Raul Castro Chosen to Succeed Fidel
Fidel Castro’s nearly five decades of rule ended Sunday when Cuba’s National Assembly chose his younger brother Raul to be the country’s new president.
The lawmakers’ selection, which had been widely expected, came five days after Fidel Castro, 81, announced his resignation in a letter published in the state-run newspaper Granma.
In his address to the National Assembly, the 76-year-old Raul Castro proposed that “we consult Fidel” on important decisions. The 614 members of the legislative body passed that motion unanimously.
The lawmakers also announced that Jose Ramon Machado, a man of Raul Castro’s generation, had been elected first vice president of the Council of State, despite the expectation of some that the post would go to someone younger.
The Council of State acts on behalf of the Assembly — which meets only twice a year — when it is not in session.
Author’s note: nothing like choosing the “younger” brother …
Source: CNN.
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