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The President of Cuba, Raul Castro, has said he would step down as president in April 2018, a government official has said.
He was supposed to leave in February but the country’s parliament voted Thursday to extend its legislative period from February to April, keeping Castro in his seat.
The delay was caused by Hurricane Irma, which ripped through the island in September before making landfall in Florida, Reuters reported, citing Cuban state-run media.
Castro, 86, has promised to step down in 2018 when his second term as president ends.
The country had already delayed municipal elections planned for October by a month, according to the news service.