By Anthony Boadle
HAVANA (Reuters) - Raul Castro was named president of Cubaon Sunday, ending his brother Fidel Castro's 49-year rule butkeeping the country on a communist path.
Raul Castro, 76, nodded and smiled as the National Assemblyapplauded his election by the rubber-stamp legislature.
Many analysts expect Raul Castro to bring some economicreforms to Cuba's crippled economy but in a sign that change isunlikely to be deep or abrupt, hardline communist partyideologue Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, 77, was named vicepresident.
Raul Castro has led the West's last communist state sinceJuly 2006 when long-time U.S. foe Fidel Castro temporarilyhanded over power after undergoing intestinal surgery. Thebearded revolutionary officially retired on Tuesday.
(Reporting by Anthony Boadle and Marc Frank, Editing byAngus MacSwan and Kieran Murray)
(For special coverage from Reuters on Castro's retirement,see: http://www.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/cuba)
