Cubans take to the polls amid criticism and protest

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: CNN

Cubans hit the polls across the country Sunday, voting in municipal assembly elections that the government hopes will soften criticism about democracy -- or lack thereof -- in the communist nation.

The nationwide vote will fill 169 assembly seats and is expected to draw millions to the polls. The vote will determine municipal representation on such local issues as waste removal and electricity, as opposed to the larger political questions facing Cuba such as the near half-century-old U.S. trade embargo.

Candidates in municipalities across the country are selected by a show of hands by local monitoring groups called Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, who are also responsible for reporting suspicious neighborhood activity.

Electoral campaigning is strictly prohibited, an aspect that Cuba touts as at least one reason it considers its elections to be more democratic than in neighboring countries.

Read more: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/04/25/cuba.municipal.elections/

[Iliyah]

1. Castro's

brother wants to work with America, i.e. Obama.

[harmonicon]

2. what horrible coverage by CNN ... but what more should we expect? (nt)

[Ter]

3. Cool, so who's gonna run against Castro?

Next election?

[Billy Burnett]

5. OP is referring to Cuba's municipal (local) elections.

Cuba's system is a variant parliamentary system, where the leadership is chosen from among the elected parliamentarians in Cuba's National Assembly (parliament).

http://www.poptel.org.uk/cuba-solidarity/democracy.htm

This system in Cuba is based upon universal adult suffrage for all those aged 16 and over. Nobody is excluded from voting, except convicted criminals or those who have left the country. Voter turnouts have usually been in the region of 95% of those eligible .

There are direct elections to municipal, provincial and national assemblies, the latter represent Cuba's parliament.

Electoral candidates are not chosen by small committees of political parties. No political party, including the Communist Party, is permitted to nominate or campaign for any given candidates.

[h9socialist]

4. Democracy in Cuba

I remember Oliver Stone's documentary "Comandante" about Fidel Castro. At one point Stone asks Fidel about holding free elections in Cuba. Fidel became some what indignant and alluded to Cuba already having a free electoral system.

Frankly, the mainstream in the US goes way too far in demonizing Fidel, Raul and Che. People tend to overlook the fact that Batista was a monstrosity. The only people that mourn Batista's demise are octogenarian rich folks in South Florida. The Cuban Revolution was a major advance for liberation in Latin America. Not perfect by any means. But I cannot blame any small nation for wanting to overthrow a dictator and expelling foreign capitalists who exploit the misery of the workers and peasants.