CARACAS, Venezuela (AFP) – Venezuela’s opposition moved Wednesday to break political deadlock in the crisis-hit oil producer by removing from the state legislature three of its deputies rejected by the government.

The move followed more than a week of tense squabbling over the congress that threatens to compound citizens’ economic hardship in the South American state.

The opposition bowed to a ruling by the Supreme Court which ordered three of its lawmakers to be suspended while it investigates them on government charges of vote-buying.

The opposition accuses President Nicolas Maduro of using the Supreme Court to block its rivals’ two-thirds majority which could enable them to launch constitutional steps to drive him from office.

In the assembly on Wednesday, opposition lawmakers voted to accept a request from the three to give up their seats while they defend themselves in the case.

“In a game of double or quits, it was better to do what the deputies have done to preserve the institution,” said the speaker of the assembly, Henry Ramos Allup.

“Sometimes truces are needed because you have to sacrifice a part to save the whole,” he said in a television interview.

The government side hailed it as a retreat by the opposition, which has mounted the biggest challenge to its authority in 17 years of socialist rule.

“They retreated live before the world’s media,” said Maduro’s number two, Diosdado Cabello.

“This gives us satisfaction and serenity. The minority prevailed, and will do so whenever it is right, with the law on its side.”

Analyst Luis Vicente de Leon, head of the pollster Datanalisis, said the MUD’s decision was “a pragmatic move so as not to paralyze” its majority.

“The government has the advantage of controlling the Supreme Court and is prepared to use that unreservedly. The assembly’s powers will depend on its performance.”

The MUD vowed to devise measures within six months to force Maduro from power when it defiantly swore in all its deputies last week.

Ramos reiterated that plan even after Wednesday’s move.

With the suspension of the three opposition lawmakers and a pro-government one also targeted in the fraud case, the number of deputies in the chamber fell from 167 to 163.

The opposition holds a majority of 109 seats instead of the 112 “supermajority” it had claimed.

But it claims its majority should now be calculated based on 163 seats rather than 167 — which would still give it a two-thirds “supermajority”.

Analysts say the dispute can only be settled by the Supreme Court, which the opposition claims is packed with Maduro’s allies.

The court had declared that any legislation passed by the assembly with the three accused deputies in it would be null and void.

“They are trying to carry out a hold-up of the assembly,” Ramos said of the court judges.

Further complicating the opposition’s mission are signs of division within the broad MUD coalition.

Radicals in the group want to get rid of Maduro at all costs while moderates say the priority should be to fix the economy.

Venezuela, the country with the world’s largest oil reserves, has sunk ever deeper into economic crisis as crude prices have plunged in recent months.

Analysts have warned the political uncertainty will compound the hardship of ordinary Venezuelans, who have to queue for hours to buy rations of cooking oil, toilet paper and other basics.

Maduro’s socialist PSUV party lost its legislative majority for the first time in nearly 17 years in elections last month.

A deep recession and what analysts say is the world’s highest inflation rate have fueled discontent with Maduro, whose term runs until 2019.