For the first time in nearly 60 years, Cuba is set to get a leader outside of the Castro family.
The new president will take over from Raul Castro.
Ro Aram has the details.
Raul Castro was due to step down on Thursday after two five-year terms.
He was frequently seen as a dictator who might have actually wanted to stay in power for longer, but he did announce his departure several years ago.
He took over from his brother Fidel Castro, who ruled Cuba for nearly five decades until a terminal illness forced him to step aside.
On Wednesday, the Cuban parliament approved 57-year-old Miguel Diaz-Canel as the sole candidate to succeed President Castro, which would ensure the continuation of Cuba's single-party system.
Lawmakers will vote for 30 other members of Cuba's state council as well as the new president, with results to be announced Thursday.
It is almost certain lawmakers will vote for Diaz-Canel and he is set to be sworn in after Thursday's announcement.
President Castro, meanwhile, will stay on as the head of the country's Communist Party until its next congress in 2021.
This means he and the party's top brass will still hold considerable power.
Diaz-Canel would be taking the helm of a country that is in economic stagnation and with a younger generation that wants change.
His short-term goal would be breathing life into the creaking economy.
Any major reforms and strategic decisions, such as the relationship with the United States, would come gradually.
Relations between Havana and Washington improved during the Obama administration, but soured again after President Trump reimposed certain travel and trade restrictions eased by his predecessor.
But while Castro remains the head of the Communist Party, any major decision's Diaz-Canel makes will likely need Castro's blessing.
Ro Aram, Arirang News.