CUBA: Assembly Appoints Miguel Diaz-Canel To The Presidency

(RTTNews) - Cuba's National Assembly appointed Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermidez officially as a candidate to succeed Raul Castro as the country president, paving the way to mark the first time in 59 years that a Castro would not be the head of the nation.

Even being a sole candidate, the Diaz-Canel nomination needs to be approved by the 605 deputies of the National Assembly, who started to cast their votes Wednesday.

Raul Castro will probably remain as head of the Communist Party.

The lawmakers also voted to elect the other members of the Council of State, Cuba's executive arm.

The lawmakers also elected the National Assembly's board. The chairman-elected was Esteban Lazo Hernandez, with Ana Maria Mari Machado as vice president and Miriam Brito Sarroca as secretary.