Raul Castro says he will stay Cuba’s president to April

HAVANA—Raul Castro confirmed Thursday that he will continue as Cuba’s president into April, two months longer than expected, as parliament extended the political cycle citing delays made necessary by a damaging hurricane.

“I wish to ratify what has already been expressed in the congresses of the Communist Party of Cuba about limiting to two terms of five years the exercise of the principal offices of the nation,” Castro told lawmakers, in comments reported in official media.

“As a consequence, when the (new) National Assembly is constituted, my second and last term will have concluded at the head of the state and the government and Cuba will have a new president,” he added.

Castro, 86, had previously said he would step down in February at the end of a months-long political cycle in which voters and government officials pick the members of local, provincial and national assemblies and the members of the powerful council of state.

But earlier Thursday, the National Assembly announced that its current term would run through April 19 instead of ending in February because the impact of Hurricane Irma in September had delayed the start of the cycle. The current council of state is also remaining until then.

Many Cubans and outside observers expect Castro to be replaced as president by First Vice President Miguel Diaz Canel, 57, who has promised to continue Castro’s policies.