Raul Castro to delay stepping down as Cuba’s president

World Today

Raul CastroFILE PHOTO – Raul Castro addresses Cuban congress in 2016. (PHOTO: AP)

Cuba’s parliament on Thursday approved a proposal to extend its legislative period to April from February, state-run daily Juventud Rebelde wrote on Thursday, likely delaying the transition from Raul Castro to a new president.

The paper said the delay was due to the havoc wrought by Hurricane Irma, which tore across the island in September, lifting up roofs, uprooting trees and flooding low-lying coastal areas.

Cuba had already delayed municipal elections originally planned for October by a month.

CGTN’s Michael Voss reports.