Maka Kotto

Maka Kotto
MP for Saint-Lambert
In office
2004–2008
Preceded by Yolande Thibeault
Succeeded by Josée Beaudin
MNA for Bourget
Incumbent
Assumed office
2008
Preceded by Diane Lemieux
Personal details
Born December 7, 1961
Douala, Cameroon
Political party Bloc Québécois, Parti Québécois
Spouse(s) Caroline St-Hilaire
Residence Montreal
Profession author, stage director

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.

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, comedian, 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.[1]

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.[2]

On May 12, 2008, he won the Bourget by-election as a Parti Québécois candidate with 40% of the vote.[3]

With the election of the Parti Québécois on September 4, 2012, Kotto became Minister of Culture and Communications.[4] 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.[5]

Personal life

Kotto is the husband of Longueuil mayor Caroline St-Hilaire.

Selected filmography

Electoral record (partial)

Quebec general election, 2012: Bourget
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
Parti QuébécoisMaka Kotto 16,379 45.68 -4.51
Coalition Avenir QuébecMario Bentrovato 7,503 20.93 +10.60
Liberal Dave McMahon 6,960 19.41 -11.40
Québec solidairePatrice Gagnon 3,381 9.43 +4.88
Option nationale Paolo Zambito 702 1.96 –
GreenGilbert Caron 537 1.50 -2.12
Parti indépendantisteSylvie Tremblay 199 0.57 +0.08
Coalition pour la constituanteJan Stohl 70 0.20 –
Marxist–LeninistClaude Brunelle 68 0.19 –
Unité Nationale Gaston Savard 57 0.16 –
Total valid votes 35,85698.64–
Total rejected ballots 4951.36–
Turnout 36,35174%-6.0
Electors on the lists 48,998––
Quebec provincial by-election, May 12, 2008: Bourget
Party Candidate Votes%∆%
Parti QuébécoisMaka Kotto 6,575 40.66 -0.60
LiberalLyn Thériault 5,161 31.92 +9.07
GreenScott McKay 1,839 11.37 +3.28
Action démocratiqueDenis Mondor 1,520 9.40 -13.61
Québec solidaireGaétan Legault 700 4.33 +0.14
Parti indépendantisteRichard Gervais 376 2.33 –
Total valid votes 16,17199.01–
Total rejected ballots 1620.99–
Turnout 16,33334.55-35.34
Electors on the lists 47,276––
Source: Official Results, Le Directeur général des élections du Québec.

Books

References

  1. ↑ Maka Kotto fait le saut au PQ - LCN - National
  2. ↑ "Bloc MP Kotto resigns seat to run in provincial byelection". Hill Times. March 10, 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-13.
  3. ↑ Politique québécoise : Coup dur pour Dumont | Politique | Radio-Canada.ca
  4. ↑ Maka Kotto: le rôle de sa vie
  5. ↑ Wilton, Katherine (8 April 2014). "Changes afoot in the east end". The Gazette. Archived from the original on 9 April 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2014.

External links