Legislative elections were finally held in Venezuela on 6 December 2015, which the MUD coalition won with 56.25 % of the votes, obtaining a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly, its first majority in 17 years. A two-thirds majority is needed to modify constitutional laws (leyes orgánicas) or vote a constitutional reform.
Nevertheless, this two-thirds advantage was lost when, on 30 December 2015, the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) (whose composition had been arranged in a last minute move by the outgoing Assembly with the appointment of nine new judges) temporarily suspended three opposition National Assembly members. Although the National Assembly defied the TSJ by proceeding to swear in the suspended members, it ultimately accepted the decision to avoid political tension. The newly elected MPs – 109 MUD and 54 PSUV (35 women and 138 men) took office on 5 January 2016. The National Assembly had among its priorities an ‘amnesty and reconciliation law’ and a recall referendum against President Maduro.
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