Congo Parliament ousts speaker, confirming shift in power balance

The Democratic Republic of Congo's lower house of Parliament voted on Thursday to remove its speaker, handing President Felix Tshisekedi a major victory in his power struggle with predecessor Joseph Kabila.

The vote was a show of strength by Tshisekedi's allies, who might have enough support to form a new majority in Parliament and bring down the prime minister's government, which is dominated by Kabila loyalists. The National Assembly voted to impeach speaker Jeanine Mabunda, a close Kabila ally, accusing her of "conflictual and partisan" leadership and not being transparent about her management of the body's finances.

During a rowdy debate that lasted hours, Mabunda denied the accusations against her and apologized for any misunderstandings. Cheers, hugs and dancing broke out among lawmakers when it was clear the motion had passed before the count was complete.