Right Voices

He kinda does a Johnson with “I am saying that I will neither aspire to nor accept, I repeat, I will neither aspire to nor accept the positions of President of the State Council and Commander in Chief,”

Bush said he hoped this would be “the beginning of a democratic transition for the people of Cuba . . . An interesting debate will arise. Some will say lets promote stability. In the meantime political prisoners will rot . . . This should be a transition to free and fair elections. And I mean free and fair. Not these elections that the Castro brothers rig.”

Castro had temporarily handed over power to his younger brother, Raul Castro, in July 2006 after undergoing stomach surgery. He has not been seen in public since, but still officially held the title of president and was widely believed to retain control over Cuba’s government.

The ailing leader — who has a penchant for cryptic messages — mentioned in the letter posted Tuesday that he had hoped “to discharge my duties to my last breath. That’s all I can offer.”

Cuba’s Council of State, a panel comprised of handpicked Castro allies, is scheduled to name the country’s next president when it meets on Sunday. In previous years, the selection was always a foregone conclusion, with the council picking Fidel Castro. The council is now widely expected to select Raul Castro.

This is the beginning of the end of Fidel’s Cuba.

Fortunately, our Revolution can still count on cadres from the old guard and others who were very young in the early stages of the process. Some were very young, almost children, when they joined the fight on the mountains and later they have given glory to the country with their heroic performance and their internationalist missions. They have the authority and the experience to guarantee the replacement. There is also the intermediate generation which learned together with us the basics of the complex and almost unattainable art of organizing and leading a revolution.

The path will always be difficult and require from everyone’s intelligent effort. I distrust the seemingly easy path of apologetics or its antithesis the self-flagellation. We should always be prepared for the worst variable. The principle of being as prudent in success as steady in adversity cannot be forgotten. The adversary to be defeated is extremely strong; however, we have been able to keep it at bay for half a century.

This is not my farewell to you. My only wish is to fight as a soldier in the battle of ideas. I shall continue to write under the heading of ‘Reflections by comrade Fidel.’ It will be just another weapon you can count on. Perhaps my voice will be heard. I shall be careful.

Thanks.
Fidel Castro Ruz
February 18, 2008

Reuters:

Ailing Cuban leader Fidel Castro said on Tuesday that he will not return to lead the country as president, retiring as head of state 49 years after he seized power in an armed revolution.

Castro, 81, said in a statement to the country that he would not seek a new presidential term when the National Assembly meets on February 24.

“To my dear compatriots, who gave me the immense honor in recent days of electing me a member of parliament : I communicate to you that I will not aspire to or accept ” I repeat not aspire to or accept ” the positions of President of Council of State and Commander in Chief,” Castro said in the statement published on the Web site of the Communist Party’s Granma newspaper.

The National Assembly or legislature is expected to nominate his brother and designated successor Raul Castro as president in place of Castro, who has not appeared in public for almost 19 months after being stricken by an undisclosed illness.

Michelle points out “Don’t you love how Reuters cloaks its sympathy in journalistic neutrality”

A charismatic leader famous for his long speeches delivered in his green military fatigues, Castro is admired in the Third World for standing up to the United States but considered by his opponents a tyrant who suppressed freedom.

How cool is it that Fidel leaves before Bush does?

Tons more blog react at memeorandum

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