Hungarian lawmakers vote to oust president

The Hungarian parliament has voted to remove President Tamás Sulyok from office, the BBC writes.

Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s Tisza party used its two thirds majority to steamroll through the 17th amendment to the constitution, ending the term of Sulyok and the head of the Constitutional Court Péter Polt.

Sulyok now has five days to sign the amendment – his own political death warrant – or refer it to the Constitutional Court.

If Sulyok refers it to the court, Magyar has said he will launch impeachment proceedings against him, which would suspend him from office automatically.

Sulyok is regarded as a close ally of former PM Viktor Orbán, who stepped down from power in April this year.