Yahoo! News.
WASHINGTON, jul 10 (AFP) - The United States on Tuesday poked fun at
Cuba's interim leader Raul Castro and termed the elections he had called
for as a sham.
Castro had on Monday scheduled the polls without making clear the role
of his convalescing brother Fidel Castro.
US State Department spokesman Tom Casey said based on past experiences,
the elections would "not be giving the Cuban people the freedom they
deserve.
"If Castro-lite, meaning Raul Castro, wants to hold elections-lite,
meaning the kind that they have held in the past -- single party
elections that don't allow the people to have a choice and only allow
them to ratify the rule of the current dictatorship -- whether its Fidel
Castro's name that is on top of the ballot or Raul Castro's doesn't
really matter much."
Casey said that the United States wanted to see "free and fair"
elections in which all Cubans participated and "anyone who wants to run
for office and express their political opinion has an opportunity to do so."
Raul Castro, 76, has led Cuba since Fidel Castro, 80, underwent
intestinal surgery almost one year ago.
Raul Castro on Monday set an October 21 date for local elections, with a
second round set for October 28.
He also said elections to the national legislature -- the National
Assembly of the People's Power -- held once every five years, would be
held at a date to be announced.
The elected legislature selects the 31 members of the Council of State,
which in turn chooses Cuba's president and chief of state. Fidel Castro
rose to power in Cuba January 1, 1959; he has led the Council of State
since 1976.
Cuba has not said when or whether Fidel Castro, who turns 81 in August,
might return to the role he had before falling ill.
In the early months of his illness, Cuban officials insisted he would be
back in his leadership position.
But as time passed and Raul Castro has assumed control of daily
government operations, Cuban authorities indicate a different role may
be in the works.
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