Chamber:
	Asamblea nacional del Poder popular
Dates of elections / renewal (from/to):
	19 January 2003
Purpose of elections:
	Elections were held for all seats in Parliament on the normal expiry of the members' term of office.
Background and outcome of elections:
	Cubans went to the polls on 19 January 2003 to fill 609 seats in the National Assembly of People's Power and 1,199 in the 14 provincial assemblies. All the 609 candidates who ran uncontested for the National Assembly were elected, as well as all 1,199 candidates who also ran unopposed for the provincial assemblies. Advertising during the electoral campaign was limited to the biographies of the candidates, posted on walls in public places. Before the elections, President Fidel Castro had reaffirmed "the need for the population's united vote as a way of safeguarding the gains of the Revolution". He also declared that Cuba's elections were more democratic than those of other nations, because voter turnout was higher and campaigns did not involve large amounts of money and propaganda. In Miami, Cuban exiles had denounced the elections as a farce. Officials declared that more than 97 per cent of the eight million eligible voters had cast ballots. This turnout was slightly down from the more than 98 per cent of registered voters who had cast ballots in the general elections held five years before. The Communist Party said the massive voter turnout showed "overwhelming proof of popular support for the nation, the revolution and socialism", while dissidents claimed that the turnout reflected voters' fears they would be ostracized at work and in their neighbourhoods if they stayed home. Since all the candidates ran unopposed, voters could either mark or leave blank the circle next to each name on their ballot. According to official accounts, three per cent of ballots were deposited blank, while less than 1 per cent were spoiled. Blank or spoiled ballots can be a sign of protest, as dissidents on the island had urged people to cast blank ballots. The January elections were the first since dissidents in May 2002 had collected 11,000 signatures seeking a referendum on electoral reform, the right to operate private businesses, more civil rights and amnesty for political prisoners. A first round of balloting in October 2002 had elected members of Cuba's municipal assemblies. Half of the parliamentary candidates on the January ballots were chosen from municipal assembly members. The other half included many internationally known figures, such as Juan Miguel Gonzalez, father of Elian, the Cuban boy at the heart of a international child custody battle in 2000; track star Ana Fidelia Quirot, who won an Olympic bronze medal in 1992; and folk singer Silvio Rodriguez. Cuban President Fidel Castro was re-elected to his assembly post - representing Santiago province - for his sixth five-year term since direct elections were started in 1976. His brother and designated successor, armed forces chief Raul Castro, was also re-elected, as were Vice-President Carlos Lage, National Assembly speaker Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada and Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque. The newly-elected members were sworn in on 7 March 2003. Mr. Ricardo Alarcón de Quesada was re-elected as Speaker.

STATISTICS

Round no 1 (19 January 2003): Elections results
Number of registered electors	8 313 770
Voters	8 115 215 (98 %)

Round no 1: Distribution of seats
Political Group	Total
Communist Party	609

Comments:
	Multi-party system does not exist in Cuba

Distribution of seats according to sex:
Men:	390
Women:	219
Percent of women:	35.96