Oden Marichal, an Anglican minister in the assembly, echoed the party line of most of the delegates when asked who should lead the nation now. "Fidel," he said. "But that cannot be, so Raul."

The National Assembly was elected last month in elections completely controlled by the Communist party, the only political organization permitted on this island of 11 million people.

Fidel Castro, 81, was said to be too ill to attend the meeting, and he voted through a proxy. When his name was called in the roll of delegates, the assembly gave him a 30-second standing ovation.

In a sense, who holds the office of president hardly matters, experts on Cuban politics say. Fidel Castro remains the head of the Communist party, by law the ultimate authority in the land.

Raul Castro, the former defense minister, still has the loyalty of the military. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the military has become much more than simply an expeditionary army at the service of what was once the Soviet bloc.

Cuba's active and retired military leaders, who served under Raul Castro for decades, oversee important state-run businesses, from agricultural production to tourist enterprises, the all-important earners of hard currency.

They are likely to play a critical role in consolidating Castro's power over the new government, and they are the only figures in Cuban society who have the power to bring down the government quickly. Most have close personal relationships with Castro, who has put them in lucrative positions of authority and power.

"Raul controls everything, every important position in the country," said Vladimir Roca, a former fighter pilot who broke with the government and served prison time for speaking out against the Castros.

Brian Lattel, a former CIA analyst, wrote in his book "After Fidel" that the Castro brothers' ability to remain in command over the generals sprinkled throughout the government and state-run businesses will be critical if they hope to stay in power. "The odds of that will be much in their favor in the beginning at least."