Votemos por la dignidad

Somehow, somebody stole an instant and all the signs in Cuba changed from celebrating the anniversary of the battle of Playa Giron, what we know as the Bay of Pigs invasion, to a simple, subtle insignia, a fist, a ballot, A VOTAR. We vote for dignity.

Sure, in the past twenty years the Cuban voter turnout hasn’t once dipped under some 92 percent. Sure, student organizations, specifically the Federation of University Students (FEU), the same organization in which Fidel spent his formative years at the University of Havana, plays a key role in nominating delegates to pass through the system. Sure, Cubans assert that one of the most critical aims of the Revolution is to enable citizens to participate in the “toma de” political decisions, but check out the system:

This past Sunday, Cubans voted to elect delegates to the most local form of government, the Municipal Assembly. Later in the year there will be a similar election to select delegates for the Provincial Assemblies, one step up. Following that will be the election for National Assembly deputies. And it is from this National Assembly that the Consejo de Estado is elected. Indeed it is a private affair. And it is from this Consejo de Estado that the president is elected. And it is for this reason that in class we ask if Cubans consider their leaders to be directly elected by the people. And it is for this reason that one after another after another after another our professors say yes, yes, yes. Direct election, of course:

The president can only be nominated if s/he has already served as a deputy in the National Assembly. And more importantly, provided that s/he receives at least 50% of the vote in a random province of the current government’s choice. Direct election? The billboards scream, “we vote for dignity,” the professors say that the vote is direct indeed.

For the most part, Fidel was re-elected every five years. But it was as easy as determining and selecting a cohesive voting district, and holding the presidential election there.

“Are you going to vote today?”
“Yes of course. Its perfectly normal to vote.”
“For who?”
“Are you kidding? It doesn’t matter.”

“Are you excited to vote today?”
“I’m not voting.”
“You’re not voting?”
“What the hell is the point.”

The newspaper glorifies the Cuban electoral system using the US system as a reference point. Of course there is truth in its claim that “powerful campaigns contort reality” and that our bipartisan debacle forms “dos caras de una misma moneda y representantes de idénticos intereses.”

As with Cuban-American diplomatic relations in general couldn’t it be that we are both at fault? I hope we're not finger pointing till the end of time.