Cuban General Elections Nearing

MARIA JULIA MAYORAL

The slate of candidates to be voted on in the January 20 general elections brings with it a generational handing over of the reigns. Nevertheless, neither the government of the United States nor its mercenaries, supposedly interested in a "transition" in Cuba, recognize the event as proof of a democratic transition.

Of the 614 candidates for the parliament, 374 (60.91 percent) were born after the triumph of the revolution in 1959. Another 134 (21.82 percent) were under the age of ten. Only 106 candidates (17.25 percent) knew capitalism in Cuba, that is to say, those who were part of the generation that defeated the Batista dictatorship and began building socialism.

However, nobody was chosen to run based on the goal of more widespread generational representation in the parliament. This was not the intention of the people who nominated and elected many of the candidates in their voting districts. Nor was this the intention of the country’s grassroots and student organizations when they proposed candidates to the legislature. Much less was it the criteria at the 169 municipal assemblies (city councils) where the lists of possible candidates were taken into account by the electoral commissions.

The commissions, city councils and people who proposed candidates did so based on the careers and human qualities of the possible candidates before submitting them to the population for the January 20 vote.

The ample representation of different generations is simply because each generation has made the revolution their own, finding their own ways and incentives to participate in the building of socialism, which doesn’t mean an absence of different opinions.

In terms of continuity and renewal, 36.78 percent of the candidates (224) are incumbents in the current 609 member legislature. Therefore, a little over 63.22 percent (385 legislators) will be newcomers in the new legislature of 614 members with the additional 5 members reflecting population growth.

The large number of new parliament members proposed for the next five-year legislative period stems from the fact that in Cuba becoming a lawmaker at any level, national, provincial or local, does not mean becoming a professional politician.

THOSE AT THE BOTTOM ARE ON TOP

It would be hard to find another country where such a large number of citizens holding posts as city council members or mayors have the opportunity to also be national legislature members, without spending a cent on electoral campaigns. On this occasion, 285 candidates (46.42 percent) were first elected at local elections in their voting districts.

The same could be said in relation to blacks and mestizos. Without a political system aimed at guaranteeing effective and growing equality and social justice it would be impossible reach the result achieved in Cuba were 118 of the candidates are blacks and 101 mestizos.

EDUCATED POPULATION

There’s no need to force equal representation because the efforts of the revolution has assured that. This is why 42.16 percent of the candidates (265) are women and a majority (481) of the candidates have a university level education (78.34 percent) and 127 (20.68) with high school and/or technical degrees.

The wide range of professional careers could be of great use in the work of the standing parliamentary commissions. For example, 84 candidates studied engineering related to agronomy, machine building, electronics, metallurgy, chemistry, telecommunications, forestry, naval operations and hydraulics.

Numerous others have degrees in education and valuable experience in the classrooms and as economists, lawyers, medical doctors and social researchers. There are also social workers, specialists in military sciences and physical education, nurses, meteorologists, historians and theologians.

The candidates have the virtue of expressing the diversity among Cubans. They are a clear reflection of a united, revolutionary, internationalist, educated and just people who will continue in transition to improve the country’s socialist system.