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| Venezuela VP: Chavez can delay oath and stay in power | Venezuela VP: Chavez can delay oath and stay in power |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| The Venezuelan government has said President Hugo Chavez can begin his new six-year term in office on Thursday, even if he is too ill to attend a swearing-in ceremony. | The Venezuelan government has said President Hugo Chavez can begin his new six-year term in office on Thursday, even if he is too ill to attend a swearing-in ceremony. |
| Vice-President Nicolas Maduro said the Supreme Court could swear in Mr Chavez at a later date. | Vice-President Nicolas Maduro said the Supreme Court could swear in Mr Chavez at a later date. |
| He dismissed opposition calls for new elections should Mr Chavez not attend. | He dismissed opposition calls for new elections should Mr Chavez not attend. |
| President Chavez is in Cuba struggling to recover from his latest round of surgery to treat cancer. | President Chavez is in Cuba struggling to recover from his latest round of surgery to treat cancer. |
| He has not been seen in public since the operation more than three weeks ago. | He has not been seen in public since the operation more than three weeks ago. |
| 'Don't mess' | 'Don't mess' |
| Observers have different interpretations of what it would mean if Mr Chavez misses his inauguration on Thursday. | Observers have different interpretations of what it would mean if Mr Chavez misses his inauguration on Thursday. |
| Some in the opposition have said that if Mr Chavez is still in Cuba, power should pass to the speaker of parliament, and new elections should be held 30 days. | Some in the opposition have said that if Mr Chavez is still in Cuba, power should pass to the speaker of parliament, and new elections should be held 30 days. |
| But Mr Maduro said Thursday was not a fixed deadline, and that there was no reason to declare Mr Chavez's "absolute absence" from office. | But Mr Maduro said Thursday was not a fixed deadline, and that there was no reason to declare Mr Chavez's "absolute absence" from office. |
| "The formality of his swearing-in can be resolved in the Supreme Court," he said. | "The formality of his swearing-in can be resolved in the Supreme Court," he said. |
| "The president right now is president," he said, waving a pocket-sized copy of the constitution. | "The president right now is president," he said, waving a pocket-sized copy of the constitution. |
| "Don't mess with the people. Respect democracy." | "Don't mess with the people. Respect democracy." |
| The head of the main opposition coalition, Ramon Guillermo Aveledo, said the government "doesn't want to admit that the president is absent". | |
| "The official version of what is happening is unsustainable," he told reporters. | |
| Officials have said that Mr Chavez, 58, has suffered from complications brought on by a severe lung infection that developed after his latest surgery. | Officials have said that Mr Chavez, 58, has suffered from complications brought on by a severe lung infection that developed after his latest surgery. |
| Mr Maduro said the president had "a right to rest and tranquillity, and to recuperate". | Mr Maduro said the president had "a right to rest and tranquillity, and to recuperate". |
| "We will have the commander well again." | "We will have the commander well again." |
| 'Unified' | |
| Mr Maduro and National Assembly Head Diosdado Cabello visited Mr Chavez in Cuba earlier in the week, along with several other dignitaries. | Mr Maduro and National Assembly Head Diosdado Cabello visited Mr Chavez in Cuba earlier in the week, along with several other dignitaries. |
| The vice-president said President Chavez was "conscious" and had gripped his hand firmly as they discussed Venezuelan politics. | |
| He and Mr Cabello dismissed rumours of a split in the governing socialist movement, after their return from Cuba. | |
| "We're more unified than ever," said Mr Maduro, who Mr Chavez recently named as his preferred successor. | |
| "We swore in front of Commander Chavez that we'll be united at the side of our people," he said. | "We swore in front of Commander Chavez that we'll be united at the side of our people," he said. |
| The National Assembly is due to meet on Saturday to elect its leadership, with Mr Cabello expected to be re-elected. | |
| He has appealed to supporters of Mr Chavez to rally outside parliament during the session. | |
| "If the opposition thinks it will find a space in the National Assembly to conspire against the people, it's mistaken once again," Mr Cabello said on Twitter. "It will be defeated." | |
| Mr Chavez was re-elected to a fourth term as president in October. | Mr Chavez was re-elected to a fourth term as president in October. |
| Are you in Venezuela? What is your reaction to Vice-President Nicolas Maduro's comments? Please send us your thoughts using the form below. |