Caracas, Sep 24: Embattled Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro has on Monday announced he will have a democratic debate with the pro-democratic lawmakers within the National Assembly on Tuesday, as part of an arrangement reached with a group of opposition leaders.
The minority group of pro-democratic lawmakers is different from the alliance of opposition parties of the opposition leader, Juan Guaido, who declared himself as the legitimate interim president of Venezuela after invoking the constitution in January.
“Let’s go to the debate,” Maduro said post two years of opposition’s absence from the National Assembly of Venezuela, however adding the institution still remain illegal.
“This is part of the agreements reached at the dialogue table … to take the … democratic debate within the Assembly. To bring the proposals … and see if there is understanding in some sectors,” he added.
Last week, a minority team of legislators agreed to launch negotiations with Maduro-led government while excluding opposition leader Guaido-led parties. The talks were aimed at reaching a political solution to the nation’s political turmoil and focused over reforming Venezuela’s electoral board and handling the economic crisis.
Since then, some arrangements were struck like the incorporation of the United Socialist Party (PSUV) to the assembly and the release of Edgar Zambrano, the opposition leader, post months of his detention.
“The only legitimate power recognized by the international community is the National Assembly,” said Guaido, head of the National Assembly. “Everything else is artificial, created to distract public attention,” he added.