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| South African parliament rejects motion to remove president | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| JOHANNESBURG — South Africa’s parliament has voted against an opposition motion to remove President Jacob Zuma, who has apologized after the country’s top court ruled that he violated the constitution in a spending scandal. | |
| The parliament rejected the motion by a vote of 233 to 143 in a raucous session Tuesday in which some ruling party and opposition lawmakers jeered at each other and traded insults. | |
| The motion required a two-thirds majority for approval. The ruling African National Congress, which has supported Zuma, has a comfortable majority. | |
| Zuma apologized after the Constitutional Court ruled that he failed to uphold the constitution in a scandal over millions of dollars in state spending on his private home. The court also said the National Assembly failed in its obligations to hold the president to account. | |
| THIS IS AN URGENT UPDATE. AP’S PREVIOUS STORY IS BELOW. | |
| South Africa’s parliament on Tuesday debated an opposition motion to remove President Jacob Zuma because the country’s top court ruled that he had violated the constitution in a spending scandal. | |
| The debate was raucous at times but the motion was unlikely to pass because it requires a two-thirds majority for approval. The ruling African National Congress, which has supported Zuma despite signs of internal division, has a comfortable majority. | The debate was raucous at times but the motion was unlikely to pass because it requires a two-thirds majority for approval. The ruling African National Congress, which has supported Zuma despite signs of internal division, has a comfortable majority. |
| Mmusi Maimane, leader of the main opposition Democratic Alliance party, said “the ANC has lost its way” and described Zuma as a “broken president.” | Mmusi Maimane, leader of the main opposition Democratic Alliance party, said “the ANC has lost its way” and described Zuma as a “broken president.” |
| Earlier, parliament speaker Baleka Mbete temporarily suspended the session after opposition lawmakers complained that she could not preside over the session because she is a close ally of Zuma and therefore isn’t impartial. | Earlier, parliament speaker Baleka Mbete temporarily suspended the session after opposition lawmakers complained that she could not preside over the session because she is a close ally of Zuma and therefore isn’t impartial. |
| Zuma apologized after the Constitutional Court ruled that he failed to uphold the constitution in a scandal over millions of dollars in state spending on his private home. It also said the National Assembly, which is dominated by the ANC, failed in its obligations to hold the president to account. | Zuma apologized after the Constitutional Court ruled that he failed to uphold the constitution in a scandal over millions of dollars in state spending on his private home. It also said the National Assembly, which is dominated by the ANC, failed in its obligations to hold the president to account. |
| The court said Zuma should have abided by a state watchdog agency’s recommendations that he pay back some money. Zuma has since pledged to reimburse an amount to be determined by the national treasury. | The court said Zuma should have abided by a state watchdog agency’s recommendations that he pay back some money. Zuma has since pledged to reimburse an amount to be determined by the national treasury. |
| In remarks that some South Africans viewed as criticism of Zuma, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said Monday near Johannesburg that it is vital to uphold the constitution and that, in failing to do that, “we have moved away from our duty to serve our people.” | In remarks that some South Africans viewed as criticism of Zuma, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said Monday near Johannesburg that it is vital to uphold the constitution and that, in failing to do that, “we have moved away from our duty to serve our people.” |
| Zuma is already under scrutiny because of allegedly improper links to the Guptas, a wealthy business family in South Africa. | Zuma is already under scrutiny because of allegedly improper links to the Guptas, a wealthy business family in South Africa. |
| The ANC leadership has rallied behind Zuma, though analysts say the scandals could hurt the ruling party in local elections later this year. | The ANC leadership has rallied behind Zuma, though analysts say the scandals could hurt the ruling party in local elections later this year. |
| Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. |