OTTAWA, Aug. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin appointed television host Michaella Jean from Quebec on Thursday the 27th governor general to replace Andrienne Clarkson who will retire on Sept. 30.

    Michaelle Jean, 48, was born in Haiti and moved to Quebec in 1968 with her family at the age of 11. She will become Canada's first black governor-general and only the third woman to host the post. She will also be one of the youngest governors general.

    In announcing the appointment, Martin described Jean as a woman who "represents the story of Canada."

    "Her personal story is nothing short of extraordinary and extraordinary is exactly what we seek in a Governor General, who after all, must represent all of Canada to all Canadians, and to the rest of the world as well," Martin told a news conference at Parliament Hill.

    Jean appeared at the scene with her husband, Quebec documentary filmmaker Jean-Daniel Lafond, and their six-year-old daughter, Marie-Eden, adopted from Haiti.

    "It is with great joy that I accept this nomination," she said.

    She has studied at the University of Montreal and universities in Florence, Milan and Perugia, Italy. She is fluent in five languages - French, English, Spanish, Italian and Haitian Creole.

    Her television career began in Quebec, where she has worked as a journalist, producer and host for the French language services of Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) since 1988.

    A documentary filmmaker herself, Jean has received many awards for her own documentary work, including the Amnesty International Journalism Award, the Anik Prize and the Galaxi Award for best information program host.

    Currently, Jean is the host of the French-language documentary series "Grands Reportages" of Canadian Radio as well as host of CBC English language programs "The Passionate Eye" and "Rough Cuts".

    Her appointment is a new twist in the rotating tradition of Canada's governor-general between the English and French community, analysts say.

    Representing minority immigrants to Quebec, she is expected in her future work to highlight the challenges urban immigrants face,or by bringing national attention to the danger of an emerging urban aboriginal underclass.

    In selecting Jean, the prime minister is also trying to boost support for the ruling Liberal Party in Quebec, where sovereigntists are making inroads outside their traditional base, analysts point out. Enditem