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One of the Cuban electoral system’s most important
stages begins today
BY ORFILIO PELAEZ—Granma daily staff writer—
TODAY begins another extremely
important step in our democratic process, as Cuban
voters participate in the first of more than 41,500
nomination meetings held in 15,000 districts around
the country. During these meetings, which will go
until March 24, voters will nominate their
candidates for the People’s Power municipal
assemblies.
The people’s mass participation
will once again be a distinguishing element of our
electoral process which, on this occasion, is taking
place at a historical moment, given that it
signifies the safeguarding of our sovereignty and
the Revolution’s socialist course in face of U.S.
government plans to revoke the people’s conquests
and destroy the Cuban nation.
For that reason, and as was
stated recently by Ricardo Alarcón, president of the
National Assembly of People’s Power, these elections
should become another Girón (Bay of Pigs), a bigger
and more devastating victory, to announce to
imperialism what would happen if it should try to
take away our homeland, our independence and the
political system that we have built.
These elections, like all that
have taken place since the establishment of the
electoral system, are characterized by the
revolutionary principles that were drawn up and have
been perfected through our practice of them over
more than three decades.
Among these are the right of
every Cuban who is legally qualified to elect and be
elected; the people’s nomination of candidates; the
exclusion of any type of political campaigning;
voters’ access to exercising their right to vote,
and the transparency and control by voters during
every step of the process.
The assemblies that begin today
will continue until March 24. During these meetings,
voters will nominate whomever they consider to best
meet the requirements for functioning as a
representative of their neighborhood and their
municipality. There is no limit to the number of
candidates that may be proposed, making it possible
to have more options at the moment of selecting from
amongst the nominations from each district, in order
to then elect the most suitable.
Those who are nominated, based on
their merits and abilities, take on the commitment
of serving our people. April then holds new glories
for us, when all citizens over 16 may freely cast
their votes on the 17th for those they feel would
best represent them.
This process culminates with the
subsequent constitution of the People’s Power
municipal assemblies, made up of all delegates
elected by district. |
