The parliamentary clerk issued a statement saying that 14 legislators had withdrawn their names from the 92 who supported the move, meaning there were no longer the required nunber of signatures to initiate the impeachment process.

The 14 said their names were wrongly used and they did not support the motion.

Backers of the move accused the president of violating the constitution by signing what they said were secret deals with Ethiopia and Eritrea as well as unilaterally appointing judges and army commanders.