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Sweden PM loses confidence vote

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ANI Stockholm [Sweden]

Sweden Prime Minister Stefan Lofven was ousted on Monday after he lost a mandatory no-confidence vote in the Parliament, CNN reported.

Lofven, a center-left politician was toppled after the center-right opposition parties combined with the far-right Sweden Democrats (SD).

The move is expected to throw the country into a period of further political turmoil.

Interestingly, Lofven's removal comes two weeks after a tumultuous general election, where his party won 144 seats.

According to CNN, the newly elected speaker of the Swedish parliament, Andreas Norlen of the Moderates, is expected to meet the opposition leaders and consult over the selection of a new prime minister.

 

However, if the speaker fails to garner enough support from the parliament and the deadlock continues, Sweden will have to hold a new election within three months.

Lofven, who was the prime minister of Sweden since 2014, will have to lead a transitional government until further notice, CNN quoted the speaker's office as saying.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference Lofven said, "I'm still Sweden's prime minister. I am prime minister in a transitional government."

"I see good opportunities for that, yes. ... I am at the disposal of the speaker. I want to continue serving our country," CNN quoted Lofven as saying.

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First Published: Sep 25 2018 | 10:40 PM IST

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