Venezuela Court Rules in Favor of Chavez Inauguration Delay

Venezuela Court Rules in Favor of Chavez Inauguration Delay

<h1>Venezuela Court Rules in Favor of Chavez Inauguration Delay</h1><img src="http://www.voanews.com/App_Themes/VOA_en-US/img/colorLogo.gif"/><div> Venezuela&#39;s Supreme Court says President Hugo Chavez can legally delay his upcoming inauguration.</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> Wednesday&#39;s decision comes a day after Venezuelan officials announced that President Chavez will miss Thursday&#39;s inauguration for his fourth term because he is still in Cuba following cancer surgery.&nbsp;</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> National Assembly Speaker Diosdado Cabello read a letter to lawmakers Tuesday, saying doctors recommend that Chavez not return home. &nbsp;Cabello said the president will be sworn in by the Supreme Court at a later date.</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> The opposition was outraged by the delay and had argued that the president&#39;s inability to take the oath of office on January 10, as laid out in the constitution, requires him to step down. &nbsp;</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> But supporters of the 58-year-old leader and some legal experts insist the constitution allows the Supreme Court to swear in the president without mentioning a specific date.</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> The government has called on Chavez&#39; backers to take to the streets Thursday as part of a massive show of support.</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> Chavez has not been seen in public for a month. &nbsp;His exact condition and what kind of cancer he has is unclear. &nbsp;The president has undergone four cancer surgeries in Cuba.&nbsp;</div> <div> &nbsp;</div> <div> Venezuela&#39;s information minister said Monday that Chavez has a lung infection connected to his cancer treatment and that his condition is stable.</div> <br /> <small><em>Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.</em></small><link rel="canonical" href="http://www.voanews.com/content/venezuela-court-rules-in-favor-of-chavez-inauguration-delay/1580614.html"/><meta name="syndication-source" content="http://www.voanews.com/content/venezuela-court-rules-in-favor-of-chavez-inauguration-delay/1580614.html"/><img src="http://livetracker.voanews.eu/counter.lt?PageType=256&RecordId=1580614&SiteId=415&r=156669747&it=0&pd=20130109165808&url=ArticleID1580614" alt="" style="border:none;" height="1" width="1">

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