This past Sunday Cubans took to the ballots to participate in parliamentary elections. Cubans have been participating in Parliamentary Elections since 1993. The Communist Party is the only party allowed to run and put candidates forward.
While this is against the established Western electoral model, it raises an interesting dynamic; choice is not based on ideology but merit and participation in their local communities lead by municipalities. Furthermore, Cuba’s National Assembly is more diverse than any other Western representative body with women accounting tor 42% and blacks 20%.
The winners of Sunday's National Assembly election will choose which members will serve on the legislature's ruling Council of State, which in turn selects the president every five years. That decision is expected in early March.
While it is likely Fidel Castor’s brother, 76 year old Raul Castro will be named head Council of State, when the new parliament meets on February 24th there is a possibility that Carlos Lage the current Vice President of Cuba could be appointed to the position.
Fidel Castro will remain a power figure and an ambassador for Cuba. Cuba's economic growth has exceeded 6 percent in each of the past three years even as a U.S. trade embargo put in place against the island in 1962 remains. The Caribbean country has benefited from Castro's alliance with Venezuela and Brazil.
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