The Latest on South African parliament’s vote on no-confidence motion in President Jacob Zuma (all times local) :
JOHANNESBURG (AP) – The Latest on South African parliament’s vote on no-confidence motion in President Jacob Zuma (all times local) :
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2: 15 p.m.
South Africa’s parliament has convened to vote on a no-confidence motion against South African President Jacob Zuma. If it succeeds, he must resign immediately.
The head of the main opposition Democratic Alliance party, Mmusi Maimane, is urging lawmakers to “take our country back.”
Zuma has survived six previous attempts to unseat him in parliament, but this will be the first to be held by secret ballot. Opposition parties hope it will encourage disgruntled legislators with the ruling African National Congress party to vote against Zuma.
The president has faced numerous allegations of graft while South Africa’s economy has fallen into recession.
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1: 35 p.m.
If the no-confidence motion against South African President Jacob Zuma succeeds today in parliament, Zuma must resign immediately and the parliament speaker will become acting president.
Constitutional expert Pierre de Vos at the University of Cape Town says the rest of the administration would continue its work for an interim period of up to 30 days until the country’s chief justice convenes a special parliament session to elect a new president.
If the ruling African National Congress party, which has the clear majority in parliament, cannot agree on a candidate in that time, new national elections would be held. A similar replacement process kicked into gear after the ANC recalled former President Thabo Mbeki in 2008.
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1: 20 p.m.
South Africa’s main opposition party is accusing President Jacob Zuma of “derelict leadership” in its draft resolution in parliament asking for his removal from office.
Parliament is set to vote in the coming hours on the motion of no confidence, and if it succeeds, Zuma must resign.
The draft of the motion by the Democratic Alliance has been tweeted by parliament. It says Zuma’s shuffling of finance ministers has “resulted in a collapse of public confidence” in the president and harmed the country’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens.
The draft also says Zuma has “lost all sense of rationality and sound judgment.”
South Africa slipped into recession earlier this year.
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12: 25 p.m.
South Africa’s parliament is preparing to vote on a motion of no confidence in embattled South African President Jacob Zuma. If the motion succeeds, he must resign.
Parliamentary speaker Baleka Mbete on Monday made the surprise decision to allow Tuesday afternoon’s vote to be conducted by secret ballot. Opposition parties hope that will encourage disgruntled legislators from the ruling African National Congress party to vote against the scandal-ridden Zuma.
The ANC holds a majority of the 400 parliament seats, and the party has repeatedly said its members will not support the opposition-led attempt to unseat the president.
The no-confidence motion needs 201 votes to succeed. Zuma has survived several past no-confidence votes.
Demonstrations both for and against Zuma are planned in front of the parliament building before the much-anticipated vote.
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