HAVANA, Nov 28 (NNN-TELESUR) — The electoral day in Cuba to elect the Municipal Assemblies is going on normally with minor incidents, while the voting registers an important affluence almost three hours after the beginning of the local elections.
As of 07H00 local time, the polling stations opened for Cubans to elect the representatives of the local assemblies of the People’s Power, the main governing body at the local level.
The president of the National Electoral Council, Alina Balseiro, pointed out that this Sunday all the polling stations in the country (23,480) opened at 07H00 hours.
Today #Cuba celebrates the elections of delegates to the Municipal Assemblies of People’s Power. Some 8 million Cubans voluntarily, freely, spontaneously and anonymously, will choose the most suitable among the candidates for local bodies.
She commented that there have been incidents in some polling stations, but it has been something very punctual.
Balseiro recalled that there is a total of 8,351,311 voters exercising their right to vote in these municipal elections of the People’s Power and called on voters to attend the polls.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel went to his respective polling station along with his wife, Lis Cuesta Peraza, and after casting his vote in the ballot box he had an exchange with the press present.
Díaz Canel highlighted the exercise of socialist democracy and noted that it is expected to be strengthened throughout the following electoral processes. The president highlighted the results of his international tour, which included Algeria, Turkey, Russia and China.
According to the National Electoral Council (CNE) of the Caribbean country, Cubans eligible to vote will be able to attend one of the 20,000 polling stations authorized to vote between 07H00 and 18H00. This will be the first electoral process to take place after the restructuring of the electoral system.
According to official figures, 26,746 people presented themselves as candidates to the municipal assemblies of the People’s Power to occupy 12,427 positions of district delegates, which would be a close equivalent to the neighborhood councilors in other geographies, people responsible for managing solutions to the problems located in their area of residence.
A recent communiqué from the CEN explains that around 70 percent of the candidates are members of the Communist Party of Cuba or the Young Communist League (UJC), while 44 percent are women and 17 percent of the total are young people.
To be elected, a candidate must receive 50 percent plus one of the total votes and will serve a five-year term in a non-professional manner, in line with the transformations introduced in the 2019 Constitution.
Between Oct 21 and Nov 18, more than 6,000,000 voters attended the neighborhood assemblies for the nomination of candidates, which represents 72.64 percent of citizen participation.
Cubans summoned to these elections to choose delegates by direct and secret ballot must exercise their right to vote in their place of permanent residence and must be 16 years of age or older, so this time a little more than 22,000 people will vote for the first time, the report states.
Some eight million Cubans over 16 years of age are called to the polls in 23,480 polling stations in 12,427 districts to choose among 26,746 candidates, according to data from the National Electoral Council (CEN).
Should a second round be necessary, it would be held on Dec 4, the NEC clarified. — NNN-TELESUR
