Liberal MP Anthony Rota is stepping down as House of Commons Speaker after inviting a Ukrainian veteran who fought in a Nazi division to Parliament — a dramatic turn of events that will be welcomed by MPs on all sides who said the embarrassing incident was unforgivable.
Rota’s resignation will take effect at the end of the sitting day on Wednesday.
“This House is above any of us, Therefore, I must step down as your Speaker,” Rota said at 2 p.m. ahead of Tuesday’s question period. “I reiterate my profound regret for my error in recognizing an individual in the House.
Rota said the “public recognition” he gave to a former Nazi soldier “caused pain to individuals and communities,” including Jewish people, Poles and “other survivors of Nazi atrocities.”
Rota’s decision to step aside means MPs will need to pick another presiding officer soon so the Commons can continue to function.
The shockwaves from 98-year-old Ukrainian veteran Yaroslav Hunka’s appearance in Parliament on Friday are still being felt.
The Polish education minister wants Hunka be extradited to face criminal penalties for his role in the 1st Galician division, a unit that committed atrocities against Poles in the Second World War. Przemysław Czarnek said he has “taken steps” to get Hunka to Poland.
The Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre (FSWC), a Jewish rights group, has said Rota’s actions have “compromised all 338 MPs” and has “handed a propaganda victory to Russia.”
The FSWC is also calling on the Commons’ Procedure and House Affairs Committee (PROC) to hold public hearings, investigate what took place and examine “vetting process failures.”
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