Castro Said to Seek Re-Election in 2008

Castro Said to Seek Re-Election in 2008
Thursday March 15, 2007 8:46 PM
By WILL WEISSERT

Associated Press Writer

HAVANA (AP) - Fidel Castro will be in ``perfect shape'' to run for
re-election to parliament next spring, the first step toward securing
yet another term as Cuba's president, National Assembly head Ricardo
Alarcon said Thursday.

``I would nominate him,'' said Alarcon, the highest-ranking member of
parliament. ``I'm sure he will be in perfect shape to continue handling
his responsibilities.''

Mobbed by foreign reporters following a parliamentary session to discuss
Cuba's upcoming elections, Alarcon said Castro ``is doing fine and
continuing to focus on recovery and rehabilitation.''

A lengthy process of nominating candidates for municipal elections will
begin this summer, leading to several rounds of voting. Then, by March
2008, Cuba should be ready to hold parliamentary elections that are
expected to include Castro, Alarcon said.

The 80-year-old Castro was the world's longest-ruling head of state,
occupying the island's presidency for 47 years before temporarily
stepping aside in favor of his younger brother, Raul, following
emergency intestinal surgery in July.

Alarcon said he has been in contact with Castro many times in recent
weeks, but stopped short of saying he has seen him in person. He said
that even though Castro ceded power to his 75-year-old brother, he never
``abandoned his role.''

``Fidel has been and is very involved, very connected, very active in
all manner of important decisions that this country makes,'' Alarcon
said. ``What's happening is, he can't do it the same way he did before
because he has to dedicate a good part of his time to recuperating
physically.''

Switching later to deliberate but fluent English, Alarcon told
journalists: ``To what extent he will go back to doing things the way he
did, the way he is accustomed to, it's up to him.''

He wouldn't say whether Raul Castro will remain acting president if his
brother becomes well enough to return to work full-time.

Things in Cuba have remained calm and functioned normally under Raul
Castro. Though Fidel has not appeared in public, he has sounded lucid
and up on current events in a pair of recent telephone conversations
with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

After earlier post-surgery photos had shown him looking sick and weak,
images on state television in late January revealed a stronger and
healthier seeming Castro.

Although Castro temporarily ceded his functions to his brother, he still
holds the title of president of the Council of State, Cuba's supreme
governing body.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6483362,00.html