川普新政令或致美外交空窗

特朗普的過渡團隊已下令奧巴馬政府的所有政務官不得延期離職，這一命令打破了數十年來的先例，可能使德國加拿大等重要國家在數月內沒有美國大使。此前，大使通常獲准在爲期數週或數月的寬限期內繼續任職並安排個人事務。

President-elect Donald Trump's transition team has issued a blanket mandate for politically appointed ambassadors installed by President Barack Obama to leave their posts by Inauguration Day, the US ambassador to New Zealand said on Friday.
美國駐新西蘭大使6日表示，侯任總統特朗普的過渡團隊發佈了一條命令，要求奧巴馬政治任命的駐外大使在特朗普就任之前全部離職。

'I will be departing on January 20th,' Ambassador Mark Gilbert said in a Twitter message to Reuters.
大使馬克•吉爾伯特通過推特對路透社表示：“我將在1月20日離職。”

The mandate was issued 'without exceptions' through an order sent in a State Department cable on Dec. 23, Gilbert said.
吉爾伯特稱，去年12月23日，國務院宣佈將“無差別執行”該項命令。

He was confirming a report in the New York Times, which quoted diplomatic sources as saying previous US administrations, from both major political parties, have traditionally granted extensions to allow a few such ambassadors, particularly those with school-age children, to remain in place for weeks or months.
他證實了《紐約時報》的一篇報道。該報道援引外交人士消息稱，過去無論是民主黨政府還是共和黨政府，通常會准許一些駐外使節在工作地繼續逗留幾周或幾個月，尤其是針對那些家中有學齡兒童的使節。

The US ambassador to Canada announced his resignation Friday, yielding to the Trump transition team's demand.
迫於特朗普過渡小組的要求，美國駐加拿大大使6日宣佈辭職。

'As requested I have resigned as US Ambassador to Canada effective 1/20,' Bruce Heyman wrote on Twitter.
布魯斯•海曼在推特上寫道：“按照要求，本人已辭去美國駐加拿大大使一職，自1月20日正式生效。”

Heyman is close to Obama.
海曼與奧巴馬關係密切。

State Department spokesman John Kirby said it was 'common' procedure for all politically-appointed ambassadors to step down as a new US administration comes in on Jan. 20.
美國國務院發言人約翰•柯比稱，因爲新一屆政府要上任，所以受到政治任命的外交使節會在1月20日辭職，這是“一般”流程。

'All political appointees for the Obama administration were directed to submit their resignation and the due date was Dec. 7, and the resignations are to take effect on Jan. 20,' Kirby told reporters.
柯比對記者表示：“奧巴馬政府的所有政務官都於去年12月7日前直接遞交了辭呈，自1月20日起正式生效。”

Kirby said, as expected, no career diplomats serving as ambassadors had been asked to resign by the transition team.
柯比說，和預期一樣，特朗普過渡團隊沒有要求擔任大使的職業外交官辭職。

He acknowledged, however, that in the past there had been exceptions made for a small number of political appointees to stay on for a short time for personal reasons.
但是，他承認，過去也會出現例外，出於私人原因，少數政務官可以逗留一小段時間。

The order could leave the United States without Senate-confirmed envoys for months in critical nations like Germany, Canada and Britain, The New York Times reported.
據《紐約時報》報道，這一命令可能會導致德國、加拿大和英國等重要國家在數月內沒有美國參議院批准的外交使節。

A senior Trump transition official told the newspaper there was no ill will in the move, describing it as a simple matter of ensuring Obama's overseas envoys leave the government on schedule, just as thousands of political aides at the White House and in federal agencies must do.
特朗普過渡團隊的高級官員對《紐約時報》表示，此舉並沒有任何惡意，只是爲了確保奧巴馬任命的駐外使節按時離開政府部門，正如當前數千名白宮和聯邦機構中的政治幕僚所必須要做到的一樣。

Trump has taken a strict stance against leaving any of Obama's political appointees in place as he prepares to take office on Jan. 20, aiming to break up many of his predecessor's signature foreign and domestic policy achievements, the newspaper said.
對於奧巴馬任命的政府官員，特朗普立場堅定絕不留任，因爲他準備在20日就職總統後清算奧巴馬在內政外交方面的諸多政治遺產。

Diplomats told the New York Times that the order has thrown their personal lives into a tailspin, leaving them scrambling to secure living arrangements and acquire visas allowing them to stay in their countries so their children can remain in school.
有外交官員告訴《紐約時報》，這個命令使他們的生活陷入一片混亂，爲了能夠繼續留在當前所在國家，確保子女完成學業，他們不得不倉促地安排住所並申請簽證。