95.4% of voters cast their
ballots
•
8,174,350 citizens go to the polls to elect their People’s Power delegates, according to preliminary information
MORE than 8,174,350 Cubans exercised their right
to vote on Sunday, October 21, choosing their delegates to the Municipal Assemblies of People’s Power, a figure that
represents the equivalent of 95.44% of voters.
In a press conference on Monday, Marķa Esther
Reus, president of the National Electoral Commission, said that those preliminary figures could become higher. She added that
on Sunday the 28th, there would be a second round of voting in the 2,971 voting districts where none of the candidates received
more than 50% of the vote.
She added that in this election, 12,265 citizens
were elected as delegates; 3,288 are women, which is 26.81%; 2,053 are young people, which is 16.74%; and 5,776 of acting
delegates were re-elected, a figure of 47.09%.
The likewise minister of justice described elections
in Cuba as a mass event,
given the active, enthusiastic and disciplined participation of the population. She also highlighted the level of preparation
and security of the entire process.
Even in the eastern provinces, she noted, where
the heavy rainfall affected communications and access, the elections went smoothly thanks to the search for alternative ways
of meeting those challenges.
Reus explained that the final results of this first round would be provided soon, because they were
yet to be reconciled against official, public and computerized voter information.
In the name of the National Electoral Commission,
she congratulated the entire people, the 190,000 people designated as electoral authorities and those who worked as auxiliary
personnel at every level, and with their efforts guaranteed that once again, Cuba’s elections were held with
transparency and democracy.
Responding to questions from foreign reporters,
Marķa Esther Reus noted that one-third of the candidates nominated by the people were not members of the Communist Party of
Cuba, and that party membership is not a requirement for being nominated.
In response to another question, she explained
that religious affiliation is also not recorded, because any Cuban man or woman, regardless of their religious beliefs, may
be elected as a People’s Power delegate.
She also noted that the date for electing delegates
to the Provincial Assemblies of People’s Power and deputies to the National Assembly (Parliament) would be announced
at the appropriate time.
Translated by Granma International •
