Castro 'in Perfect Shape' to Stand in 2008 Elections

The Cuban president, Fidel Castro, will be in "perfect shape" to stand for parliament again in a year's time, the head of the country's national assembly has said.

"I would nominate him," said Ricardo Alarcon told reporters yesterday. "I'm sure he will be in perfect shape to continue handling his responsibilities."

Mr Castro, 80, has virtually disappeared from public view since stepping down temporarily in favour of his brother, Raul, following emergency intestinal surgery last July.

His political and actual demise have both been widely predicted since, but the Cuban leader - who has held power for 47 years - now appears to be recovering.

After he telephoned Hugo Chávez on the Venezuelan president's live weekly radio show a fortnight ago, it also emerged that Mr Castro spent some of last week walking with the Nobel prize-winning novelist Gabriel García Márquez.

Yesterday, Mr Márquez confirmed reports that he had avoided any celebrations for his own 80th birthday last week and visiting Mr Castro in Cuba, saying his host had been in ebullient form.

"It's the same old Fidel," the Colombian writer told the Spanish daily El País. "I tell you, it [the walk they took] seemed like kilometres. Fidel is a force of nature."

Mr Alarcon, speaking in Havana, said Mr Castro was "doing fine and continuing to focus on recovery and rehabilitation" and was expected to participate in legislative elections in March next year.

Such a move would be the first step towards him serving yet another term as president.

"Fidel has been, and is, very involved, very connected, very active in all manner of important decisions that this country makes," Mr Alarcon said, declining to confirm that he had actually seen Mr Castro in person.

"What's happening is, he can't do it the same way he did before because he has to dedicate a good part of his time to recuperating physically. To what extent he will go back to doing things the way he did, the way he is accustomed to, it's up to him."

Mr Castro's ailment is a state secret, but he is believed to be suffering from diverticulitis, an inflammation in the large intestine.