Outgoing Venezuelan legislature names 34 new judges

Venezuela's ruling socialist party used the final days of its legislative majority to name 34 new judges Wednesday to the country's highest court, drawing outrage from the opposition.

In an 11th-hour ceremony boycotted by the opposition, National Assembly speaker Diosdado Cabello swore in 13 judges and 21 substitute judges to the Supreme Court of Justice, after the ruling party voted them through in an extraordinary session.

"Go and do your duty, as we've done ours," said Cabello, a close ally of President Nicolas Maduro and the number two figure in the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV).

The judges will serve terms of 12 years.

"This is a null and void act by this moribund Assembly," shouted opposition lawmaker William Davila before leaving the chamber.

The National Assembly has been holding marathon extraordinary sessions since Venezuelans exasperated with the once-booming oil giant's crippling economic crisis gave the opposition a landslide victory in legislative elections on December 6.

The opposition coalition, the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD), accuses the PSUV of racing to limit the power the new legislature will wield when it is inaugurated on January 5 with a two-thirds opposition majority.

The stage is already set for a political battle between the new legislature and President Nicolas Maduro, whose term runs until 2019 and who called the legislative poll result an "electoral coup."

The Supreme Court of Justice could play a decisive role in disputes between the executive and legislative branches as Venezuela enters a new era of divided government -- a first since Maduro's late mentor Hugo Chavez came to power in 1999.

The court has already ruled that the current legislature can continue passing laws in extraordinary sessions until the new one is seated.

The opposition's two-thirds majority will give it the power to push through promised legislation such as an amnesty for political prisoners and economic reforms.

It will also be able to remove officials from office.

Its strong showing at the polls could also give it the momentum to petition for a referendum to remove Maduro next year, under an article of the constitution allowing elected officials to be recalled halfway through their terms.