Cuba will kick off the second stage of the general elections on Sunday which will eventually lead to the change of the island-state's presidency, Xinhua reported.
Over 8.8 million voters are expected to cast their ballots at more than 24,000 polling stations to determine 605 members of the National Assembly of People's Power, the county's top legislative body. The assembly will convene next month to elect a new president for Cuba as President Raul Castro will not seek a third term.
In November last year, Cuban voters selected 12,515 delegates (councilors) to municipal government assemblies at the first stage of the general elections.
On April 19, the National Assembly is set to vote for the 31 members of the State Council, including its new president, vice presidents, secretary and other members.
"When the National Assembly is constituted in April 2018, I will have finished my second and last term leading the state and the government, and Cuba will have a new president," Cuban President Raul Castro said in a speech to lawmakers in December last year.
Raul Castro, 86, officially came to power in 2008, after his brother Fidel Castro was forced to retire on health reasons.
Raul Castro will continue to serve as first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba until 2021. He has been nominated to a seat in the next legislature, but will not take on any major political responsibility.
According to official data, this year's candidates are on average 49 years old and about 53.6 percent of them are women.
Raul Castro was scheduled to hand over the presidency to a new leader on Feb. 24. However, the National Assembly decided to extend his term for nearly two more months after the general elections were postponed. The delay was caused by hurricane Irma devastating the island country last year.