Maka Kotto

Maka Kotto born December 7 1961 is a Cameroonianborn Canadian politician Educated in France Kotto immigrated to Quebec Canada where he was an educator before entering politics Kotto was a Parti Québécois member of the National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Bourget From 2012 to 2014 he served as the Minister of Culture and Communications A former member of the House of Commons of Canada for the Bloc Québécois Kotto is also a published author and has appeared in films Kotto was born in Douala Cameroon and graduated from high school at Lycée HenriMartin in SaintQuentin France He studied law politics dramatic art and cinema in Nanterre Bordeaux and Paris Kotto immigrated to Quebec in 2006 Before becoming a politician Kotto was an author actor and stage director He appeared in the 1989 movie How to Make Love to a Negro Without Getting Tired Comment faire lamour avec un nègre sans se fatiguer based on the novel by Dany Laferrière He also appeared in a second film in 2000 Lumumba starring as Joseph KasaVubu Kotto was also an educator in dramatic art for nearly 15 years in France and Quebec Kotto was elected to the House of Commons of Canada representing the Bloc Québécois in the 2004 Canadian federal election In that election he defeated incumbent Liberal MP Yolande Thibeault and five other candidates Upon winning the SaintLambert riding Kotto became the first black Canadian Member of Parliament for the Bloc He was reelected two years later winning a comfortable but reduced popular vote and a much larger plurality in the 2006 Canadian federal election He defeated five other candidates to win his second term in office Kotto served as the Blocs critic for Canadian heritage On November 12 2007 Kotto announced that he would be the candidate for the Parti Québécois in the provincial riding of Bourget in Montreal to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of former PQ house leader Diane Lemieux It was his second attempt at provincial politics he was defeated in his previous candidacy in Viau by former Liberal MNA William Cusano Kotto resigned his seat in House of Commons of Canada on March 5 2008 in order to run in the provincial byelection His vacancy was officially recognized by the Speaker on March 13 2008 On May 12 2008 he won the Bourget byelection as a Parti Québécois candidate with 40 of the vote With the election of the Parti Québécois on September 4 2012 Kotto became Minister of Culture and Communications Kotto was reelected in the 2014 Quebec election with a smaller margin but the Parti Québécois government of Pauline Marois was defeated and Kotto became a member of the Official Opposition caucus He was defeated in the 2018 election Kotto is the husband of former Longueuil mayor and Bloc Québécois caucus colleague Caroline StHilaire and is the father of four children Source Article Maka Kotto from Wikipedia in English licensed under CCBYSA 30