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The president-elect of the Oxford Union has been removed from his position after failing a vote of confidence that came after his disputed social media posts about Charlie Kirk.

The motion against the student leader achieved the required super-majority to remove him from office, according to an announcement from the society.

Contentious Posts

The controversy erupted after the student reportedly shared messages on online platforms that seemed to welcome the killing of Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot while addressing a college in Utah.

According to sources, one social media message reportedly stated "Charlie Kirk got shot loool" - using an elongated version 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.

Election Results

The vote of confidence took place over the weekend, with outcomes revealed on Tuesday.

Official notices showed that 1,228 ballots were cast supporting removal, while 501 were opposed the motion.

The announcement confirmed that the future president was deemed to have stepped down in accordance with the Oxford Union's rules.

Election Controversies

Proceedings were informally suspended early on Monday after the returning officer was reportedly subjected to "interference, threats, and inappropriate behavior" from multiple individuals.

In a statement, the student claimed that the count had been halted because electoral officials believed "no legitimate and true result could be reached as a result of procedural failures".

His statement categorically refuted that any person appointed by the student had engaged in intimidating or disruptive behavior.

Continuing Controversy

The president-elect maintained that extremely serious issues had been referred to the disciplinary committee and that he remained president-elect.

His statement added that he was "proud and thankful to have the backing of significantly more than half of university members" who supported a "secure voting process and oppose efforts to undermine the electoral process".

Opponents have said that any decision to keep him would "demonstrate internationally that the society has prioritized politics over principles".

External Reactions

On recently, Kirk's former chief of staff read out an open letter to the society on The Charlie Kirk Show broadcast.

The message criticized the union of becoming a institution where "presidents of the union openly applaud the killing of a ideological rival".

The communication warned that if the student were to keep his position, Kirk's allies 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 criticized Mr Abaraonye's comments after the activist's killing and stated that complaints submitted about him had been referred for official review.

The president-elect had been one of several students to discuss with Kirk at the society in May.