High turnout in Cuba’s national election

HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 27 (ACN) A total of 6,164,876 Cubans (75.92% of the electoral roll) cast their vote yesterday in the election of candidates for deputies to the National Assembly of People's Power (Parliament), according to Alina Balseiro Gutierrez, president of the National Electoral Council (CEN).

Balseiro Gutiérrez remarked that 1.8% more Cubans went to the polls than in the popular referendum on the Family Code (74.12%) and 7.36% more than in the recent municipal elections (68.56%). She also announced that 90.28% of the ballots were valid, 6.22% were returned blank ballots, and 3.50% were annulled, a proportion that confirms the validity of the election. Likewise, 72.10% of the people cast a united vote, whereas 27.90% voted for individual candidates.

The progress of the voting process was systematically, publicly and truthfully covered by several media, as was the counting of the votes, witnessed by members of mass organizations and citizens at the polling stations.

“The fulfillment of this clear popular will is to end with the constitution of the Cuban Parliament and the election of its leaders, together with the Council of State and the president and vice president of the Republic on April 19,” she explained.

“Against the boycotting attempts and calls for abstentionism, the Cuban people’s response was convincing and the outcome provides clear evidence of the general enthusiasm across the country and the rejection of any manipulation,” she stressed.