Opposition takes seats in Venezuelan parliament

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Opposition takes seats in Venezuelan parliament

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06 January,2011 04:06 pm

A new parliament has convened in Venezuela, the first in five years to have substantial opposition representation. But opposition politicians say their influence has been curtailed by the powers of decree given to President Hugo Chavez by the outgoing parliament. Under the decree, Mr Chavez can pass some laws without parliament's support. Opposition politicians had boycotted the 2005 election, which they said was fraudulent. The party of President Chavez still holds a majority with 98 seats, well ahead of the 65 won by the opposition in September's election. But with less than two-thirds of the seats, President Chavez's party no longer has a super majority, which allowed it, among other things, to appoint Supreme Court Justices.