Critical Cuban elections in January

AP on Yahoo ^ | 11/20/07 | Anita Snow - ap

[NormsRevenge]

HAVANA - Cuba announced Tuesday it has set Jan. 20 for national elections that are part of the process of determining whether ailing leader Fidel Castro continues as president.

The ruling, signed by interim leader Raul Castro and read on state television, set the date for elections to provincial and national assemblies — voting that is held every five years.

There was no explicit mention of Fidel Castro, but the 81-year-old leader of the Cuban Revolution must be re-elected to the national parliament before he could repeat as president of the Council of State to remain in full power.

Raul, 76, is the council's first vice president

The date for the national elections had not been previously announced, but earlier indications were that the vote would not be held until March or April. There was no word on why the balloting will be held in January.

Fidel Castro stepped aside on July 31, 2006, after undergoing emergency intestinal surgery, provisionally ceding his powers to Raul and a team of other top leaders. He has not been seen in public since, appearing only in official photographs and videos and regularly writing essays with mostly international themes.

The parliament, known in Cuba as the National Assembly, elects a new council every five years, several weeks after deputies are elected. It was not announced when the new National Assembly would meet for the first time to renew the top council members.

The Constitution calls for the council's first vice president, currently Raul, to fill the presidential slot when vacated. Fidel, Cuba's unchallenged leader since 1959, held the council presidency since its 1976 creation.

[NormsRevenge]

Cuba's acting President Raul Castro (3rd R) attends the funeral of revolutionary leader Sergio del Valle with del Valle's widow Elena Pantoja (3rd L), Commander of the Revolution and Minister of Information Ramiro Valdes Menendez (2nd R), Commander of the Revolution Guillermo Garcia Frias (R) and members of the political bureau of the Central Committee of Cuba's Communist Party Esteban Lazo (L) and Jose Ramon Machado Ventura (2nd L) at Havana's Colon cemetery November 17, 2007. Del Valle was a doctor and soldier in Fidel Castro's rebel army which toppled dictator Fulgencio Batista in 1959 and army chief of staff during the missile crisis in 1962. REUTERS/Omara Garcia/AIN/Handout (CUBA)

[Badeye]

Why do I think it will be 95% or more ‘for Castro’?

[pnh102]

Critical elections in Cuba? Funny.

I would say that for the question of Fidel Castro retaining power, the options would be "Yes" and "Yes."

[NormsRevenge]

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez talks on the telephone supposedly with Cuba's President Fidel Castro during the Summit of the People in Santiago November 10, 2007. REUTERS/Luis Hidalgo (CHILE)

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Actually, he was talking to Cindy,
No wait, Naomi Campbell...

[San Jacinto]

Jimmy Carter might give him a good race.

[gridlock]

The people need not vote. The result is decided by somebody else.

IMHO, we are going to see Fidel’s remarkable winning streak come to an end. It is going to go from 99.44% for Fidel to 99.42% for Raul. Since Fidel’s been dead a year, he won’t mind.

[Badeye]

I wish he would have.

[goldstategop]

ROFL! AP is deliberately funny. We all know there is NO suspense to Cuban elections. "Critical?" I can tell you right now El Lider Maximo will be re-elected.

"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus

[NautiNurse]

[Sax]

Look at Raul & crew rocking the trucker hats - complete with the mesh backing.

[wideawake]

Critical elections in Cuba? Funny.

Well it's critical in the sense that we will see if the behind-the-scenes crew that manufactures each Cuban election will designate Fidel or Raul as the acting power.

This could be the figleaf used to smooth transition to Raul.

[Condor51]

The word on the street is that the smart money is on Fidel.
(Just a rumor mind you.)

[sitkaspruce]

I just love free and fair elections. I wonder if Fidel has to comply with McCain-Feingold?

[ModelBreaker]

Critical elections in Cuba? Funny.

LOL. Anyone who thinks the results are not already known to the folks conducting the election needs a common sense transplant.

[Old Professer]

How did Col. Potter sneak in there? (Jose Ramon Machado Ventura (2nd L))

[Lx]

LOL. It sure looks like him...

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Jimmy Carter needs to get some money from his Muslim owners so he will be available to rubber stamp elections to 2 countries.

[DustyMoment]

I predict that Fidel will win again in a landslide!!!

(Otherwise, those who oppose him may find themselves buried in a mudslide!!)