OE Watch Commentary: Cubans went to the polls on 11 March to elect delegates to the provincial legislatures and to the National Assembly of Popular Power. The traditionally high turnout might have been a little lower than the previous election, but at any rate will have been around 90 percent of the suffrage, which begins at age 16. The new National Assembly will then elect the President of the Council of State, who is also the Chief of State and Government. Expectations are that current Vice-president, Miguel Díaz–Canel will be elected as the new President. Raul Castro, now 86 years old, has announced his pending retirement and apparently will not accept the position. He will, however, remain at the head of the Communist Party (PCC). End OE Watch Commentary (Demarest)
Source: “¡Un Ejemplo para El Mundo! Dictadura cubana destacó “la pureza y transparencia” de las elecciones (An Example for the World! Cuban dictatorship exhibits ‘the purity and transparency of the elections),” DolarToday, 12 March 2018. https://dolartoday.com/un-ejemplo-parael-mundo-dictadura-cubana-destaco-lapureza-y-transparencia-de-las-elecciones/https://elcooperante.com/cubanos-eligenal-parlamento-como-primer-paso-parasustituir-a-raul-castro-en-la-presidencia/