[NYTr] General Elections in Cuba Getting Closer

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN)
http://ainch.ain.cu/mailman/listinfo/ingles


General Elections in Cuba Getting Closer

Havana, Jan 4 (acn) From the list of candidates to be voted on in the 
January 20 general elections in Cuba, it is easy to see the 
generational handing over of the reigns about to happen.

Nevertheless, neither the government of the United States nor its 
mercenaries in Cuba, supposedly interested in a "transition,"
recognize the event as proof of a democratic process, reads an
article on Granma online.

Of the 614 candidates for the parliament, 374 (60.91 percent) were born 
after the triumph of the Revolution in 1959. Another 134 (21.82 
percent) were under the age of ten when the Revolution triumphed. Only
106 candidates (17.25 percent) knew capitalism in Cuba.

However, nobody was chosen to run based on the goal of more widespread 
generational representation in the parliament. The commissions, the 169 
municipal assemblies (city councils) and people who proposed candidates 
did so based on the careers and human qualities of the possible 
candidates before submitting them to the population for the January 20 
vote.

In terms of continuity and renewal, 36.78 percent of the candidates 
(224) are incumbents in the current 609 member legislature. Therefore, 
a little over 63.22 percent (385 legislators) will be newcomers in the 
new legislature of 614 members with the additional 5 members reflecting 
population growth.

The slate of candidates speaks for itself in terms of equality. The 
42.16 percent of the candidates (265) are women, 118 of the candidates 
are black and 101 are mestizos. The majority (481) of the candidates 
have a university level education (78.34 percent) and 127 (20.68) have 
a high school and/or technical degrees.


The candidates have the virtue of expressing the diversity among 
Cubans. They are a clear reflection of a united, revolutionary, 
internationalist, educated and just people who will continue in 
transition to improve the country's socialist system.