Democracy Still in Motion: The 2013 Election Results in Cuba

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.13169/intejcubastud.6.1.0087
• Pages: 87-94
• Published date: 01 April 2014
• Date: 01 April 2014
• Author: Arnold August
• Subject Matter: democracy,elections, voto unido ,national assembly,ANPP,Cuba

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RESEARCH PAPER

DEMOCRACY STILL IN MOTION:

THE 2013 ELECTION RESULTS IN CUBA

Arnold August

Author for Zed Books (UK), Fernwood Publishing (Canada) and Ciencias

Sociales (Cuba)

Abstract

This paper considers the signif‌icance of the 2013 results of the elections to Cuba’s

National Assembly in the light of trends identif‌ied in the author’s recent book, Cuba and

its Neighbours: Democracy in Motion (August, 2013). Particular attention is paid to the

longer-term trajectory of decline in the solidity of the ‘united’ or slate vote. Other aspects

of change are noted in a process characterised as Cuban ‘democracy in motion’, rather

than as a drift towards the liberal democratic model demanded by the U.S. ‘regime change’

objectives, and by other critics of Cuba’s constitution.

Keywords: democracy, elections, voto unido, national assembly, ANPP, Cuba

Introduction

The elections to the Cuban Parliament, or the National Assembly of People’s

Power (ANPP), took place on February 3, 2013. The voting trends, tendencies

and weaknesses in the electoral system identif‌ied in my recent book-length study

of elections from 1993–2008 have been conf‌irmed by the 2013 voting results

(August, 2013).1 This kind of detailed endeavour, although virtually unique,

is worthwhile, especially in light of the disinformation and misinformation

disseminated by supporters of ‘regime change’ in Cuba across the spectrum from

the so-called ‘left’ to the right, who replace facts, f‌igures and a balanced analysis

with clichés and ignorance.

1. This paper is a modif‌ied version of the online article published on the author’s website

(December 2013) to supplement the sections of his book that deal with democracy in the

U.S. and democracy promotion. See www.democracyintheus.com

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