Jakarta –
Speaker of the Canadian parliament Anthony Rota resigned from his post on Tuesday. He expressed this a few days after he welcomed a Ukrainian veteran who apparently fought for the Nazis during World War II.
“It is with a heavy heart that I convey to members my resignation as Speaker of the People’s Council,” said Anthony Rota to members of parliament from the parliament room, reported by AFP, Wednesday (27/9/2023).
Rota also expressed regret for what he did. He is ready to take responsibility.
“Deep regret for my mistake,” he said.
“I accept full responsibility for my actions,” Rota continued, saying his resignation would be effective at the end of Wednesday.
Rota faced growing pressure to step down after the incident on Friday, during a visit to parliament by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
At that time Rota paid tribute to Yaroslav Hunka, a 98-year-old Ukrainian immigrant who also visited parliament and was from Rota’s constituency.
He praised Hunka as “a Ukrainian-Canadian war veteran of the Second World War who fought for Ukraine’s independence against Russia” and “a Ukrainian hero and a Canadian hero,” prompting a standing ovation from members.
But Hunka actually served in the 14th Waffen SS Grenadier Division, “a Nazi military unit whose crimes against humanity during the Holocaust are well documented,” according to the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center.
On Tuesday, Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Joly joined a group calling for the speaker to resign.
“What happened on Friday was completely unacceptable,” he told reporters in parliament.
“This is embarrassing for the House of Representatives and Canadians, and I think the speaker of the House should listen to the members of the House and step down,” he continued.
Several political parties in Canada also urged Rota to resign.
Rota, a Liberal lawmaker, apologized on Sunday, saying he “later became aware of more information” that caused him to regret his remarks about Hunka.
“This initiative is entirely mine… I especially want to extend my deepest apologies to the Jewish community in Canada and around the world,” he said.
On Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called Rota’s remarks embarrassing.
The main opposition Conservative Party criticized the Trudeau government for failing to properly vet Hunka, despite claims they had no advance notice that Hunka was invited to the event.
(eva/eva)
2023-09-26 22:16:24
#Canadian #Parliament #Speaker #Resigns #Greeting #Nazi #Member
