Preceded by Yolande Thibeault Succeeded by Josee Beaudin Name Maka Kotto | Preceded by Diane Lemieux Spouse Caroline St-Hilaire Residence Montreal | |
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Born December 7, 1961 (age 62)
Douala, Cameroon ( 1961-12-07 ) Role Former Member of the Canadian House of Commons Previous office Member of the Canadian House of Commons (2004–2008) Children Louis-Felix Kotto, Etienne Kotto Political party Bloc Quebecois, Parti Quebecois Movies How to Make Love to a Negr, Lumumba, Passage du milieu, Looking for Alexander, A Sunday in Kigali Similar People Caroline St‑Hilaire, Rene Levesque, Dany Laferriere, Lucien Bouchard, Raoul Peck Profiles | ||
Profession author, stage director | ||
Maka kotto je veux relever les d fis de la culture au qu bec
Maka Kotto (born December 7, 1961), is a politician of Cameroonian descent from Quebec, Canada who is 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 Canadian House of Commons for the Bloc Québécois, Kotto is also a published author and has appeared in films.
Contents
- Maka kotto je veux relever les d fis de la culture au qu bec
- Maka kotto donne raison a jean charest version courte
- Early life and education
- Federal political career
- Provincial political career
- Personal life
- Selected filmography
- Books
- References
Maka kotto donne raison a jean charest version courte
Early life and education
Kotto was born in Douala, Cameroon, and graduated from high school at Lycée Henri-Martin in Saint-Quentin, France. He studied law, politics, dramatic art and cinema in Nanterre, Bordeaux and Paris.
Before becoming a politician Kotto was an author, actor, and stage director. He appeared in the 1989 movie Comment faire l'amour avec un nègre sans se fatiguer (How to Make Love to a Negro Without Getting Tired), based on the novel by Dany Laferrière. He also appeared in a second film in 2000, Lumumba, starring as Joseph Kasa-Vubu.
Kotto was also an educator in dramatic art for nearly 15 years in France and Quebec.
Federal political career
Kotto was elected to the Canadian House of Commons 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 Saint-Lambert riding, Kotto became the first black Canadian Member of Parliament for the Bloc. He was re-elected 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 Bloc's critic for Canadian heritage.
Provincial political career
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 Canadian House of Commons on March 5, 2008 in order to run in the provincial by-election. His vacancy was officially recognized by the Speaker on March 13, 2008.
On May 12, 2008, he won the Bourget by-election 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 re-elected 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.
Personal life
Kotto is the husband of Longueuil mayor Caroline St-Hilaire. He's also the father of four, Ekedi, Dovi, Samuel and Baptiste.