"The National Assembly continues to act beyond the legal framework but once again I reaffirm my will to launch political dialogue for ensuring peace in Venezuela," Maduro said, making his annual statement on the government’s work.
Under the Venezuelan constitution, the president should make the annual statement in the parliament but the country’s Supreme Court allowed Maduro to do that in the court this year. From the court’s point of view, latest parliament’s decisions are illegal.
"I regret that I am not in the National Assembly this year … Hopefully, I will be able to make a statement in 2018 in front of the dignified parliament that will respect the constitution. I believe that will become true in 2018," Maduro said.
Venezuelan parliament declared on Monday that Maduro abandoned his post as result of dereliction of duty. The Supreme Court said that the National Assembly had no authority to dismiss Maduro.
On October 25, 2016, the opposition-led parliament 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.
