Castro Defeats Batista In Latest Cuban Election
Posted on | January 22, 2008
President Fidel Castro has won a decisive victory over rival Fulgencio Batista and his supporters in the Cuban elections today.
Well over 90% of Cuba’s 8.4 million voters returned the ailing leader and his Communist Party to their positions in the National Assembly of Popular Power.
Last night, citizens from all across the island stayed up late watching election coverage on television, eagerly anticipating the results of this closely-fought election campaign.
For the hapless Batista, a former President of Cuba himself, this was his eighth straight defeat in Assembly elections since he lost power to Castro in 1959.
However, he was not on hand to concede victory to his Communist opponents, either out of embarrassment, bitterness or possibly a combination of both.
Juan Segundo, Cuban farmer and local community activist, says he is not surprised at Batista’s latest political failure:
“Once again he ran a very poor campaign. Neither he nor his supporters made any public appearances or policy announcements during the run-up to polling day. Though this does not surprise me – the people have not yet forgiven him for turning our country into an island-wide whorehouse for rich Americans back in the fifties…
“Now that I think about it – I haven’t seen him in public for over 40 years! In contrast Fidel has been very active – I last saw him about a year and a half ago in a television address to the nation. It is this kind of visibility and accountability to his people that has got the President elected for a further term.”
This election has been notable for the number of younger candidates who have taken seats in the Assembly. For the first time, the majority of Communist representatives are those who did not take part in the revolution of 1959.
Fidel’s brother, Raul (76) was quick to hail this injection of new blood into the Party’s hierarchy: “We are delighted to see all these fresh faces make their mark in Cuban politics. With all these fifty and sixty-something young whippersnappers stepping up to the plate, we know the future of our country is in safe hands.”
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