All Candidates “Win” in Cuba’s Elections
HAVANA TIMES — The number of voters who participated in Sunday’s general elections amounted to 7,877,906, which represents 89.68 of those registered on the electoral roll, informed the National Electoral Commission (NEC) on Monday.
According to the information provided in a press conference, NEC President Alina Balseiro said 94.17 percent of the votes were valid (7,418,522), while 4.63 percent of the ballots were blank and 1.2 percent void.
The official also confirmed that all of the 612 candidates for national parliament (and 1,269 to provincial legislatures) were elected, while work continues to validate the data and to present the final results in the next several days.
Almost all members of the new National Assembly belong to the Communist Party of Cuba.
There is no country in the world that has achieved perfection in holding free and fair elections. But all of the multiparty democracies come much closer than Cuba does. And that includes the United States which allows big money a much larger influence in its elections than any other country. Most countries including mine (Canada) have federal election spending limits and allow only individual citizens (not corporations and unions) to contribute to political campaigns.
Some voters are undoubtedly fooled by false promises or electoral propaganda made during the course of campaigns. But these voters also have the right to organize between elections to hold politicians and governments accountable, and – if enough voters feel the same way – to replace the government in the next election with one more to their liking.
Lech Walesa believes ‘Cuba will have democratic elections in two years’
http://joanantoniguerrero.blogspot.ca/2013/02/lech-walesa-cree-que-en-dos-anos-habra.html
He also asked the Cuban opposition to begin “working in earnest.” He mentioned that one of the dramas on the island is that there are too many leaders and he complained that the opposition has not followed the advice he has given them. He believes that if the country does not prepare, the future that awaits the island is one of authentic “chaos.”
1. “To express political opinions without interference”
2. “To seek, receive and impart information and to make an informed choice”
3. “To campaign on an equal basis with other political parties”
Hum, I guess in those principles we are all way far off, as we regularly:
1. Get debates where not every candidate is called for.
2. Get fooled by electoral propaganda and manipulated by electoral pools.
3. Get unequal campaigns by the parties who possess more monetary power and lobbying support.
Yes, only if the UN ‘worked’ instead of being a staged-show for its Security Council, the world would be a nicer place.
I attack the lack of democratic principles in Cuba and your response is to attack me. Nice.
Here are some of the principles for genuinely free and fair elections adopted by the United Nations, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and other international organizations:
* Every adult citizen has the right to take part in the government of their country and an equal opportunity to become a candidate for elections.
*Everyone has the right to join, or in association with other citizens, to establish a political party to compete in elections.
*Everyone individually and together with others has the right:
– To express political opinions without interference;
– To seek, receive and impart information and to make an informed
choice;
– To move freely within the country in order to campaign for election;
– To campaign on an equal basis with other political parties, including
the party forming the existing government.
It’s pretty clear that Cuba’s elections fall far, far short of the above principles.
Walks like a professional pro-imperialist; quacks like a professional pro-imperialist; could it be a professional pro-imperialist?
Walks like a duck (or farce), quacks like a duck, must be a duck.