Cuba'spresident, Fidel Castro, is recovering steadily from illness and will be in"perfect condition" to be stand for re-election next year, Cuba'sparliamentary leader has said.

Ricardo Alarcon, one of Castro's close aides, said onThursday: "I'm sure he will be in perfect shape to continue handling hisresponsibilities." 

Alarcon made the statement during a meeting held to preparethe March election of deputies who will then name the island's head of state.

Castro, 80, who has led Cuba since the 1959revolution, handed over power temporarily to his brother Raul, 75, on July 31after undergoing intestinal surgery. 

Cuban authorities have since released few details of therevolutionary leader's exact condition, but insist he has been recoveringsteadily.

"I have been in contact with him a lot ... and theprocess of recovery continues going very well," Alarcon said.

He stressed, though, that it was necessary for Raul, Cuba'sdefense minister and number two, to remain at the helm for the time being.

Decision maker 

Alarcon, however, insisted that did not mean FidelCastro was out of the loop.

"Fidel has been and is very involved, very connected,very active in the important decisions that have been taken in thecountry," he said.

He acknowledged though that world's longest-serving head ofstate could not be as involved as in the past, "since he has to devotemuch of his time to his physical recovery."

Alarcon said that how long it takes Castro to resume hisfull functions "depends on he and his doctors."

Chavez meeting

Since Castro stepped aside in July, he has appeared sixtimes in film footage to show he was recuperating, the most recent on January30.

In a transcript of a telephone conversation published by Cuba's officialGranma newspaper on Wednesday, Castro told his friend Hugo Chavez, theVenezuelan president, he felt "very well."

Chavez also suggested Castro would soon be ready to resumehis activities and hinted at a holding meeting together with Evo Morales, Bolivia'spresident, in April.

The Venezuelan leader has visited Castro, and talked to himon the telephone, on several occasions since July.

Source: Agencies