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Sharon to transfer power temporarily
Associated Press
Published January 4, 2006
JERUSALEM - Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will hand over power to his deputy during a heart procedure this week, his office said Tuesday, the first time an Israeli leader has agreed to give up his authority because of illness.
Sharon's office played down concerns about the 77-year-old leader's health, saying the procedure to close a small hole in his heart, including a period when he will be under general anesthesia, will last only three hours. But officials canceled Sunday's weekly Cabinet meeting to give Sharon an extra day to recover. Vice Premier Ehud Olmert will take over during the procedure, Sharon's office said.
Doctors discovered the hole after Sharon suffered a mild stroke Dec. 18. The hole, measuring about one-eighth of an inch, apparently led to the stroke by allowing a small blood clot to reach Sharon's brain. Although Sharon temporarily lost the ability to speak, his doctors said the prime minister suffered no lasting damage.
[Last modified January 4, 2006, 01:08:07]
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