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British Prime Minister Tony Blair faced fresh embarrassment Wednesday as 23 lawmakers have signed a motion calling for his impeachment due to his "misconduct" in links with the war on Iraq.
The motion, which was included Wednesday on the House of Commons order paper, is the first in Britain for more than 150 years. However, it is widely expected to fail and probably will not even be debated in the Commons, the lower part of Britain's parliament.
These lawmakers, backed by several celebrities such as comedian Terry Jones, actor Corin Redgrave and author Frederick Forsyth, accused that Blair misled Parliament over the case for the US-led war with Iraq and want a probe by a parliamentary committee into his conduct in the run up to the war.
"What we are seeking to do is decide as Parliament whether Tony Blair is a fit person to hold that post," Liberal Democrat lawmaker Jenny Tonge told a news conference.
The motion alleged that Blair has destroyed "the fundamental principle of parliamentary democracy" and was guilty of a serious breach of constitutional principles in making the case against Iraq.
In response, Downing Street said the prime minister has already been cleared by four separate inquiries into the prewar intelligence on Iraq.
Among the lawmakers having signed the motion, 10 are main opposition Conservatives. The others are from the second largest opposition Liberal Democratic Party, Plaid Cymru and the SNP. No members of Blair's ruling Labor Party have signed the motion.
(Xinhua News Agency November 25, 2004)
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