Last year, Mr. Chavez successfully demanded that a weak and discredited Congress grant him similar decree powers in order to reshape the country's economic structure.

No inquests are to be held into any killings under the decree powers.

He also renewed his request to Congress for decree powers, saying a "revolutionary law of laws" would allow him to hasten the construction of Socialism.

Initial response to his call for economic decree powers was mixed.

While Yeltsin had often relied on his decree powers to enact major decisions, Putin almost never had to.

He used his special decree powers to strip the city of control of street demonstrations and protest rallies in the center of the capital.

Mr. Yeltsin has never exercised his decree power to the extent necessary to put the Russian economy on a sound footing.

Given decree powers, he was able to abate the economic crisis the country was going through, by devaluing the currency and resorting to expansive budgetary policies.

The weekly newspaper South, which was established in Cape Town 13 months ago, was prohibited from publication under the Government's decree powers.

To close the deficit, Congress delegated decree powers to President Velasquez last month to institute a sales tax and a company assets tax.