Raul Castro votes for new Communist Party leaders

HAVANA — Cuba's Communist Party began the process of electing new leaders Monday in a vote that is likely to formally name Raul Castro as first secretary in place of his brother. All eyes were on the selection of the No. 2 position, which could signal the Castros' choice of an eventual successor.

The vote came during a historic Party Congress convened to consider hundreds of changes that officials hope will breathe life, along with a certain free-market spirit, into an ailing economy. Committees gave preliminary approval to a number of measures, including one that would let Cubans buy and sell private homes, something that has been prohibited since the 1959 revolution.

An official photograph taken by Cuban state media from inside the spacious convention hall where the party confab was taking place showed Castro placing his vote inside a ballot box. The ballot read, "Candidacy for Members of the Central Committee." A box reading, "Vote for All," was checked on the ballot, indicating that Castro had approved an entire slate of candidates.

The candidates themselves are not visible in the picture, and it was not clear when the new leadership will be announced. The party congress is scheduled to wrap up Tuesday.

Fidel and Raul Castro have held the top two spots in the Communist Party since its creation in 1965. But at this year's Sixth Party Congress, there is an air of mystery surrounding the leadership vote.

In March, Fidel, 84, announced he had resigned as first secretary of the party when he ceded the presidency to Raul several years ago, although the party's website still lists him as its leader.

Raul Castro is widely expected to formally ascend to the No. 1 spot, but there is speculation that a fresh face could become his top party deputy.

The government is still full of aging revolutionaries who fought to topple Fulgencio Batista in 1959. In a speech opening the Congress this weekend, Raul warned that a new generation is needed to take over when the old guard is gone.

He even proposed term limits for officials including the president — a taboo subject during the half-century in which Cuba has been ruled by either him or his brother. The goal is to create opportunities for younger politicians to get experience, Raul said.

The speech intensified speculation the job might go to someone such as Lazaro Exposito, the young Communist Party chief in Santiago de Cuba, or Marino Murillo, the former Economy Minister who has been put in charge of implementing the economic reforms.