The MUAD and Otro18 lament that the electoral process will not be held under the 'Law promised by the Government'

The MUAD and #Otro18 lament that the electoral process will not be held
under the 'Law promised by the Government'
DDC | La Habana | 10 de Febrero de 2017 - 00:09 CET.

The Democratic Action Unity Roundtable (MUAD) and the Civic Platform
#Otro18 expressed their regret Wednesday that the electoral process
initiated on the Island is not being carried in accordance with the new
"Law promised by the Government" and that the authorities are not
providing responses to the people's demands for more participation.

In a statement to which DIARIO DE CUBA had access, the organization
stated that it was "pleased that the authorities have decided to
enlighten people, especially youth, about the electoral system."

"This is a significant step towards the proper institutionalization of
the political process in Cuba, which always begins with the cultural
incorporation of certain fundamental rules," they stated.

"This should certainly be accompanied by basic education on the Cuban
Constitution and existing laws, which, unfortunately for the citizens,
are systematically violated by the authorities themselves," they expressed.

"Early, though discreet, information on the establishment of the
Electoral Commissions for the upcoming elections is another important
step. The complete and up-to-date publication of the electoral lists
would be advisable, so that citizens could gradually examine the
information," they said.

The MUAD and #Otro18 lament that "it has occurred in the past that the
authorities have removed from the lists particular groups of citizens,
so that they did not affect the percentages of participation in the
elections."

In this regard they state that "the Citizen Observers of Electoral
Processes (COPE) network will be closely monitoring this important phase
of the process, impinging on the transparency and fairness of the
electoral system."

Similarly, they are surprised by the fact that these "elections are not
held under the new Electoral Law promised by the Government, for which
#Otro18 delivered to the National Assembly and Provincial Assemblies a
series of proposals reflected and worked on by many citizens over the
course of almost a year."

"We thought that the Government grasped the importance of adapting the
Electoral Law to the new realities of an increasingly plural and diverse
society. However, society has no clear news about authorities'
intentions in this regard, when it is demanding, with increasing
forcefulness, more open and plural participation and the exercise of
their political rights," the text reads.

"As we have seen at both the MUAD and #Otro18, citizens want to be able
to directly elect their president, from amongst different options," they
say.

"The authorities' response to citizens' demands for more participation
continue to take, however, an improper course. They lament what is a
spurious interpretation of the Electoral Law, in an effort to establish
a kind of "revolutionary citizenship," clearly unconstitutional and
contrary to the provisions of the current law, which recognizes
citizenship for all Cubans by birth or naturalization; and, secondly,
increased repression, including violence, also illegal and
unconstitutional, against a group of active citizens active in the
#Otro18 Platform.

They cite as an example the most recent case of "the activist Iliana
Hernandez, with the organization Somos Más, who on Monday was
arbitrarily detained for more than six hours and from whom various work
instruments were illegally seized."

Iliana Hernández is one of the coordinators of the #Otro18 Candidates
and a member of the Muad-#Otro18 Communication Team.

"Suppressing citizens who are only exercising their rights, recognized
at three levels: the Constitution, the law, and society, is symptomatic
of a failed state. It is, in any case, useless. #Otro18 will continue to
carry out its work, and with more and more public support."

Source: The MUAD and #Otro18 lament that the electoral process will not
be held under the 'Law promised by the Government' | Diario de Cuba -
http://www.diariodecuba.com/derechos-humanos/1486681745_28817.html