• Submitted by: lena campos
• Politics and Government
• 09 / 04 / 2012

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Cubans are holding as of today until September 29 about 51,000 community meetings to nominate candidates for delegates to the Municipal Assemblies of People''s Power, a process within the bounds of the 2012 to 2013 general elections.

  The nomination of candidates in the island is developed by constituencies (divisions of the municipalities depending on the number of residents), from which at least two candidates will be chosen by direct and secret vote.

According to the elections' call, conducted by the Council of State, on October 21, voters will elect the delegate to the municipal assemblies, the first stage of the polls that also includes delegates to the Provincial Assemblies and deputies to the National Assembly (parliament).

In recent remarks to Prensa Latina, the president of the National Electoral Commission (CEN), Alina Balseiro, said the country expects the traditional popular participation in this process, starting with the nomination of candidates.

According to the official, the authorities appointed for the organization in the country's different neighborhoods perceive excitement and interest in their meetings with the citizens, an example of civic and political commitment.

The Cuban Electoral Law, in its article 93, establishes that up to 50 percent of all candidates for delegates to the Provincial Assembly and deputies to the National Assembly could be chosen from among the representatives to the municipal level, all of them proposed by the neighbors.

The CEN expects that voters' lists should be around 8,500,000 people, of 11 million inhabitants.

The electoral body said that about 200,000 people over 16 years old, in tune with the current legislation, have the right to vote, except those mentally ill or serving prison sentences.

Source: Prensa latina