Venezuela's Chavez to miss inauguration

 CARACAS, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Venezuelan government confirmed Tuesday that President Hugo Chavez will not be able to be sworn-in Thursday, Jan. 10, as the Constitution stipulates¹.

The president of the National Assembly Diosdado Cabello read a letter from Vice² President Nicolas Maduro during a regular session, informing the parliament of Chavez's inability to take the oath of office on that day.

"The president has requested to inform that according to the recommendations of his medical team ... the post-operative process of recuperation must extend beyond Jan. 10," the letter said.

For that reason, Chavez "will not be able to appear before the National Assembly on that date," the letter added.

Chavez, reelected to another six-year term in October, was to be sworn in at the assembly.

Though it appeared unlikely that he would be well enough to attend the ceremony, especially after contracting a lung infection during recovery, there was no confirmation³ until now.

His aides have said the ceremony, being a mere⁴ formality, can be postponed⁵, but the country's opposition⁶ has opposed the move.

The letter goes on to say given Chavez's state of health, the government will "invoke⁷ Article 231 of the ... Constitution, with the aim of formalizing at a later date the corresponding swearing in before the Supreme⁸ Court of Justice."

To that end, the National Assembly session Tuesday was expected to discuss granting Chavez the permission to miss the inauguration⁹ Thursday.

The opposition maintains that failure to take the oath of office on the designated day will lead to a power vacuum that can only be addressed by naming the head of the National Assembly, in this case Cabello, as interim¹⁰ leader.

To counter pressure from the opposition, the government has called for a mass rally Thursday in support of Chavez, and has invited the heads of state of "friendly" countries to attend.

The presidents of Bolivia and Uruguay have so far indicated they will be in Venezuela's capital Caracas Thursday to participate in the massive show of support for the ailing¹¹ Chavez.

"The rally's goal is first to confirm (Chavez's) victory in the elections held in Venezuela, and second to express the solidarity¹² of Latin American leaders, including Evo Morales, with Hugo Chavez, as well as with the Venezuelan government and people," Bolivia's Communication Minister Amanda Davila said Tuesday.

Uruguay's Senate, meanwhile, authorized¹³ President Jose Mujica's travel to Venezuela to participate in the rally for Chavez.

During the proceedings¹⁴, Uruguayan Vice President Danilo Astori, who is also president of the Senate, said Venezuela's Foreign Ministry¹⁵ invited Mujica as the leader of his country and current president of the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) trade bloc¹⁶, which Venezuela became a full member of in 2012.

"Our work is to support Venezuela's government and people," Mujica said, according to La Republica daily.

Reelected to another six-year term in October, Chavez was to have been sworn in at the National Assembly Thursday, but remains¹⁷ hospitalized in Havana, Cuba after undergoing cancer surgery for the fourth time in December.

1 stipulates   

n.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的名词复数 )；规定，明确要求v.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的第三人称单数 )；规定，明确要求

参考例句：

• The trade contract stipulates for the settlement of balances in RMB. 贸易合同规定余额以人民币结算。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The contract stipulates for the use of seasoned timber. 合同上订明用干透的木料。 来自辞典例句

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

4 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

5 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

6 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

7 invoke   

v.求助于(神、法律)；恳求，乞求

参考例句：

• Let us invoke the blessings of peace.让我们祈求和平之福。
• I hope I'll never have to invoke this clause and lodge a claim with you.我希望我永远不会使用这个条款向你们索赔。

8 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

9 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。

10 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

11 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。

12 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

13 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

14 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

15 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

16 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

17 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。