MONTEVIDEO: Tabare Vazquez was sworn in as president of Uruguay on Sunday, returning to office a decade after first leading the left to power and drawing a curtain on folksy farmer Jose “Pepe” Mujica’s colourful rule.

Vazquez took the oath of office in the National Assembly before a crowd that included Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, Cuban President Raul Castro and other regional leaders.

He then headed to a ceremony at Independence Square in the capital Montevideo to receive the presidential sash from fellow leftist Mujica, sealing their Broad Front (FA) party’s hold on power for another five years in this country that bars presidents from serving consecutive terms.

Vazquez, a cancer doctor, won 53.6 per cent of the vote in a Nov 30 presidential run-off, reclaiming the office he previously held from 2005 to 2010.

After taking the oath of office, he called for dialogue on issues facing the country, at a moment when the parties that long dominated Uruguayan politics, the Blancos (Whites) and Colorados (Reds), are reeling from a string of FA victories.

“We can and we must analyse and dialogue respectfully together on the different paths to achieve the best public education for our people, to have quality health care for all, dignified housing,” he said.

Vazquez, 75, cuts a more sober figure than the outspoken Mujica, and has criticised some of his reforms, including the still-unimplemented plan to sell marijuana at pharmacies, a key element of the new cannabis law.

Known for his spartan lifestyle, his salty commentary and his devotion to his three-legged dog, Mujica steps down more popular than ever, with an approval rating over 60 per cent.

But after five years at the helm of this South American nation, the 79-year-old farmer leaves something of a mixed legacy for Vazquez.

“There’s still so much to do and I hope that the next government will be better than mine and will have greater success,” Mujica said in an interview with a local newspaper on Thursday.

“I became president filled with idealism, but then reality hit.” The colourful rabble-rouser attracted international attention as much for his lifestyle as his policies.

Eschewing the trappings of power, Mujica insisted on living on his modest farm and driving around in an aging Volkswagen Beetle.

He was more likely to be seen in a beret with scruffy clothes, having just gotten down from his tractor, than wearing a suit. He also gave most of his salary to charity.

Mujica would sometimes unexpectedly speak with journalists about the rate of inflation or diplomatic relations. Or he’d tell them what he was preparing to feed his canine companion Manuela.

The dog lost one foot when Mujica accidentally rolled over it with his tractor. She now goes everywhere with him.

Under Mujica, Uruguay became the first country in the world to fully legalise marijuana all the way from the cannabis field to the joint, setting up a regulated market for cultivation, sales and use.

Vazquez inherits a country facing a tougher economic climate than when he first took office in 2005.

Uruguay has enjoyed 12 years of unbroken growth and record-low unemployment, but is now struggling to deal with the end of the global commodities boom.

Inflation is now more than one point above the official target range of three to seven per cent, and Uruguay’s giant neighbours Argentina and Brazil are both experiencing economic downturns.

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2015

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