Cuba City Council Nominations to Begin

By Circles Robinson

Havana's Capitolio Building

HAVANA TIMES, Feb. 17 — The nomination period for candidates for Cuba’s municipal assemblies (city councils) begins on February 24 and lasts for a month.  Elections are set to take place on April 25th.

The Cuban government hails its elections as being highly democratic while detractors believe that voters have no real choices.

The voting age in Cuba is 16.

Campaigning is not permitted, nor are there debates on the issues affecting the community.  Thus, there are no posters, billboards or TV or radio ads promoting the candidates.

The candidates (2 to 8 for each position) limit themselves to posting their biographies on windows in designated places in the neighborhood and voters are requested to vote for the most qualified.

Since the current Cuban electoral system took effect in 1976, voter turnout has averaged 95% and above, one of the world’s highest for non-obligatory voting.