Venezuelan Opposition Swears in Suspended Deputies to Parliament

All 112 members of the Venezuelan right-wing coalition MUD elected to the National Assembly were sworn in as legislators Wednesday, despite three being suspended pending an inquiry into electoral fraud.

Three members of MUD and one of the socialist alliance PSUV from the state of Amazonas were suspended after a decision by the Supreme Court of Justice to investigate allegations of vote-buying.

But on the second day of the new parliament the MUD ignored the ruling and swore the three deputies in regardless.

According to PSUV lawmakers, this represents a violation of the constitution, and that decisions made by the National Assembly while the suspended deputies are seated will be void.

PSUV deputy Tania Diaz said, “At this moment, the new leadership of the National Assembly violates the constitution and ignores the powers. Forever coup-mongers.”

“On swearing in three deputies whose declaration was suspended by a decision by the Supreme Court of Justice, all the decisions that the National Assembly takes are nullified,” she added.

Former National Assembly president, Diosdado Cabello, said that what the opposition had done was “extremely serious.” 

“The act today is very serious, extremely serious. It violated the national constitutional. The act violated correspondence between the powers, and the respect between the powers, for the Supreme Court,” he said.

“This assembly now has no legitimacy, it cannot decide anything,” he told reporters.