Published Thursday, May 21, 1998, in the Miami Herald

Castro: I'm not like Suharto

GENEVA -- (AFP) -- Cuban President Fidel Castro on Wednesday rejected any comparison with Indonesian President Suharto -- who stepped down today -- vowing not to cling to power and outdated ideas.

``There may be men -- I'm not accusing anyone -- who want to remain in power for a long time. There are others who are kept in power for a long time. I have been kept in power,'' he told journalists during a two-hour press conference in Geneva. Castro returns to Havana today after a week's visit to Switzerland.

Castro, 70, wearing a suit and tie, appeared tired at the start but answered questions with the same stamina and animated gestures that have become a trademark for the world's longest-serving revolutionary leader.

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