President Nicolas Maduro
© REUTERS/ Carlos Garcia Rawlins
Venezuela's opposition has submitted to the country's authorities a petition with signatures of 1.85 million nationals, almost 10 times more than required, in a bid to hold a referendum to remove President Nicolas Maduro from office, the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) opposition umbrella group said Monday.

In mid-March, the MUD coalition, which control's the country's parliament, approved the first reading of a draft law on holding a recall referendum to oust Maduro.

"We hand over to the CNE [Venezuela's National Electoral Council] 80 boxes each with 2,500 sheets for a total of 200,000 forms containing 1.85 million signatures," MUD Secretary-General Jesus Torrealba wrote on his official Twitter account.

Under Venezuelan law, a successful recall referendum held after January 2017 will transfer power to Maduro's vice president rather than initiate new presidential elections.

The opposition's attempts to oust the Venezuelan leader come amid widespread public discontent with his government and acute economic problems the Bolivarian republic is facing.