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A12 WORLD NEWS
Saturday 25 February 2017

Cuba a year from getting new, non-Castro president

of Raul Castro’s roles — the Castros’ leadership.
presidency. Castro plans to “Whoever emerges is
remain first secretary of the the same to me, I don’t
Cuban Communist Party, a care,” said Joan Rafael,
potentially more powerful a 40-year-old entertainer.
position, until at least 2021. “We have to see if this all
The Cuban military, mean- changes. If it changes, I’m
while, became the nation’s fine with whoever it is.”
top economic power dur- Cuba calls its system a
ing Raul Castro’s decade unique form of democracy
as president and its top that allows citizens to freely
generals are expected to express their views and in-
be less deferential to Diaz- fluence government ac-
Canel than they were to tions within the limits of a
the Castro brothers. single-party system. Critics
“We’re entering a new label it a one-man dicta-
stage, one that requires torship that represses any-
adaptation. We’re walking one who dares to protest.
on new territory,” retired The system in reality al-
diplomat and academic lows a limited range of ex-
Carlos Alzugaray said. pression and action, like
In this May, 2016 photo, Cuba’s First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel, left, stands with President “There’s no reason to think complaining to officials
Raul Castro during the May Day parade in Havana, Cuba. Diaz-Canel, an engineer by training this transition can’t be, about trash collection or
who began his career as a provincial bureaucrat, is expected in 2018 to assume one of Raul Cas- more or less, positive.” bureaucratic inefficiency,
tro’s roles: the presidency. Castro plans to remain first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party, a The change at the top while prohibiting any form
potentially more powerful position, until at least 2021.
(AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa) comes amid profound of political organization
economic and diplomatic or expression outside strict
uncertainty. In 2016, Cuba boundaries defined by
ANDREA RODRIGUEZ its founding in 1959 that tion’s top military man. saw its first recession in 23 Castro and his inner circle.
MICHAEL WEISSENSTEIN the Cuban state has not The end of 85-year-old years; Fidel Castro’s death; Every 2 ½ years, thousands
Associated Press been led by a member of Raul Castro’s second five- and the election of Donald of neighborhoods nation-
HAVANA (AP) — If all goes the Castro family. First Fidel year term will instantly push Trump, who has promised wide select representatives
as expected, in exactly Castro, then his younger Cuba’s autocratic, single- to reverse President Barack to local boards overseeing
one year President Raul brother Raul, wielded near- party system onto unknown Obama’s opening with the municipal affairs. A hand-
Castro will hand responsi- absolute power as head ground. island. ful of dissident candidates
bility for Cuba’s faltering of the government and First Vice President Miguel Ordinary Cubans are un- have been defeated and
economy and aging, dis- the ruling Cuban Commu- Diaz-Canel, a stocky, la- certain about life in a publicly denounced with
affected population to a nist Party. As founders of conic engineer by training time of unprecedented the help of block-level
little-known, 57-year-old the modern Cuban army, who began his career as a change, with a basically government committee
Communist Party official. each brandished unques- provincial bureaucrat, is ex- unknown figure following charged with enforcing
It will be the first time since tioned authority as the na- pected to assume only one nearly six decades of the government mandates.
Puerto Rico governor meets with top US officials amid crisis Every five years, a govern-
ment body selects thou-
sands of the local repre-
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) federal control board cre- sury secretary under former year’s end. sentatives to run for the Na-
— Puerto Rico’s governor ated by U.S. Congress last President Barack Obama Rossello also said he wants tional Assembly and those
met on Friday with the U.S. year to oversee Puerto Ri- worked closely with Puerto to know how Puerto Rico hand-picked candidates
treasury and health sec- co’s finances. Rico government officials will fit into Trump’s vision for then go to a public vote.
retaries to seek support in Mnuchin said in a state- and was key in developing a new health care model. The roughly 500-member
pulling the island out of a ment that he was familiar a financial package that The meetings come just National Assembly then
deep economic crisis. with Puerto Rico’s ongoing led to development of the days before Rossello is re- chooses the 30-member
Gov. Ricardo Rossello trav- economic challenges and board. quired to submit a 10-year Council of State and the
eled to Washington, D.C. urged Rossello’s admin- Rossello also met with U.S. fiscal plan to a federal con- president.
to talk in part with Treasury istration to work with the Health and Human Servic- trol board that is expected The Cuban system theo-
Secretary Steve Mnuchin board. It is unclear what es Secretary Tom Price over to contain painful auster- retically allows any coun-
about how the federal of- kind of relationship the De- concerns about dwindling ity measures. Puerto Rico cil member to become
fice could help transform partment of Treasury will Medicaid funds, noting is mired in a decade-long president, although many
the U.S. territory’s econo- develop with Rossello un- that Puerto Rico stands to economic slump and trying believe the outcome is
my. Mnuchin also spoke by der U.S. President Donald lose about $1 billion in fed- to restructure nearly $70 bil- predetermined in favor of
phone with the chair of a Trump. The previous trea- eral health care funding by lion in public debt.q Diaz-Canel.q