Cuban President Raul Castro to step down in 2018

February 25, 2013 | World News | Written by

Washington, Feb 25: Cuban President Raul Castro has announced that he would step down from power in 2018, when his second term as president is set to end.

During a nationally televised speech at the end of a session of the country’s National Assembly, Castro made it clear that ‘this will be his last term’.

The announcement came shortly after lawmakers re-elected Castro to a second five-year term, CNN reports.

Castro was officially elected president of the island nation in 2008. In 2018, he will be 86.

He took over from his ailing, older brother, Fidel Castro, who had step down after nearly 50 years in power.

According to the report, Castro also announced Sunday that Esteban Lazo Hernandez, 68, would assume the role of president of the National Assembly.

Lazo had previously served in a variety of other roles, including second vice president.

Lazo replaces Ricardo Alarcon de Quesada, who was the National Assembly president for 20 years and often acted as the point person for negotiations with the United States. (ANI)