Miguel Diaz-Canel Elected as Cuba's New President|News|teleSUR

Miguel Diaz-Canel Elected as Cuba's New President

The council of 31 deputies – made up of workers, students, women and peasants – confirmed the nomination of Miguel Diaz-Canel.

#Live From Cuba | Miguel Diaz-Canel, the new president of #Cuba: We will be faithful to the legacy of Fidel.

Watch live here: https://t.co/eu9rnQDai1 pic.twitter.com/Kx0xhvbRZl
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) April 19, 2018

12:09 a.m. Cuban Time: Gisela Duarte, President of the CCN (National Commission of Candidacy) has proposed Miguel Diaz-Canel be elected to the post of President of #Cuba.

As Cuba moves to elect a new president, we remember the contributions of Raul Castro to the Cuban revolution.

12:00 a.m. Cuban Time: Newly elected President of the National Assembly, Esteban Lazo speaks highlighting the unity, which has allowed the Cuban people to advance: "As commander Fidel Castro once said: 'the ideal society for imperialism is a divided society.'

"Our National Assembly is constituted a few hours from April 19, 2018, day in which we will commemorate the 57th anniversary of the mercenary invasion in Girón beach, the first great defeat of Yankee imperialism," he said.

11:58 a.m. Cuban Time: Juan Esteban Lazo Hernández was re-elected as president of the ANPP, while the deputy Ana María Mari Machado was re-elected vice president, both with 604 votes, that is, 100 percent of the votes. Miriam Brito Sarroca was re-elected secretary of the ANPP with 603 votes.

By obtaining more than 50 percent of the votes, elected officials take office immediately, according to Article 142 of the Electoral Law.

The 604 deputies of the 605 elected last March took office in the 168 municipalities of the country because one was absent.

9:58 a.m. Cuban Time: Over 56% of the deputies are serving for the first time. The average age of deputies is 49, and over 80% were born after the Revolution. The deputies have taken the oath of office, which was read by the President of the CEN, replying almost in unison, “Yes, I swear!”

Cuba's President Raul Castro shows a document to Second Secretary of Cuba's Communist Party Jose Ramon Machado Ventura during a session of the National Assembly in Havana. PHOTO: Reuters

9:20 a.m. Cuban Time: Alina Balseiro, the President of the National Electoral Commission (CEN), reads the names of deputies, who will stand and present their Election Certificate to be validated by officials.

A session of the National Assembly takes place in Havana, Cuba. PHOTO: @Granma_English

Women make up 53.22% of the 605 deputies elected to the assembly in March, making Cuba the second country in the world with the highest number of female parliamentarians, behind Rwanda with 61.3%.

The National Assembly of People's Power (ANPP) of Cuba began a two-day session Wednesday to elect the members of the Council of State and its president.

9:03 a.m. Cuban Time: TeleSUR Correspondent Laura Prada speaks about Cuba's electoral process from Havana, where the National Assembly session to elect a new president and other high-ranking positions is about to begin.

On March 11, over seven million Cubans elected 605 parliamentarians, who will have the task of selecting the Council of State, which will be composed of a president, a first vice president, five vice presidents, a secretary and 23 members, the highest representative of this body, is in turn head of state and government in accordance with the Cuban Constitution.

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The 31 deputies that will make up the Council of State would be constituted by social organizations of workers, students, women, and peasants.

The results will be announced Wednesday, April 18, as the session of parliamentarians continues throughout the day. Cuban media says the country's new president will be published Thursday. The day also marks the 57th anniversary of the victory of Cuba over the invasion of a counterrevolutionary, U.S. brigade in Playa Girón.

This event changed the history of Cuba. Fifty-seven years later, Cubans celebrate their victory over an invading force of 1,500 men, "equipped, trained and financed by the United States government."