Picture shows Raul Castro(R) and his brother Fidel
Castro. (Xinhua File Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
HAVANA, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Cuban army general Raul
Castro was elected the new president of Cuba on Sunday during a legislative
session held at Cuba's Palace of Conventions in Havana.
Raul said his older brother Fidel Castro would remain
a key figure and vowed to be on guard against U.S. "meddling" as he assumed the
presidency.
"We have taken note of the offensive and openly
meddling declarations by the empire and some of its closest allies," the new
Cuban leader said.
"I am assuming the responsibility entrusted to me
with the conviction that the commander-in-chief of the Cuban revolution remains
unique. Fidel is Fidel," said Raul, during his acceptance speech at the seventh
session of Cuba's legislature, the National Assembly of People's Power (ANPP).
"Today a more compact and functional structure is
needed," Raul,76, told the ANPP, adding that Cuba needs "a smaller number of
central administration bodies and a better distribution of their functions. We
have to make our government more efficient."
On Sunday, 597 deputies unanimously elected a
31-member Council of State for a term of five years, which in turn elected Raul
as president of the country.
Raul Castro (L) greets the audience as
he enters a meeting of the National Assembly in Havana Feb. 24, 2008.
Cuban army general Raul Castro was elected on Sunday as president of Cuba
during a legislative session held at Cuba's Palace of Conventions in the
nation's capital Havana.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
There were 17 absences from the 614 deputies elected
to the ANPP in January. These included Fidel Castro, who has not been seen in
public since he handed over power provisionally to Raul inJuly 2006 in order to
recover from intestinal surgery.
On Feb. 19, Fidel resigned as president, saying in a
statement that due to illness he would not aspire to or accept such a post.
During Sunday's speech, Raul described his brother as
"irreplaceable," adding that Fidel would be consulted on "decisions of
fundamental importance for the nation's future, including defense, foreign
policy and socio-economic development."
The council elected Jose Ramon Machado Ventura as
first vice president. And the ANPP also reelected Ricardo Alarcon, 70, as leader
of the legislature, a post he has held since 1993.
It is reported that around 63 percent of the 2008
ANPP are new deputies, and the average age of the chamber's members is 49. Just
over 78 percent of them have higher degrees while nearly 36 percent are black or
of mixed-race.
Raul Castro (L) enters a meeting of the
National Assembly in Havana Feb. 24, 2008. Cuban army general Raul Castro
was elected on Sunday as president of Cuba during a legislative session
held at Cuba's Palace of Conventions in the nation's capital
Havana.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
HAVANA, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Cuban army general Raul
Castro, who was elected Sunday as president of Cuba, vowed to streamline the
government and make it more efficient in his first speech to the legislature as
the nation's leader. Full story
HAVANA, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- The Cuban National Assembly of
People's Power reelected here on Sunday Ricardo Alarcon as its president in the
7th session. Full story
WASHINGTON, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice urged Cuba to have "peaceful, democratic change" on Sunday
after Fidel Castro said last week he would not accept another term as president.
Full story
HAVANA, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Retired Cuban leader Fidel
Castro on Friday lashed out at U.S. presidential hopefuls' calls for change in
his country, saying the only change needed is in the United States. Full story
WASHINGTON, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Deputy Secretary of
State John Negroponte said Tuesday that the decades-old U.S. embargo on Cuba
will remain in place despite Cuban leader Fidel Castro's resignation. Full story
