Venezuela's Chavez may end party leadership
CARACAS, Jan 22, AFP
President Hugo Chavez suggested Friday that he was too busy to
continue being head of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV),
the country's main leftist force. Chavez was ratified just last week as
head of the PSUV, a group that formed when several leftist political
groups merged in 2007. "I am president of the republic, I am head of
state, head of government, head of the army... it's only an idea, I'll
leave it up to you to debate the issue," Chavez said at a meeting with
party leaders. "In the meantime I will go on to be a party foot
soldier." The firebrand leftist leader said "those of us who are in
positions of local and national power should not be leading the party,
and I should set the example."
At the party event, Chavez also reiterated that he would run for a
third consecutive term in the 2012 presidential election.
"If I have life and health, I am certain that we are going to win...
the 2012 presidential elections and that battle has already begun,"
Chavez said.
Chavez, 56, was elected president in 1998, and re-elected twice for
six-year terms under Venezuela's 2000 constitution. The constitution was
later amended to allow unlimited presidential reelection. |