CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) – Venezuela’s ruling socialist party is set to rush through a series of appointments before the opposition takes over congress next month with promises to revive what it calls a moribund institution.
The legislature was expected to name 12 Supreme Court justices Thursday during a final session, filling vacancies left by a group of judges who requested early retirement.
That move, if not countered, could extend the years of government control over the court, which has the power to overrule acts of the new congress.
The opposition won a landslide victory in Sunday’s legislative election and will take control of the legislature in January, creating a divided government for the first time since late President Hugo Chavez launched his socialist revolution here in 1998.
The new congress will be able to implement even laws President Nicolas Maduro rejects. But the Supreme Court will still be able to overturn legislation it finds unconstitutional, making the 32 justices key in deciding how much power the National Assembly will be able to wield.