Liberals refuse to vote on unilingual auditor-general

OTTAWA: Bob Rae and his Liberal MPs refused to take part in the vote to approve Michael Ferguson as Canada’s new Auditor General - a position that requires candidates to be bilingual. Ferguson is not. Rae, the interim Liberal leader, was furious with Prime Minister Stephen Harper for misleading him during his consultation over the appointment. Rae said the process “is not a normal vote. It strikes at the heart of the Canadian identity. Officers of the Parliament of Canada should be able to function in both official languages. That is the view of the Liberal Party.” Rae has consulted constitutional lawyers over the matter, the Globe and Mail reported.

Greek PM calls off referendum, gains opposition support

ATHENS: Greece Prime Minister George Papandreou has managed to withdraw the referendum on Greece’s new debt deal with Europe after gaining support of the country’s New Democracy Party. Papandreou must now await the results of the confidence vote, the New York Times reported. Papandreou suggested if he won the confidence vote, he would step aside and let the others form a unity government. However, the NDP remains suspicious, believing Papandreou has made compromising decisions in order to hold on to his position of power.

Tibetan nun sets herself aflame

CHINA: Qiu Xiang, a 35-year-old Tibetan nun, died after setting herself on fire in the Sichuan province of China, The Guardian reported. The nun is the 11th known Tibetan to have set himself or herself on fire this year. An investigation has been put into motion by the local government to find out why Xiang killed herself. The Chinese foreign ministry said the Dalai Lama - who left for India nine years after China took control of Tibet - should hold the blame for the burnings. The Dalai Lama led hundreds of monks and nuns in prayer in India this October to mourn the loss of those who have taken their lives through self-immolation.

Palestine wins, everyone else loses

PALESTINE: Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, said Palestine’s efforts to join the United Nations are “not beneficial for Palestine and not beneficial for anybody,” according to the Associated Press. In an interview last week, Ki-moon said if UN agencies have funding cut as a consequence of the Palestine bid, it could have an affect on millions of people. UNESCO, the UN cultural agency based in Paris, felt this effect when Canada and the U.S. cut off its funding after the agency approved a Palestinian membership bid, resulting in an approximate loss of one-quarter of their total funding.

Political unrest in Zimbabwe

ZIMBABWE: Political violence has escalated in Zimbabwe after talks of a possible election next year renewed tensions between President Robert Mugabe and Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, The Guardian reports. Over the last several weeks, police have disrupted Tsvangirai’s rallies in the country’s Matabeleland region, where his party won the majority of parliamentary seats in 2008. On Nov. 2, police sealed Tsvangirai’s offices and fired teargas into the building and at bystanders. More than 200 people died during the 2008 election, but violence dwindled after Mugabe and Tsvangirai formed a unity government. However, Tsvangirai remains critical of Mugabe for clinging to power. During a meeting this week, Mugabe told Tsvangirai that the issue of violence would be dealt with, but did not give any further details.

Published in Volume 66, Number 11 of The Uniter (November 9, 2011)