Chavez allies re-elect assembly president

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 signalled 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 and legal experts argue that if Chavez is unable to be sworn in as scheduled on Thursday, the president of the National Assembly should take over on an interim basis.

Cabello’s selection quashed speculation about possible political reshuffling in the midst of Chavez’s health crisis. It came as vice-president Nicolas Maduro joined allies in suggesting 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 the time being the idea is to reaffirm both and project a sense of unity.”

Cabello, widely considered to wield influence in the military, was re-elected by Chavez’s allies, who hold a majority of the 165 congressional seats.