If Cuba's President, Raul Castro stays true to his word, the over 59 year reign of Castros in power in the island country of Cuba will come to an end in 2018. The Castro regime took over the country after a coup that toppled the corrupt and abusive U.S. backed regime in 1959.

Raul Castro, who took control of the reins of power in 2008, after the near-fatal illness of his brother Fidel, announced Sunday that he would not seek another term after his present term. He was just ratified for his second term during a meeting of the Cuban Parliament. But, he also said in his 35 minute speech to Cuba’s congress, other changes would not take place, “I was not chosen to be president to restore capitalism to Cuba,” he said. “I was elected to defend, maintain and continue to perfect socialism, not destroy it.”

Also, the Cuban government has shown a departure of the long followed tendency to appoint older revolution-era persons to top seats in the government with the appointment of Raul’s vice president, 52-year-old Miguel Diaz-Canel, an engineer and former education official.

81-year-old Raul Castro also proposed term limits of two terms and mandatory retirement ages for top officials and presidents of the Cuban government last year. Those proposals are due to be written into the island country’s constitution. He did not reveal what the retirement age would be however.

Raul’s brother, 86-year-old Fidel attended the congressional gathering, but left before his brother gave the closing speech.