It is still unclear how many lawmakers the opposition will have in the newly elected National Assembly and whether it will be enough for a key two-thirds majority.
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On top of ousting Maduro, whom they view as corrupt, MUD has also proposed a new law to free imprisoned opposition figures who many human rights groups view as political prisoners.
Four newly elected lawmakers were blocked from taking office last week, three of them from the opposition, after a legal challenge by the Socialist Party.
Before the legislature convened on Tuesday morning, hundreds of opposition supporters escorted the incoming lawmakers past a heavily-guarded military barricade toward the dome-roofed, neoclassical legislature building downtown.
Julio Borges, the leader of the largest opposition party, said the new congress will start with a law that gives property titles to Venezuelans who live in government-owned housing projects built by the chavista administration.
The brand new president of Venezuela’s opposition-controlled congress referred to as on the country’s armed forces to make sure new members’ protected entry to the legislative chamber Tues. after socialist authorities activists had barred him from getting in to the building a day earlier.
Venezuela’s opposition took control of congress on Tuesday during a rowdy but historic swearing-in ceremony that was closely watched around the world.
Maduro, the hand-picked successor of the popular late Hugo Chavez, has moved to curb the opposition’s potential new powers, including last-minute nominations of Supreme Court judges and the removal of lawmakers’ powers to appoint central bank directors, which now lie exclusively with the executive branch.
Jennifer McCoy, a longtime observer of elections in Venezuela for the pro-democracy group founded by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, said the coming weeks will tell whether the government and opposition can put aside their mutual bloodthirst. Outgoing lawmakers appointed new members to the Supreme Court, which they hope will counter opposition legislation.
Last week Mr Maduro used temporary powers to strip the incoming assembly of the right to vet new appointments to the central bank.
The Socialist Party deputies ultimately walked out of the session en masse following the election of the new assembly leadership, arguing Ramos had violated parliamentary rules by giving a speech during the opening session.
The socialist president requested his prime ministers to resign after the party suffered a crushing loss in December 6 legislative elections.
“Chavez leads in heaven and Nicolas leads on earth”, chanted Maduro supporters who gathered in a plaza adjacent to the National Assembly.
Although the opposition’s victory was driven by anger over the economy, it has few options to resolve the crisis because Mr Maduro’s government handles economic policies. The violation was caused because the Assembly was inaugurated today and he (Ramos Allup) must allow anyone to speak.
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Government allies and opposition sympathisers have planned marches to downtown Caracas for Tuesday, a scenario that in the past has led to street violence as protesters clash with one another or with security forces.
