metalero
12th March 2006, 02:49
Taken from Granma, it was originally published 1 year ago. Unsurprinsingly, I didn't see a piece of it in the international media...
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.
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.