Naharnet Newsdesk - Lebanese Woman May Become Australia's Governor-General

Lebanese Woman May Become Australia's Governor-General

An Australian woman from Lebanese descent has been proposed to the post of Queen Elizabeth's representative in Australia, which was vacated by Governor-General Peter Hollingworth after his recent implication in a rape charge.
Mary Bashir, currently the governor of South Wales, has been proposed to the post of Australia's figure head-of-state by South Wales' opposition leader John Broden during a meeting he held with Australian Prime Minister John Howard.

"I have strongly recommended Bashir's appointment," Broden said after the meeting. "Her genuine tender and her magnificent touch in the Australian society enable her to perform the duties of Governor-General superbly."

Furthermore, Broden said, "she will be the first woman who comes from an ethnic background to hold the office of Governor-General in Australia. She is the offshoot of two Lebanese immigrants."

Mary Bashir grew up in a modest South Wales district and eventually worked her way up to become the dean of Psychiatry at Sydney University before her election to the state's governorship.

Hollingworth resigned the post of Governor-General following a civil case brought against him by a woman early this year, charging that he raped her at a youth camp in the 1960s.

Beirut, Updated 21 Jun 03, 10:51