Elections Again in Cuba?
April 27th, 2010
Elections Again in Cuba?
Posted by: Barry Secrest
Published on April 27th, 2010 @ 12:25:41 pm , using 490 words
Published on April 27th, 2010 @ 12:25:41 pm , using 490 words
Posted in Events and Issues: Credible Resources
Pravda,RU
To some in the world it must have sounded a little strange to notice that the State Council of the Republic of Cuba will hold elections on Sunday, April 25, for the 169 delegates to municipal assemblies of People's Power. That is perfectly understandable, since one of the main components of the media war against the Cuban Revolution has been denied, juggled or muted, the holding of democratic elections: the partial half every two years to elect representatives (councilors), and the general, five, to elect national parliamentarians and members of provincial assemblies.
fe, so that voters may have access to elements on personal, reputation and ability to serve the people of each of the candidates and cast their vote freely for who they consider the best.
The final feature we want to comment on is the vote and public scrutiny. In Cuba voting is not compulsory . As stated in Article 3 of the Electoral Act, it is free, equal and secret, and each voter has one vote. No one, therefore, has anything to fear if they do not go to their polling place on Election Day or if they choose to deliver their ballot blank or annulled. This is unlike in many countries where voting is compulsory and people are compelled to vote to avoid being fined, taken to court or even to keep a job.
While in other countries, including the U.S., the essence is that most do not vote, in Cuba it is guaranteed that anyone wishing to do so could do it. In elections held in Cuba from 1976 to date, on average, 97% of voters have gone to vote. In the last three, more than 8 million registered voters did so.
The counting of votes in Cuban elections is public and can be witnessed in every school by all citizens who so desire, even the national or foreign press. And, moreover, they are only elected if they reach more than 50 percent of the valid votes cast, and they are accountable to their constituents and may be revoked at any time during their mandate.
I aspire simply to set these features, a reader without information about the Cuban reality should answer some basic questions such as the following: where is there greater electoral transparency and more freedom and democracy? And where has there been more successful elections: in countries with many broken politicians, or many political parties, many candidates, much propaganda or is it that Cuba is silenced or manipulated by the mainstream media, monopolized by a handful of corporations and limited magnates?
And I also aspire that someday, at least in the mainstream media, the wall of silence will cease to be erected on the elections in Cuba, as in other areas like public health, work and education, and this can be a source of knowledge to other people who deserve more respect and a future of greater freedom and democracy.
Translated from the Portuguese version by:
Lisa KARPOVA
PRAVDA.Ru
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