(27 Jul 2001)
Washington DC - July 27, 2001
1. Wide shot of Walter Reed Army Medical Centre
Washington DC - July 14, 2001
2. Mid shot of Bolivian President Hugo Banzer attending press at Walter Reed Army Medical Center with Vice-President Jorge Quiroga
Washington DC - July 27, 2001
3. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Marlene Fernandez, Bolivian Ambassador in U-S: "We think that he could resign on August 6, but I want to reiterate that the president, and this is the most important thing, is doing this as a sign of patriotism. He is putting first the well being of the nation, and he believes that the person in charge of the destiny of our nation must be 100% of himself to do the job. He considers that while he is ill it is appropriate that the country must be fully represented."
Washington DC - July 14, 2001
4. Cutaway
Washington DC - July 27, 2001
5. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Marlene Fernandez, Bolivian Ambassador in U-S: "The president considers that what is best for the nation, and what is best for all Bolivians under the circumstances and what is going on now throughout the country, is that he should resign and give the orders to his vice president to govern."
Washington DC - July 14, 2001
6. Various of Vice President Jorge Quiroga attending press at Walter Reed Army Medical Center
Washington DC - July 27, 2001
7. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Marlene Fernandez, Bolivian Ambassador in Washington DC: "There is a sense of confidence in the country that our vice-president is fully capable of governing the country. We are not worried at all about how Bolivia is going to be governed. The vice-president is very respected internationally and nationally, so we are not worried. On the other hand, our hope was always that the president could recover to take charge of the country but, he has decided it should be this way, and we have to respect his decision."
Bolivia - FILE
8. Various of Hugo Banzer at military parade
(First Run 1700 GMT Europe Late)
9. Various aerial shots of Hugo Banzer taking the presidential oath on August 1997 and receiving presidential sash and medal
10. Anti-Banzer protestors in the streets
11. Poster of one of the disappeared
12. People looking at posters
STORYLINE:
President Hugo Banzer, who is battling lung and liver cancer, will resign on 6 August because of his health problems, his government announced Friday.
Bolivian Information Minister, Manfredo Kempff, made the statement, and said 41-year-old Vice-President Jorge Quiroga will formally assume the presidency when Banzer steps down on Bolivia's Independence Day.
The 75-year-old president is being treated at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington for lung cancer that has spread to his liver.
The announcement comes two days after Kempff said Banzer would return to Bolivia to participate in the country's Independence Day festivities and deliver his annual state-of-the-nation address.
It was not immediately clear whether Banzer's condition has worsened since then.
Quiroga has been serving as acting president since Banzer, a heavy smoker, left Bolivia on July 1 to travel to the United States - a trip that was supposed to last 12 days.
In recent days, leading Bolivians had been calling on the president to step down and formally hand power to Quiroga.
Some had expressed concern that power struggles within Quiroga's party, as well as rising social discontent, could lead to a power vacuum within the government.
Banzer, whose term was to have ended on 6 August 2002, is not held in particularly high regard by many in Bolivia, and his popularity ratings have remained low ever since he assumed office four years ago.
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