In international news, the week is marked by attempts by countries to remove their rulers from power.
In South Korea, opponents of the president are trying to impeach Yoon Suk Yeol after he declared emergency Martial Law citing “external communist forces”. The measure was declared invalid by Parliament, which is now discussing the impeachment of the head of state.
In France, the National Assembly will discuss whether to remove the prime minister from office after Michel Barnier said he would approve a bill without a vote in Parliament.
The two processes, impeachment and vote of no confidence, can end with the same result: the departure of a government official from office, but the ways in which they operate are different.
Process targets
In parliamentarism, the head of government, or, prime minister, is the target of the vote of no confidence, or, motion of no confidence. With the departure of this leader, the entire cabinet ends up being dismissed as well (ministers, secretaries, etc.). In the case of an impeachment, the target may be the president or other high-ranking members of government, such as heads of the legislature or judiciary.
Reasons for the processes
A vote of no confidence can be called when parliamentarians say they have lost confidence in the government’s ability to lead. In relation to impeachment, there must be suspicion that a crime has been committed while in office. A second option is the suspicion that the ruler is incapable of governing for some reason, such as a mental state.
Consequences of the processes
The vote of no confidence, if approved in Parliament, determines the immediate departure of the prime minister from office. In many countries, the head of government must simply submit his resignation to the head of state as a formality. But in practice, the vote dismisses the prime minister almost automatically. As a result, new general elections could be called in a matter of months.
In impeachment, there is also a vote within Congress, but this step only begins the process. After securing the necessary votes to open the procedures, the trial phase begins because, in this case, there is suspicion of a crime on the part of the head of state. With this, evidence is presented and analyzed, witnesses are heard, the prosecution presents its case and the president can also defend himself. In the event of a guilty verdict, the leader leaves office immediately and the deputy takes over.
This content was originally published in Impeachment and vote of no confidence: understand the difference on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
