•Cuba's parliament meets against the backdrop of Fidel Castro's illness
•A message or phone call from Castro to lawmakers is a possibility
•Castro's medical condition has been kept a state secret

 

HAVANA, Cuba (AP) -- Questions surrounding Fidel Castro's health are focusing more attention than normal on the first meeting of Cuba's parliament since the 80-year-old leader fell ill almost five months ago. The year-end session of the National Assembly of Popular Power traditionally features dry speeches peppered with economic figures.

But Friday's meeting is being held against the backdrop of Castro's lengthy convalescence from July 31 intestinal surgery, and what it bodes for the future of the island's leadership. Castro, who temporarily ceded his powers to his brother Raul after the surgery, was not expected to make an appearance. But a written message or telephone call to the assembly from the man who ruled the island for nearly a half century was considered a possibility.

Although National Assembly President Ricardo Alarcon presides over the sessions, Fidel Castro typically attends the meetings, asking questions of speakers giving their annual economic reports and sometimes giving speeches of his own. Castro loyalists were disappointed earlier this month when the leader did not show up for a military parade marking the 50th anniversary of Cuba's Revolutionary Armed Forces and belated celebrations of his August 13 birthday.

Castro has not been seen in public since July 26 -- five days before he stepped aside -- and his medical condition has since been kept a state secret.

He has been seen occasionally in official photographs and videos since, and appeared thin and frail in the last one released in late October. Cuban officials have insisted that Castro will recover and return to public life, but many acknowledge privately that it seems increasingly unlikely he will resume his once powerful role.

They repeatedly have denied that Castro suffers from cancer or some other terminal ailment, as U.S. intelligence officials and others have speculated. Some U.S. doctors have said that Castro might have diverticular disease, which can cause bleeding in the lower intestine, especially in people older than 60. In severe cases, emergency surgery may be required. Raul Castro, 75, has been signaling a more collaborative leadership style since assuming provisional power, delegating more responsibilities and calling for more public debate.

The nearly 500 members of Cuba's National Assembly, or parliament, are directly elected every five years in district balloting island wide. Although Communist Party membership is not required to run, no other political parties are recognized in Cuba, and deputies often run unopposed. Also every five years, the National Assembly elects Cuba's governing body, the Council of State, including its president.

Castro was elected by National Assembly deputies to his sixth presidential term in March 2003. At the same time, they re-elected Raul Castro as the council's first vice president, ratifying his role as his brother's constitutionally designated successor.

Following that vote, the elder Castro made what was then a rare reference to his mortality. "I promise that I will be with you, if you so wish, for as long as I feel that I can be useful -- and if it is not decided by nature before," he said. "Not a minute less and not a second more."