Student Society Future Leader Removed Following Conservative Activist Posts
The future president of the prestigious debating society has been removed from his position after losing a no-confidence vote that followed his controversial social media posts about the conservative activist.
The vote against George Abaraonye reached the necessary super-majority to oust him from his position, according to an statement from the society.
Disputed Comments
The dispute erupted after the student reportedly shared messages on social media that appeared to welcome the death 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 president-elect is also said to have written in a WhatsApp chat with other members seeming to express approval of the event.
Vote Outcome
The vote of confidence was conducted over the recent days, with outcomes announced on Tuesday.
Society announcements indicated that over twelve hundred votes were cast in favor of no confidence, while just over five hundred were opposed the motion.
The notice stated that the future president was deemed to have stepped down in accordance with the society's regulations.
Procedural Disputes
Voting operations were temporarily halted early on Monday after the returning officer was allegedly subjected to "obstruction, intimidation, and unwarranted hostility" from multiple individuals.
In a response, Mr Abaraonye asserted that the count had been stopped because electoral officials believed "no valid outcome could be reached as a result of procedural failures".
His statement categorically refuted that any person acting for George had engaged in intimidating or disruptive behavior.
Ongoing Dispute
The president-elect stated that significant concerns had been submitted to the governing body and that he remained the elected leader.
His comment added that he was "proud and thankful to have the support of significantly more than half of university members" who supported a "secure voting process and resist attempts to subvert democracy".
Critics have argued that any failure to remove 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 open letter to the society on a related program broadcast.
The message accused the union of becoming a institution where "student leaders publicly celebrate the assassination of a political opponent".
The statement indicated that if the student were to keep his position, supporters would "directly reach out to every American political speaker who has ever graced the union's chamber and advise them against future participation".
The Oxford Union had earlier condemned Mr Abaraonye's comments after Kirk's death and confirmed that complaints submitted about him had been referred for official review.
The president-elect had been one of multiple members to discuss with Kirk at the society in spring.
