CUBA: Raul Named New Party Secretary; Property Sales Plan Ratified; But Who Will Succeed Raul?

NYTIMES / ANALYSIS/  R. Archibold/

   President Raúl Castro, 79, was elected first secretary of the communist party replacing his brother Fidel, 84 with Fidel in attendance as the 6th Party Congress ratified more than 300 reforms...including a plan to legalize property sales.
  But many are skeptical as the winds of change slowly blow thru La Habana's Capitolio.
 “We have a way of making changes but keeping everything the same,” said a young street vendor. “The basic problem is we have no money. I am hoping what they are discussing will change that.”
  Also, there is the problem of leadership.
   The current crop is old...very old.  Who will succeed Raul?
   Party stalwart Jose Ramon Machado Ventura (pictured below) 80, was just elected second secretary.

  A leading political scientists observes: “I think it is not just about more young people. It’s about young people who think differently. We can have young people who think like the old ones or we can have young people who are young and think differently.”
   The names most frequently mentioned by the Habanistas/tobacco leaf readers...as possible successors: Marino Murillo, 50,  Lázaro Expósito, believed to be in his 40s and Lázara López Acea, 47.