Cuba confirmed on Monday that all 470 candidates for the National Assembly had been elected in weekend elections.
According to early statistics given by election officials on Monday, participation was more than both the November municipal elections. It was also more than the September referendum that legalized gay marriage under Cuba’s family code.
Alina Balseiro, the president of Cuba’s National Election Commission, declared on state television. “We want to congratulate our people for their massive participation in this election of transcendent importance for the country’s present and future.”
In the midst of a severe economic crisis and increasing societal unrest. Both pro-government and anti-government groups saw Sunday’s election as a proxy for assessing support for Cuba’s communist leadership.
While three-quarters of eligible Cubans voted on Sunday, this is a considerable drop. Almost 90 percent voted in the 2018 legislative elections and the nearly 100 percent who voted in practically every election under former President Fidel Castro.
Under a one-party regime without a formal opposition or foreign influence, opposition groups mostly from outside Cuba encouraged Cubans to abstain from voting as a gesture of protest.
Cuba closely monitors its own elections and prohibits outside observers from participating.
Beginning on Sunday, the newly elected legislators will serve a five-year term. At their first meeting in April, they will vote for and elect Cuba’s new president.
Miguel Diaz-Cancel expected to win
After securing a seat in the legislature on Sunday, it is widely anticipated that the incumbent president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, would be re-elected.
It is anticipated that the new Cuban legislature would implement regulations on sensitive issues. Mainly press control and the right to protest.
72% of voters, according to Balseiro, chose the ballot option that allowed them to vote for all 470 candidates at once.
In the paper vote cast on Sunday, 470 candidates vied for 470 parliamentary seats. To be elected to the National Assembly, a candidate required more than fifty percent of the vote.
“These preliminary results justify the election of the 470 candidates nominated as deputies to the (National Assembly). ” Balseiro stated at a news conference televised by state-controlled media. Each candidate received more than 50 percent of the valid votes cast.
The authorities announced that somewhat more than 90% of votes were counted. 6.2% of ballots were blank and 3.5% of ballots being declared invalid.
