On Sunday, Cubans will be voting for the 605 members of the National Assembly. One of those elected will become the first Cuban president for 60 years who did not fight in the Revolution. "Political parties don't participate. Campaigns are not financed. The designation of candidates is based on merit, abilities and the commitment of the people." - Raul "Nobody exchanges promises for votes, or boasts of his abilities to get supporters... this is the true and exceptional face of what we proudly call socialist democracy." - Granma Daily 32,585 candidates were nominated by neighbourhood grassroots meetings representing workers, youth, women, students and farmers for the 605 seats in the assembly Members sit for a five year term, but every member can be recalled by the voters if he/she fails to perform and a replacement selected. Candidates must obtain the support of 50% of voters to be elected. If a candidate fails to gain 50% of the vote, a new candidate must be chosen. More than half of the candidates in this election are women. Candidates do not have to be, and often aren't, members of the Communist Party. At the last National Assembly Election, 81.7% of voters participated No publicity is permitted beyond the factual sheets stuck in local shop windows, which detail a candidate's service to the nation (as shown below). No billboards. No party political broadcasts. No loudspeaker vans. No rallies. No rosettes. Just plain facts. Cuba's president is designated by a 31-member body called the Council of State, whose head is automatically president of the country. But the Council of State first has to be selected by the National Assembly. Schoolchildren guard the ballot boxes and salute each citizen as he or she votes with a cry of "He/She Voted!"
How do candidates from Cuba’s equivalent to Eton get selected? We all know it’s impossible to run a country without the very best of its toffs.
According to the National Electoral Commission (CEN), about 78.5 percent of voters - almost seven million people - participated in the election. More than eight million Cubans were eligible to vote for the 605 deputies to the National Assembly of People's Power and the 1,265 delegates to the 15 Provincial Assemblies of People's Power. On April 16, the incoming National Assembly will elect a new Council of State, who will then determine the body's president.
And in other news, The United Nations Children Fund, or Unicef , has declared Cuba a 'champion' in children's rights. María Cristina Perceval, the regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean region, said, Cuba's exemplary model of early education, "Educa a Tu Hijo (Educate Your Child)," is being adopted by many other nations. "The government has installed a mechanism for communities to not only deal with emergency situations, but also with other phenomena, with efficacy, professionalism, and speed," Perceval added. "We are grateful to share this information that the education mechanism which incorporates childhood education, elimination of vertical transmission of HIV, and prevention of teen pregnancies. Champions, champions, champions!"
