( L - R ) Obama, McCain

WASHINGTON, d.c. (AP):

United States presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain demanded the release of political prisoners in Cuba after Fidel Castro announced his resig-nation yesterday.

"Cuba's future should be deter-mined by the Cuban people and not by an anti-democratic successor regime," Obama said. "The prompt release of all prisoners of conscience wrongly jailed for standing up for the basic freedoms too long denied to the Cuban people would mark an important break with the past. It's time for these heroes to be released."

Republican Senator John McCain said: "We must press the Cuban regime to release all political prisoners unconditionally, to legalise all political parties, labour unions and free media, and to schedule internationally monitored elections."