Ricardo Alarcon, President of the Cuban Parliament. AFP PHOTO/ Adalberto ROQUE

Wednesday, Washington showed no sign of willingness to accept leadership by Raul Castro, 75, Cuba's interim leader as his brother Fidel Castro, 80, recovers from intestinal surgery in Latin America's only communist country.

Alarcon said Thursday that "Cubans are not asking anyone for anything, and the last thing they would do is ask that idiot for anything," referring to US President George W. Bush.

His comments came a day after the US State Department criticised the Castro regime change and said Cubans should have the opportunity for democratic change.

"We think the Cuban people need to be given the opportunity to see and have democratic change. We believe that is what the Cuban people would like to have," said Tom Casey, a State Department spokesman, in Washington.

"The creation of some sort of Castro dynasty simply by transferring power to Raul Castro and having him continue to operate the same undemocratic, repressive policies as his brother is certainly not a solution that we think is viable," Casey said, adding that the United States was ready to help.

The United States has had a full economic embargo on Cuba since 1962.

Alarcon, also Cuba's National Assembly speaker, spoke with reporters at the Convention Center on the sidelines of a colloquium held as part of almost a week of celebrations of Fidel Castro's 80th birthday. It was August 13 but the festivities were delayed in the hope he would be able to take part.

Fidel Castro, Cuba's leader since 1959, so far has remained absent from the belated public celebrations.

He has not been seen in public since he handed the government over temporarily to his brother on July 31. Few details since have emerged on Fidel Castro's health, which is considered a state secret.

Though almost 2,000 foreign guests came to Cuba for the special celebrations, neither of the Castros showed up at the public birthday events on Tuesday and Wednesday, including a colloquium entitled "Memory and the Future: Cuba and Fidel."

Fidel last appeared in a video on October 28 to refute rumours he was seriously ill or even dead, but warned that his recovery would be long and "not without risks."

A military parade Saturday is to commemorate both the 50th anniversary of the 1956 landing of the ship Granma carrying 81 fighters that helped spark the Cuban revolution - including the Castro brothers and Argentine Ernesto 'Che' Guevara - as well as the culmination of Fidel's birthday events.