Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Fidel Castro Steps Down


BBC News --The news that Fidel Castro is stepping down as president after almost 50 years in power came in the middle of the night, through the online edition of the official Communist party newspaper Granma.

Cuba's newly-elected parliament is due to meet for the first time this Sunday to elect a new executive council of state, whose president will become president of Cuba for a new five-year term.

Under the headline "Message from the Commander in Chief", the 81-year-old revolutionary leader wrote:
"I will not aspire to nor accept - I repeat, I will not aspire to nor accept - the post of President of the Council of State and Commander in Chief."

This effectively marks the end of an era.

Mr Castro has ruled this Caribbean island since the revolution in 1959. Most Cubans have known no other leader or system, with more than 70% of the population born after the revolution.
More at BBC News>>>>

1 comment:

Aimless Anarchist said...

Granted he has already deferred much of the authority to his brother, but what do you think will really change if Castro is still the chairman of the party?