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Edited on Sun Feb-24-08 11:47 AM by Mika
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/24/news/Cuba-Council-of-State.phpThe Associated Press
Sunday, February 24, 2008
HAVANA: A look at the makeup of Cuba's governing Council of State before parliament elects a new set of 31 members Sunday. It will replace Fidel Castro as president, fill four vacancies and replace some other members.
___
Top Leadership:
-President Fidel Castro, 81.
-First Vice President Raul Castro, 76. Defense minister, provisional president.
-Vice President Juan Almeida Bosque, 80. Historic revolutionary commander.
-Vice President Gen. Abelardo Colome Ibarra, 68. Interior minister.
-Vice President Carlos Lage Davila, 56. Secretary of Council of Ministers, de facto prime minister.
-Vice President Esteban Lazo Hernandez, 63. Communist Party leader.
-Vice President Dr. Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, 76. Historic revolutionary figure and Communist Party ideologue.
-Secretary Dr. Jose M. Miyar Barrueco, 75. Longtime aide to Fidel Castro.
Other Members:
-Francisco Soberon Valdes, 63. Central Bank president.
-Pedro Saez Montejo, 54. Communist Party head for Havana.
-Jose Ramon Balaguer, 75. Health minister.
-Iris Betancourt Tellez, 56. Regional director for Science Ministry.
-Gen. Julio Casas Regueiro, 71. No. 2 in Defense Ministry.
-Nidia Diana Martinez Piti, 63. Hospital director.
-Luis S. Herrera Martinez, 64. Director of biotechnology institute.
-Maria T. Ferrer Madrazo, 60. Educator.
-Roberto Fernandez Retamar, 76. Senior cultural official.
-Armando Hart Davalos, 77. Former education minister.
-Orlando Lugo Fonte. Private farmers' representative.
-Julio Christhian Jimenez Molina, 56. Sports administrator.
-Martha Hernandez Romero, 49. Regional director for Education Ministry.
-Pedro Miret Prieto, 81. Historic revolutionary figure.
-Felipe Perez Roque, 42. Foreign minister.
-Otto Rivero Torres, 39. Former head of Communist Youth Union.
-Ramiro Valdes Menendez, 75, historic revolutionary commander, communications minister.
-Pedro Ross Leal, 68. Former labor union chief.
-Carlos Valenciaga Diaz, 33. Fidel Castro's personal secretary. ___________________________ Official results of January 20 elections96.89% of eligible voters cast their ballotsCONFIRMED and ratified by the National Electoral Commission, the outcome of the January 20 elections showed that 8,231,365 Cubans cast their ballots, the equivalent of 96.89% of registered eligible voters, confirming, as Fidel has said, that this nation will never renounce its Revolution or socialism, its weapons or its unity.
The great majority of voters cast qualifying ballots: 7,839,358 ballots cast (95.24%) were valid, and 7,125,752 of these (91%) responded to the appeal for a "united vote" for all candidates nominated for the National Assembly (Parliament) and Provincial Assemblies of People’s Power. The remaining valid ballots (713,606, the equivalent of 9%) reflected the selective vote (voting for some but not all of the candidates), according to María Esther Reus, president of the National Electoral Commission, who announced the outcome during the "Roundtable" TV and radio program on January 24.
Reus, who is also Cuba’s minister of justice, explained that blank ballots cast totaled 3.73% (306,791) and spoiled ballots, 1.04% (85,216).
She likewise said that the election of the National Assembly’s 614 deputies and the 1,201 delegates to the Provincial Assemblies constituted a resounding success, demonstrating the motivation of the people, the participatory nature of Cuba’s elections and the transparence and professionalism of electoral authorities, who had the help of numerous collaborators with the material tasks.
Reus said that the official results were backed by a detailed review of the voting and a reconciliation of figures with the Electoral Registry, as required by law.
Computerization made it possible for the first time for "exceptional registration" to be computed and reconciled not only on a national level, but also province by province, she noted. That means that thanks to computerization, an accurate count could be made of ballots cast via "exceptional registration" —voters who cast their ballots at polling stations outside of their voting district for justifiable reasons— and to include these voters in the estimate of voter turnout at their home polling stations, as a step forward for more precise figures.
The utilization of software created by Cuban specialists also made it easier to update voters’ lists during the elections, including ordinary and exceptional registration and the removal of deceased voters.
According to parliamentary deputy Lázaro Barredo, who is the editor-in-chief of the Granma newspaper and spoke during the "Roundtable" program, the January 20 elections were a demonstration of the Cuban people’s total freedom on expressing their will at voting time: whomever did not want to vote, did not go; others left their ballots blank or spoiled them, and among those who cast valid ballots, some of them chose to vote selectively, for different reasons. Casting a united vote prevailed as a fully conscious action, Barredo noted, recounting some of his personal conversations with the population during the meetings and tours he carried out as a candidate.
Nowhere else in the world are Parliament and Provincial Assemblies comprised, up to 50%, by members who are at the same time municipal delegates (the equivalent of city council members), Barredo noted, and in fact, in some countries that is prohibited by law. In Cuba’s case, that representation is appropriate and in response to the nature of the People’s Power system, he said.
REPRESENTATION
Reus explained that the 614 parliamentary deputies elected represent every population group. More than 28% are farmers and workers in the production, service, education and health sectors. She reported the higher presence of women (265 are women, 43.16%); the ethnic component (35.67% are black or mixed-race); the average age (49) and educational level (99.02% are technical/vocational or university level).
Some notable features: more than 56% of the newly-elected deputies were born after the triumph of the Revolution and the rate of renewal is 63.22% (385 deputies).
With respect to provincial delegates, 40.8% are women; 95.8% have university or technical/vocation level education, and a total of 834 are first-time delegates (69.44%).
At the session constituting the new National Assembly on February 24, candidates will be nominated (after a consultation process among deputies by the National Candidacies Commission) for the president, vice president, and secretary of Parliament; and for the Council of State: president, first vice president, five vice presidents, secretary and other members.
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