Cuban legislative election, 2008

A parliamentary election to the National Assembly of People's Power was held in Cuba on 20 January 2008. [http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/6306681.html "Cuba to hold provincial, national elections in January"] , Xinhua ("People's Daily Online"), 21 November 2007.] According to the Cuban electoral system, one candidate was nominated for each of the 614 seats in the Assembly, and candidates were elected if they received at least 50% of the vote.

The date of the election was announced on 20 November 2007. It was considered uncertain whether the ailing Fidel Castro would run for the Assembly, which he had to do in order to continue as President; it emerged in early December that he had been nominated for a seat. Since his illness began in 2006, Raúl Castro had been acting President. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7123986.stm "Castro nominated for Cuban seat"] , BBC News, 2 December 2007.]

María Esther Reus, the President of the National Electoral Commission and Minister of Justice, announced the results of the election on 24 January 2008. Turnout in the election was placed at 96.89%, with 8,231,365 voters participating; 95.24% of the votes cast (7,839,358) were valid. 91% of voters (7,125,752) cast a united ballot for all candidates, while 9% (713,606) chose to vote only for certain candidates. Of the invalid votes, 3.73% (306,791) were blank and 1.04% (85,216) were spoiled. The newly elected Assembly met for the first time on 24 February. [Maria Julia Mayoral, [http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2008/enero/juev31/05elecc.html "Official results of January 20 elections"] , Granma.cu, 31 January 2008.]

Raúl Castro was re-elected from the 2nd Eastern Front with 99.37% of the vote and Fidel Castro was re-elected from the 7th District of Santiago de Cuba with 98.26% of the vote. Vice-President Carlos Lage and President of the Assembly Ricardo Alarcón respectively won their seats with 92.40% and 93.92% of the vote. [ [http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90001/90777/6348240.html "Cubans reelect Fidel Castro as deputy"] , Xinhua ("People's Daily Online"), 31 January 2008.]

On 24 February 2008, the National Assembly began sitting for its new term, and Raúl Castro was elected President. [ [http://granma.cu/ingles/2008/febrero/dom24/Raul-Castro-elected-president.html "Raúl Castro elected president of the councils of State and Ministers"] , Granma.cu, 24 February 2008.] Alarcón was elected as President of the National Assembly, while Jaime Crombet Hernández Vaquero was elected as its Vice-President and Miriam Brito was elected as its Secretary. [ [http://granma.cu/ingles/2008/febrero/dom24/alarcon.html "Alarcón reelected as president of Cuban parliament"] , Granma.cu, 24 February 2008.]

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