A longtime deputy of Raul Castro is set to become Cuba's new president Thursday, becoming the country's first president outside the Castro family in nearly 60 years.

First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel was named the only candidate for president on Wednesday as part of a two-day process that finishes Thursday with a vote by members of the National Assembly and the official announcement of the result.

The procedure is a departure from the past, when the legislature has generally chosen the president and made the announcement the same day. The votes are almost always done in secrecy, in keeping with the will of the country's top leadership.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the transition is "of great concern" to the Trump administration because it is not democratic.

"We would like citizens to be able to have a say in their political outcomes, and this certainly does not seem like regular folks will have a say. They basically don't have a real and meaningful choice because it's not a democratic process."

Nauert said the administration would like to see "a more free and democratic Cuba," but is "not overly optimistic."

The new president will succeed 86-year-old Raul Castro, who is resigning after two five-year terms. His late brother Fidel served as prime minister and president after the armed Cuban Revolution in 1959 until he became ill in 2006.

Diaz-Canel appears to be socially liberal and is considered an acceptable successor to the retiring elderly leaders who fought in the revolution.

Congress will select leaders of the legislature before choosing the president and other members of the Council of State, Cuba's top government body.

The process will usher in a new group of younger leaders who face pressure to bring greater prosperity to the country and revitalize its economy, which is smaller than it was in 1985 when it was supported by the former Soviet Union.

While the assembly promotes younger leaders, Castro and other older revolutionaries are expected to retain their power, due to their hold on the Communist Party. Castro will remain party leader.

長期擔任勞爾·卡斯特羅副手的米蓋爾·迪亞斯-卡內爾星期四將成為古巴新總統。這將是近60年來第一次由卡斯特羅家族以外的人擔任總統。

在古巴的兩天選舉程序中，現任第一副總統米蓋爾·迪亞斯-卡內爾星期三被提名為唯一的總統候選人。古巴全國代表大會星期四將表決，然后正式宣布結果。

這次的程序與過去不同。全國代表大會過去在確定總統人選后會在當天做出宣布。投票幾乎肯定會按照古巴最高層的意愿秘密舉行。

美國國務院發言人希瑟·諾爾特說，川普政府對古巴的權力過渡“極為關注”，因為這并不是民主的程序。

她說：“我們希望公民能夠對他們的政治結果擁有發言權，這顯然不像是能讓普通民眾有發言權。他們基本上沒有真正的、有意義的選擇，因為這不是一個民主的程序。”

諾爾特說，川普政府希望看到“一個更加自由和民主的古巴”，但“并不過于樂觀”。

新主席將接替86歲的勞爾·卡斯特羅。勞爾·卡斯特羅在兩個五年任期屆滿后退休。他已故的哥哥菲德爾·卡斯特羅在1959年古巴武裝革命后一直擔任部長會議主席和國務委員會主席，直到2006年生病退休。

迪亞斯-卡內爾似乎是一位社會自由派人士。參加過古巴革命戰爭的老一代正在退休的領導人認為他是可以接受的接班人。

全國代表大會將選擇該立法機構的領導人，然后再選擇古巴政府最高行政機構國務委員會的主席和其他成員。

這一程序將推出新一代更為年輕的領導人，他們面臨著振興經濟和繁榮國家的重任。古巴現在的經濟規模要小于1985年得到前蘇聯支持時的經濟規模。

由于卡斯特羅和其他老一輩革命人物仍然控制著共產黨，雖然全國代表大會推出新一輩領導人，老人們預計仍將保持他們的權力。卡斯特羅仍然是黨的領導人。

A longtime deputy of Raul Castro is set to become Cuba's new president Thursday, becoming the country's first president outside the Castro family in nearly 60 years.

First Vice President Miguel Diaz-Canel was named the only candidate for president on Wednesday as part of a two-day process that finishes Thursday with a vote by members of the National Assembly and the official announcement of the result.

The procedure is a departure from the past, when the legislature has generally chosen the president and made the announcement the same day. The votes are almost always done in secrecy, in keeping with the will of the country's top leadership.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the transition is "of great concern" to the Trump administration because it is not democratic.

"We would like citizens to be able to have a say in their political outcomes, and this certainly does not seem like regular folks will have a say. They basically don't have a real and meaningful choice because it's not a democratic process."

Nauert said the administration would like to see "a more free and democratic Cuba," but is "not overly optimistic."

The new president will succeed 86-year-old Raul Castro, who is resigning after two five-year terms. His late brother Fidel served as prime minister and president after the armed Cuban Revolution in 1959 until he became ill in 2006.

Diaz-Canel appears to be socially liberal and is considered an acceptable successor to the retiring elderly leaders who fought in the revolution.

Congress will select leaders of the legislature before choosing the president and other members of the Council of State, Cuba's top government body.

The process will usher in a new group of younger leaders who face pressure to bring greater prosperity to the country and revitalize its economy, which is smaller than it was in 1985 when it was supported by the former Soviet Union.

While the assembly promotes younger leaders, Castro and other older revolutionaries are expected to retain their power, due to their hold on the Communist Party. Castro will remain party leader.

長期擔任勞爾·卡斯特羅副手的米蓋爾·迪亞斯-卡內爾星期四將成為古巴新總統。這將是近60年來第一次由卡斯特羅家族以外的人擔任總統。

在古巴的兩天選舉程序中，現任第一副總統米蓋爾·迪亞斯-卡內爾星期三被提名為唯一的總統候選人。古巴全國代表大會星期四將表決，然后正式宣布結果。

這次的程序與過去不同。全國代表大會過去在確定總統人選后會在當天做出宣布。投票幾乎肯定會按照古巴最高層的意愿秘密舉行。

美國國務院發言人希瑟·諾爾特說，川普政府對古巴的權力過渡“極為關注”，因為這并不是民主的程序。

她說：“我們希望公民能夠對他們的政治結果擁有發言權，這顯然不像是能讓普通民眾有發言權。他們基本上沒有真正的、有意義的選擇，因為這不是一個民主的程序。”

諾爾特說，川普政府希望看到“一個更加自由和民主的古巴”，但“并不過于樂觀”。

新主席將接替86歲的勞爾·卡斯特羅。勞爾·卡斯特羅在兩個五年任期屆滿后退休。他已故的哥哥菲德爾·卡斯特羅在1959年古巴武裝革命后一直擔任部長會議主席和國務委員會主席，直到2006年生病退休。

迪亞斯-卡內爾似乎是一位社會自由派人士。參加過古巴革命戰爭的老一代正在退休的領導人認為他是可以接受的接班人。

全國代表大會將選擇該立法機構的領導人，然后再選擇古巴政府最高行政機構國務委員會的主席和其他成員。

這一程序將推出新一代更為年輕的領導人，他們面臨著振興經濟和繁榮國家的重任。古巴現在的經濟規模要小于1985年得到前蘇聯支持時的經濟規模。

由于卡斯特羅和其他老一輩革命人物仍然控制著共產黨，雖然全國代表大會推出新一輩領導人，老人們預計仍將保持他們的權力。卡斯特羅仍然是黨的領導人。