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Castro votes in elections, praises Cuban political system
October 19, 1997
Web posted at: 8:53 p.m. EDT (0053 GMT)HAVANA (CNN) - Cuban President Fidel Castro, casting his vote in local elections on Sunday, called Cuba's one-party communist system more democratic than other political models in the West.
Talking to Cuban journalists after voting in Havana's Vedado district, Castro described elections on the island before his 1959 revolution as a "carnival in the worst sense of the word."
"Democracy was impossible in that system of classes and inequalities," said Castro, whose comments were broadcast live on state radio.
The 71-year-old Cuban leader said electoral systems in countries such as the United States were notable for an atmosphere of big spending and warlike competition and were flawed by large numbers of voters not bothering to turn out.
Cuba holds local elections
"Politics (there) is a business," Castro said, adding that the system in Cuba ensured there was no corruption.
"This is not a popularity contest. This is a contest that judges merit. It is a fight for our political culture," Castro said. "For the people it has become a duty and those that are with the revolution and those that are against it participate in the election."
But Castro ruled out any thought of extending direct elections to include the office of president.
"Nobody has spoken of that, nor have they thought it," said Castro.
A week ago, Castro made clear that his brother, Vice President Raul Castro, was next in line to succeed him.
Sunday's elections for some 14,533 representatives of local assemblies were presented by state media as a chance for people to show support for the revolution.
Polling booths opened at 7 a.m. and closed at 6 p.m. As is usual in Cuba, citizens were urged to vote early.
Some 7.83 million Cubans out of a population of 11 million have the right to vote, and the turnout in elections is usually huge.
Voting is not obligatory in Cuba, but there is pressure to vote. As the day progresses, members of neighborhood Committees for the Defense of the Revolution tap on the doors of people who have not yet voted to remind them to do so.
In the last local elections in July 1995, participation was 97.1 percent. Some 11.3 percent of the votes were blank or spoiled.
Casting a blank or spoiled vote, or not going to vote, is the only way of showing discontent or dissent with the system.
In Cuba, the Communist Party is the only legal political party, the media are state-controlled and the country's small dissident groups are illegal.
Authorities make much of the fact that the Communist Party does not present candidates for the elections. Instead, candidates are picked by the people at pre-election meetings. However on Sunday about three-quarters of the 31,276 candidates were party members.
The power of local assembly members is very limited. They tend to serve as a channel for complaints about local services such as the water supply, but are often not in a position to do much about such complaints.
"It is a very democratic system in terms of the way we vote," said a middle-aged Havana office worker after voting early on Sunday. "But the people we elect don't have much power."
The elections followed the Communist Party's Fifth Congress October 8-10, a gathering that confirmed Castro as party leader for the coming years and underlined determination to stick with one-party socialism.
The congress approved a cautious economic strategy that shied away from further openings to the private sector.
Castro on Sunday also was asked about his health and thin looks. There have been rumors circulating in Miami's Cuban exile community that he is in poor health.
"Isn't that what everybody is striving for these days? Everybody wants to be thin. I've noticed so many people going on diets," the Cuban leader said.
Asked about an upcoming summit of Latin American leaders, at which democracy is expected to be a major topic, Castro said, "We have more things to teach them."
Correspondent Harris Whitbeck and Reuters contributed to this report.
- Newsmaker Profile: Fidel Castro - Cuban Leader
Related stories:
- For Cuba's Communists, the party is far from over - October 7, 1997
- Cuba's No. 2 man lashes out at U.S. - July 27, 1997
- Cuba's Communist proposal ignores other voices - June 27, 1997
Related sites:
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- Cuba: Government and Politics - links to resources from Latin America on the Net
- The CIA World Factbook page on Cuba - detailed list of facts and figures for Cuba
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