Castro made the proposal when he was presenting a report to the Sixth Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba, which opened here Saturday.

"We have come to the conclusion that it is advisable to limit to a maximum of two consecutive terms of five years, depending on the performance of the key state and political positions. This is possible and necessary under the current circumstances," Castro told nearly 1,000 delegates at the opening session of the congress.

He stressed the need to rejuvenate the government and party leadership "from the base to the comrades who hold the primary responsibilities, without excluding the current president of the Councils of State and Ministers and the first secretary of the Communist central committee to be elected at this congress."

"Today we face the consequences of not having a reserve of substitutes properly prepared with sufficient experience and maturity to take on the new and complex tasks of leadership in the party, state and government," Castro said.

"However this is a matter to be solved gradually over five years without rush or improvisation, but to start as soon as possible after the congress," he said.

He also stressed the need for the ruling party to count on a "leadership policy," a matter to be discussed at a party conference in late January 2012 so that the party will "not suffer again the bitterness caused by the promotion of immature and inexperienced leaders."

The four-day caucus is expected to ratify a five-year economic reform plan put forward by Raul Castro and to elect a new party leadership.

The meeting, the first since 1997, should have been convened in 2002, but was delayed due to the economic emergency then and later by the health problems of Raul's elder brother, Fidel Castro, in 2006.