Sarney to Be Declared Brazil’s President Today

The Brazilian Congress will hold a special session today to formally acknowledge the death of President-elect Tancredo Neves and declare that Vice President Jose Sarney, 54, is the new chief executive, Jose Fragelli, president of the Congress, said.

Sarney, 54, was elected on Neves’ slate by the Electoral College in January and has been serving as acting president since the March 15 installation of the Cabinet selected by Neves. Under the Brazilian constitution, he automatically becomes president.

Sarney arrived Sunday night at the presidential palace in the capital of Brasilia to meet with his advisers. A defector from the military-backed party that had ruled Brazil for 21 years, he has promsed to follow Neves’ centrist policies.

Analysts said no immediate political crisis is likely in the world’s sixth most populous nation. Leaders of all parties said they support Sarney, although some have questioned whether he should be allowed to stay in power for the full six-year term. Military leaders said they also back Sarney.

In Washington, the State Department said that Secretary of State George P. Shultz will represent the United States at Neves’ funeral.

Officials said Neves’ family will attend a private Roman Catholic Mass inside Sao Paulo’s Clinicas Hospital today and the body then is to be embalmed.

The body is then to be taken through city streets on a fire truck, the Brazilian tradition for a deceased dignitary. It will be flown to Brasilia to lie in state in the Congress and then be buried in his small hometown of Sao Joao del Rei.