTER HOUSE
There was plenty to talk about Friday night as the African missions
in Ottawa teamed up for their perennial crowd-pleaser: Africa Day.
Party people packed the huge St. Elias Banquet Hall in Ottawa South,
with diplomats and members of diaspora groups from many of Africa’s
53 countries lighting it up as only the Africans can.
The various missions provided the exotic food and drink, while a deep,
rootsy beat was laid down by a Montreal-based Burundian drum ensemble.
To kick off the celebration, Tanzanian High Commissioner Peter Kallaghe
thanked Prime Minister Stephen Harper for Canada’s "continued support
for Africa’s development efforts" and his pledge to double Canadian
assistance to Africa this year.
With the Parliamentary session over, politicians are a very rare
commodity these days. Only one parliamentarian, Conservative MP Royal
Galipeau from Ottawa-Orleans, dropped by.
While the prime minister wasn’t at the Africa Day celebrations, he did
use an appearance at a B’Nai Brith ceremony, at which he was presented
an award, to tear a strip off Zimbabwe for its "stolen election."
"The government of Zimbabwe is holding an election that is an ugly
perversion of democracy," he said. "Our government has condemned the
corrupted vote in the strongest possible terms."
Mr. Harper raised the prospect of punitive action, dangling the threat
of travel and study bans.
Chatter House heard from multiple DFAIT sources earlier that day
that decision makers at the "centre" (translation: Prime Minister’s
Office/Privy Council Office) had instructed officials from DFAIT,
CIDA and the Immigration department to steer clear of the Africa Day
event to protest Zimbabwe’s off-side election.
Said one DFAITer with dismay at hearing of the edict: "The centre
thinks Africa is one country."
However, despite the order, a number of diplomats from DFAIT’s Africa
branch, as well as Protocol Chief Bob Peck, lit up the room with
their presence.
Seems our friendly neighbourhood DFAITers engaged in a little
well-advised bureaucratic "push-back."
And thank God they did: to punish all for the misdeeds of one would
have been very unfortunate indeed, especially with the Africa-heavy
Francophonie Summit, scheduled for mid-October in Quebec City,
looming large on the diplomatic calendar.
A few notable new arrivals mingled at the party, including Nigerian
High Commissioner Iyorwuese Hagher and Chinese Ambassador Lan Lijun,
who made the rounds with Philippine Ambassador Jose Brillantes.
And despite all the controversy, Zimbabwean Ambassador Florence Zano
Chideya put on a brave face and worked the room. She’ll have to put
on a brave face this week too.
In a press release issued Monday, Foreign Affairs Minister David
Emerson declared he would call Ms. Chideya onto the carpet for what
will surely be a most unpleasant conversation.
Mr. Emerson also announced new restrictions on travel, work and study
that will target senior Zimbabwean government and military officials
and their families. In addition, Zimbabwean registered aircraft are
no longer allowed to land in, or to fly over, Canada.
Romania’s Visa Ask
In the last year, Canada has loosened up visa requirements for a slew
of new European Union members states, but a few remain out in the cold.
One of those is Romania, which dispatched Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs Mihai Gheorghiu to Ottawa last week for further
discussions.
Mr. Gheorghiu, who is responsible for Romanians abroad, made his Ottawa
rounds with Romanian Ambassador Elena Stefoi. The pair met with a
number of director generals from the immigration and human resources
departments, as well as with Secretary of State for Multiculturalism
and Canadian Identity Jason Kenney.
As it stands, Canadians can travel to Romania without a visa, but
Romanians require one to visit Canada.
Similar visa requirements were in place for other new EU members, but
those were lifted over the past year for Latvia, the Czech Republic,
Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Lithuania.
Ms. Stefoi said discussions were positive and built on April technical
visits by Canadian officials. She wouldn’t, however, wager a guess
as to when the requirement would be lifted.
At a reception at the Romanian embassy, Romanian Association
of Laval president Vania Atudorei told Chatter House Romanians
and Romanian-Canadians are frustrated and humiliated by the visa
situation. He said the visa requirement was an expensive hassle that
keeps families apart from one another.
"It’s no longer justified," Mr. Atudorei said in French. "Canadians
can go to Romania whenever they want without a visa. But unfortunately
it’s not reciprocal."
But it seems like Romanians may be waiting for a while yet.
At a garden party at 24 Sussex last week, Mr. Kenney told Chatter
House there is still a lot of ground to cover before visa requirements
are lifted.
Romania joined the EU in January 2007 and has not yet been admitted
to the Schengen Area, in which travellers can travel across European
Union national boundaries visa free. Mr. Kenney hinted that Romania
will have to overcome this hurdle before it gets the keys to Canada.
‘Man of the Year’ Kenney
Meanwhile, we have received further proof of Mr. Kenney’s ability to
charm voters of any and every ethnicity.
On June 11, Mr. Kenney was named "Man of the Year" by the Armenian
National Committee of Canada, on the occasion of the 90th anniversary
of the independence of the first republic of Armenia.
ANCC executive director Aris Babikian was effusive, describing
Mr. Kenney as "a man whose energy, commitment and principled stand
on human rights has made him a legend in many segments of our civil
society."
He also boosted Mr. Kenney for his "strong faith and moral fortitude,"
and his "humanitarianism, straight talk and sincerity."
Mr. Kenney, in turn, congratulated the Armenians on the anniversary of
their state, which was "born from the ashes" of "the great calamity:
the genocide of 1915."
Also present at the National Press Building that day was Arman Akopian,
charge d’affaires at the Embassy of Armenia.
This was just one of the many events on Mr. Kenney’s packed BBQ
season schedule. In the past few days he has attended the Canada
Day celebrations of both the Association of Progressive Muslims and
the Toronto Czech and Slovak communities, the Canadian Ethnic Media
Association Journalism Awards Gala and the visit of His Holiness
Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the spiritual leader of the Worldwide
Ahmadiyya Muslim Community to Toronto.
Helluva General
We all know millions of Canadians are ga-ga for outgoing Chief of
the Defence Staff Gen. Rick Hillier, but it turns out the bold and
charismatic general has his share of foreign fans too.
Just last week, some Dutch royalty were in town to shore up the deep
rooted Dutch-Canadian war covenant by bestowing one of Holland’s
highest honours on Hillier.
The chief, by the graces of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the
Netherlands, was made a commander in the Order of Orange Nassau in
a small ceremony at National Defence Headquarters.
The order was bestowed by Prince Floris of the Netherlands and his
wife Princess Aimee, while Dutch Ambassador Karel de Beer, Canadian
deputy minister of National Defence Robert Fonberg, and incoming CDS
Lt.-Gen. Walt Natynczyk looked on.
The chief has also gained the respect of our southern neighbours. In
his recent visit to Ottawa, Republican presidential candidate John
McCain called Hillier a "great, great hero."
Lastly on the Hillier front, the chief has been named the next
chancellor of Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John’s. He was
fingered for the post Thursday by Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams,
and will succeed former Mulroney-era minister for international trade
John Crosbie.