DHAKA: French lawmakers now have the power to launch a US-style impeachment of their president under a new law passed on Wednesday.

Heads of state in France have until now enjoyed some of the strongest legal protections in the West - only removable in cases of high treason.

But the law approved by the Constitutional Council on Wednesday sets out a procedure for removing the president from office in cases where there has been a ‘breach of their duties that is clearly incompatible with the exercise of their mandate’.

The impeachment process first requires 10 percent of upper house senators and 10 percent of lower house deputies to sign a resolution, reports The Straits Times.

BDST: 2004 HRS, NOV 19, 2014