Havana - Raul Castro was most likely to succeed his brother, Fidel Castro, as Cuban head of state on Sunday, after becoming the only nominee for the post of president of the Communist island's Council of State. Cuba's new National Assembly was to vote on this designation and others, one legislator told Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa. The 614- member assembly, which was elected on January 20 and includes the Castro brothers, was to elect the country's 31-member Council of State, the president of which serves as Cuba's head of state and government
Raul Castro, 76, Cuba's long-time defence minister, was seen as the favourite to head Cuba. On Sunday, he was in attendance at the first session of the new legislature at the Palacio de Convenciones in Havana, wearing a dark suit and tie.
Earlier, Ricardo Alarcon was nominated for the post of National Assembly Speaker, a post he was likely to hold for the fourth consecutive term.
Ailing Cuban President Fidel Castro, 81, said earlier this week that he would neither "aspire to" not accept the country's leadership for a further five-year term.
Before formally stepping down on Sunday, the elderly Castro had led Cuba for 49 years, although he "temporarily" gave up some of his powers to his brother Raul, in July 2006 in order to recover from surgery for an unspecified but serious intestinal condition.
Fidel Castro took part in the process to elect his successor from the secret location where he is recovering.
Two members of the outgoing Council of State had visited "comrade Fidel to validate his election certificate as legislator and take his oath. They also took, in a sealed envelope, the slips for Fidel Castro "to exercise his right to vote," National Electoral Commission President Maria Esther Reus said Sunday.
The move was approved by the new National Assembly amid applause at the beginning of the session.
