Venezuela's Supreme Court Says Going To Decide New Speaker Of Country's Legislature

MEXICO CITY (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 14th January, 2020) The constitutional chamber of Venezuela's Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) said on Monday that it would review a plaint against the country's National Assembly where power struggle has been underway between the former speaker, opposition leader Juan Guaido, and his recently elected successor Luis Parra.

"[The court] recognizes itself competent to hear the case on constitutional protection filed by citizen Enrique Ochoa Antich against the National Assembly and, in particular, deputies Luis Parra, Franklin Duarte y Jose Gregorio Noriega on one side and deputies Juan Guaido, Juan Pablo Guanipa y Carlos Berrizbeitia on the other side who intend to assume functions of members of the National Assembly's board of directors," the TSJ said on Facebook.

According to the statement, the new parliament speaker and their deputy will have five days to present the court with a report on the new board of directors' formation procedure and the quorum during that parliamentary session, as well as with certified copies of the minutes and other relevant documents.

On January 5, the National Assembly elected Parra to replace opposition leader Guaido as speaker while the latter did not attend the vote unable to access the cordoned parliament building. Announcing Parra's election, President Nicolas Maduro said that fencing the building was Guaido supporters' request and that the session's quorum was met despite the opposition's absence. Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers gathered at an office of a local newspaper and voted to re-elect Guaido as the speaker.

Earlier in the day, the United States imposed sanctions against Luis Parra and six other current and former Venezuelan officials for "taking steps to undermine the elections process in the National Assembly."

The political situation in Venezuela derailed in January 2019 when Guaido proclaimed himself interim president in a bid to oust Maduro from power. The United States and several other countries have sided with Guaido, while Russia and China, among other nations, have stood by Maduro's legitimacy.