CARACAS, Venezuela — Allies of cancer-stricken President Hugo Chavez on Saturday chose to keep the same National Assembly president - a man who could be in line to step in as a caretaker leader in some circumstances.
The vote to retain Diosdado Cabello as legislative leader signaled the ruling party’s desire to stress unity and continuity amid growing signs the government plans to postpone Chavez’s inauguration for a new term while he fights a severe respiratory infection nearly a month after cancer surgery in Cuba.
The opposition has argued that if Chavez is unable to be sworn in Thursday as scheduled, the president of the National Assembly should take over on an interim basis.
Cabello’s selection quashed speculation about political reshuffling in the midst of Chavez’s health crisis, and it came a day after Vice President Nicolas Maduro joined other allies in suggesting that Chavez could remain president and take the oath of office before the Supreme Court later on if he isn’t fit to be sworn in on the scheduled date.
“It strikes me that the government has decided to put things on hold, to wait and see what happens with Chavez’s health and other political factors, and figure out the best way to insure continuity,” said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank in Washington. “Maduro and Cabello are clearly the key players within Chavismo today, each heading separate factions, but for thetime being, the idea is to reaffirm both and project a sense of unity.”
Cabello, a former military officer who is widely considered to wield influence in the military, was re-elected by a show of hands by Chavez’s allies, who hold a majority of the 165 congressional seats.
Pro-Chavez party leaders ignored calls to include opposition lawmakers among the legislative leadership, and opposition lawmaker Ismael Garcia said the choices represented “intolerance.”
Hundreds of Chavez’s supporters gathered outside the National Assembly to show their support, some holding flags and pictures of the president.
The Venezuelan Constitution says the presidential oath should be taken Jan. 10 before the National Assembly. It also says that if the president is unable to be sworn in before the assembly, he may take the oath before the Supreme Court, and some legal experts, in additionto Chavez allies, have noted that the sentence referring to the court does not mention a date.
“When, it doesn’t say. Where, it doesn’t say either,” Cabello told supporters after the session. Apparently alluding to possible protests by opponents over delaying the inauguration, Cabello told Chavez’s supporters: “The people have to be alert on the street so that there is no show.”
Without giving details, Cabello urged them to “defend the revolution.”
The latest remarks by Cabello and Maduro sent the strongest signals yet that the government intends to try to postpone the 58-year-old president’s inauguration.
If Chavez dies or is declared incapacitated, the constitution says that a new election should be called and held within 30 days, and Chavez has said Maduro should be the candidate. There have been no public signs of friction between the vice president and Cabello, who appeared sideby-side waving to supporters after the session and vowed to remain united.
If the government delays the swearing-in and Chavez’s condition improves, the president and his allies could have more time to plan an orderly transition and prepare for a new presidential election.
Opposition leaders have argued the constitution is clear that the inauguration should occur Thursday and that one presidential term ends and another begins. They have also demanded more information about Chavez’s condition.
If Cabello were to take power provisionally, it might not lead to any perceptible policy shifts, because Cabello is a longtime Chavez ally who vows to uphold his socialistoriented Bolivarian Revolution movement. But the latest comments by pro-Chavez leaders indicate they intend to avoid any such changes in the presidency, at least for now.
“We’re experiencing political stability,” Soto Rojas said as he announced the choices of Chavez’s United Socialist Party of Venezuela. Referring to Chavez, the former legislative leader said: “Onward, Comandante. ... We’re continuing with the Bolivarian process.”
Chavez hasn’t spoken publicly or been seen since his Dec. 11 operation. The government revealed last week that Chavez is fighting a severe lung infection and receiving treatment for “respiratory deficiency.”
Chavez has undergone four cancer-related surgeries since June 2011 for an undisclosed type of pelvic cancer. He also has undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
Front Section, Pages 5 on 01/06/2013