Tuesday, December 14, 2010

ARTICLE - CANADA TO HOLD DEBATE ON HAITI

PARLIAMENT TO HOLD EMERGENCY DEBATE ON HAITI
(AFP) –

OTTAWA — Canada's opposition on Monday called for troops to be sent to help stabilize Haiti and deal with a cholera outbreak, as parliamentarians readied for an emergency debate on Haiti's problems.

Liberal MP Denis Coderre told AFP the opposition party during the session would also press Prime Minister Stephen Harper's Conservative government to send a special envoy to Haiti and release millions of dollars in aid funds.

Coderre, who represents an electoral district in Montreal that is home to a large Haitian diaspora, said Ottawa had promised to match 220 million dollars in donations for quake-ravaged Haiti, but has yet to release the monies.

He also said the Canadian military's Disaster Assistance Response Team (or DART), which was sent in following January's earthquake, should be deployed again to the Caribbean nation.

Haiti, hit by more upheaval and unrest following the disputed results of November presidential elections, earlier topped the agenda for North American talks in Canada.

Canadian Foreign Minister Lawrence Cannon and US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton signaled mounting impatience with the leaders of Haiti warning them to make greater efforts to resolve their nation's problems or risk an aid freeze.

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