Venezuelan Parliament Says President Maduro Abandoned Post

National Assembly of Venezuela declared Monday that President Nicolas Maduro abandoned his post, local media reported.

MEXICO CITY (Sputnik) – The opposition-led National Assembly of Venezuela declared Monday that President Nicolas Maduro abandoned his post as result of dereliction of duty, local media reported.

According to El Nacional newspaper, total of 106 deputies voted in favor of this decision. Pro-government deputies left the hall before the voting procedure started.

The newspaper added that the lawmakers had operated within the framework of the article 233 of the state’s constitution, which allows holding presidential elections in case of declaring the incumbent president as absent from work.

On October 25, 2016, the opposition-led National Assembly of Venezuela voted for initiating impeachment proceedings against Maduro and ordered him to appear at a Congress session on November 1. The parliament’s resolution mentioned the president’s "criminal and political liability and neglect of office."

However, the Venezuelan government dismissed the move, since impeachment is not stipulated by the country’s constitution as a legal procedure. On November 1, the parliament suspended the impeachment proceedings.

Protests have been held across Venezuela with people calling for a recall referendum against Maduro, whom the opposition blames for the economic crisis in the country.