Cubans vote for parliament that could retire Castro
Sun 20 Jan 2008, 14:03 GMT
By Anthony Boadle
HAVANA (Reuters) - Cubans voted on Sunday for deputies to the national legislature that included ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro, even though he has not appeared in public for almost 18 months.
On the slate of 614 uncontested candidates for 614 seats in the state's National Assembly were the main leaders of Cuba's ruling Communist Party.
The assembly will hold its first session on February 24, acting President Raul Castro told Reuters after voting early at a school near Havana's Revolution Square.
That meeting to approve the executive Council of State will confirm whether the elder Castro, 81, will continue as Cuba's head of state or be formally succeeded by his brother, 76, or a younger leader.
Castro, who has run Cuba since a 1959 revolution that created a communist state just 90 miles (135 kms) away from the United States, hinted in December that he does not intend to cling to power.
Last week he wrote in a column that he was not physically able to speak in public for his re-election as a deputy and was sticking to writing instead.
Raul Castro said his brother would cast his ballot from his convalescence quarters.
"He is in good health. I know he has been writing a lot, up to four essays simultaneously. I don't know how long they will be," Raul Castro said.
"Considering that he is 81 years-old, Fidel is strong, healthy and an intellectual powerhouse," he said.
The Cuban leader was forced to hand over the running of the country to his brother after emergency stomach surgery for an undisclosed illness in July 2006. Since then he has only been seen in video clips and photographs looking frail
Sun 20 Jan 2008, 14:03 GMT
By Anthony Boadle
HAVANA (Reuters) - Cubans voted on Sunday for deputies to the national legislature that included ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro, even though he has not appeared in public for almost 18 months.
On the slate of 614 uncontested candidates for 614 seats in the state's National Assembly were the main leaders of Cuba's ruling Communist Party.
The assembly will hold its first session on February 24, acting President Raul Castro told Reuters after voting early at a school near Havana's Revolution Square.
That meeting to approve the executive Council of State will confirm whether the elder Castro, 81, will continue as Cuba's head of state or be formally succeeded by his brother, 76, or a younger leader.
Castro, who has run Cuba since a 1959 revolution that created a communist state just 90 miles (135 kms) away from the United States, hinted in December that he does not intend to cling to power.
Last week he wrote in a column that he was not physically able to speak in public for his re-election as a deputy and was sticking to writing instead.
Raul Castro said his brother would cast his ballot from his convalescence quarters.
"He is in good health. I know he has been writing a lot, up to four essays simultaneously. I don't know how long they will be," Raul Castro said.
"Considering that he is 81 years-old, Fidel is strong, healthy and an intellectual powerhouse," he said.
The Cuban leader was forced to hand over the running of the country to his brother after emergency stomach surgery for an undisclosed illness in July 2006. Since then he has only been seen in video clips and photographs looking frail
