Oxford Union Future Leader Removed Following Charlie Kirk Posts
The future president of the Oxford Union has been ousted from office after losing a no-confidence vote that came after his disputed online comments about the conservative activist.
The vote against the student leader achieved the required super-majority to remove him from office, according to an announcement from the society.
Disputed Comments
The dispute began after the student reportedly shared messages on social media that seemed to welcome the killing of the American conservative figure, who was shot dead while speaking at a university in the United States.
According to sources, one social media message reportedly stated "Charlie Kirk got shot loool" - using an extended form of the acronym for 'laughing out loud'.
The student leader is also reported to have written in a messaging group with fellow students seeming to express approval of the event.
Election Results
The vote of confidence took place over the recent days, with outcomes revealed on Tuesday.
Society announcements showed that over twelve hundred votes were cast in favor of no confidence, while just over five hundred were opposed the motion.
The announcement stated that the future president was deemed to have resigned in following the society's regulations.
Procedural Disputes
Voting operations were informally suspended early on Monday after the returning officer was reportedly subjected to "obstruction, intimidation, and unwarranted hostility" from multiple individuals.
In a response, the student asserted that the vote tally had been halted because election administrators believed "no legitimate and true result could be reached as a result of process errors".
His statement categorically refuted that any representative appointed by the student had engaged in threatening or obstructive conduct.
Ongoing Dispute
The president-elect stated that extremely serious issues had been referred to the governing body and that he remained president-elect.
His comment added that he was "grateful and honored to have the support of significantly more than half of students at Oxford" who voted to have a "safe election and oppose efforts to undermine the electoral process".
Opponents have said that any decision to keep him would "demonstrate internationally that the Oxford Union has chosen ideology over integrity".
External Responses
On recently, Kirk's former chief of staff presented an public message to the Oxford Union on a related program broadcast.
The message criticized the society of becoming a place where "presidents of the union openly applaud the killing of a political opponent".
The statement warned that if the student were to remain in post, Kirk's allies would "personally contact every American political speaker who has ever graced the union's chamber and urge them never again to lend their name".
The Oxford Union had earlier condemned Mr Abaraonye's comments after Kirk's death and stated that complaints filed against him had been forwarded for disciplinary proceedings.
The student leader had been one of several students to discuss with the activist at the union in spring.