Cuba’s 62-year-old president Miguel Díaz-Canel was appointed on Wednesday (19) for a second and final five-year term.
He was “elected” with 97.66% of the parliamentarians’ votes on the day of the formation of the National Assembly of People’s Power (ANPP), the country’s highest legislative body.
Diáz-Canel, also the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, headed the only candidacy presented by the ANPP leadership and obtained 459 votes out of a possible 462, according to the official count released by the National Electoral Council (CEN).
Salvador Valdés Mesa, vice-president in Díaz-Canel’s first term, was also “re-elected” with 93.4% of the votes (439 of 462).
As soon as he was appointed, Díaz-Canel proposed as prime minister to the ANPP Manuel Marrero Cruz, who had already held the post for five years.
FOOD SHORTAGES AND RAMPANT INFLATION
The severe crisis the country went through due to the consequences of the covid-19 pandemic, the tightening of US sanctions, and mistakes in domestic economic and monetary policy marked his first term in power.
The crisis in Cuba is evidenced by shortages of basic products – such as food, medicine, and fuel – rampant inflation, frequent blackouts, and unprecedented migration.
Before electing the dictator and his vice, the ANPP chose its leadership structure, the previous being “re-elected” unchanged and almost unanimously.
Esteban Lazo, 79, a member of the political bureau of the Communist Party of Cuba and in office since 2013, was “re-elected” president of the ANPP, getting 443 out of 462 possible votes (96.1%).
Ana María Mari Machado and Homero Acosta – also a member of the PCC political bureau – were “re-elected” as ANPP vice president and secretary, respectively, with 99.13% and 98.26% of the ballots.
The State Council, the ANPP’s permanent body between its two annual sessions, was partially renewed, although the main figures were maintained.
Its 21 members obtained between 98% and 100% of the votes. On March 26, the 470 candidates in the parliamentary elections were elected to the same number of seats in the ANPP.
Most of them are members of the Communist Party of Cuba.
With information from EFE
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