[NYTr] Cubans Complete Nominations for Local Elections on Oct 21
 
Date: Thu, 27 Sep 2007 20:15:26 -0500 (CDT)

Via NY Transfer News Collective  *  All the News that Doesn't Fit
 
Agencia Cubana de Noticias (ACN)
http://ainch.ain.cu/mailman/listinfo/ingles

Nominations Close for Cuba's Local Elections

Havana, Sept 27 (ACN) More than seven million registered voters 
participated in meetings to nominate their candidates for the local 
governments, as the nomination process wrapped up Wednesday with the 
selection of 37,328 citizens nationwide. Elections are scheduled for 
October 21.

Maria Esther Reus, president of the National Electoral Commission, 
said people were very enthusiastic about the process, showing its 
democratic and transparent nature. The official spoke during the 
primetime Round Table program broadcasted daily on Cuban TV and radio.

Among those nominated are 10,799 women, about 1,600 more than on the 
previous election, said Secretary General of the Cuban Women 
Federation, Yolanda Ferrer. A significant number of young people were 
also nominated as candidates. Among them 7,949 are 35 years old or 
under, and 14,373 are between the ages of 16 and 40, reported Granma 
newspaper.

Another important fact is that 83.8 percent of those nominated have 
either technical or university degrees, something that reflects the 
educational opportunities created by the Cuban revolution.

On the program, Cuban Parliament President Ricardo Alarcon also spoke 
about the current electoral process in the country. He said what is 
happening today in Cuba in relation to electoral matters must be 
analyzed in the international context, and especially in comparison 
with the United States.

He explained that it would be impossible to maintain the present 
imperialist regime and deliver the presidency to men like George W. 
Bush, if the voter registration were automatic and the nomination of 
candidates were carried out at public assemblies in the US.

Alarcon further noted that the ties between local government 
representatives and the voters are an essential element of Cuba's 
political system. After commenting on the enthusiastic support 
characteristic of the country's electoral processes, Alarcon said the 
delegates play a vital role in the daily resistance of the Cuban 
people, faced with the increasingly hostile US policy towards the 
island.
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