Cuba's lawmakers announced Thursday at 9:00 a.m. local time the results of their vote on the candidacy of First Vice-President Miguel Diaz-Canel, approving his nomination and electing him as the new president, succeeding Raul Castro as the head of the socialist nation.
The results of votes for candidates for the vice presidents and members of Cuba's council of state, its top executive body, were also announced.
12:05 a.m. Cuban Time: Raul Castro ends his speech and closes the National Assembly
First Secretary of the Cuban Communist party Raul Castro just dedicated his first speech after the election to the new Cuban president, Miguel Diaz-Canel. On this historic day, we recognize Castro's indelible legacy in #Cuba. pic.twitter.com/cEg1SiSIv2
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) April 19, 2018
11:55 a.m. Cuban Time:
#Live From Cuba | First Secretary of Cuban Communist party @RaulCastroR: No hurry but no truce, we never had any illusions that it would be a short journey.
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) April 19, 2018
Watch live here: https://t.co/HnxiPj2WYC pic.twitter.com/HgJx9vEPAz
11:45 a.m. Cuban Time: Raul speaks of the diversity the Cuban elections delivered to the people.
#Live From Cuba | First Secretary of Cuban Communist party @RaulCastroR : More than half of those elected to the National Assembly are women, blacks and mestizos and that is how it should continue.
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) April 19, 2018
Watch live here: https://t.co/HnxiPj2WYC pic.twitter.com/hV8YRN2eQg
11:35 a.m. Cuban Time:
Miguel Diaz-Canel has been elected as Cuba's new president. #Cuba #MiguelDiazCanel https://t.co/qs43M3aQDH pic.twitter.com/VZ2cUQ1FHK
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) April 19, 2018
11:25 a.m. Cuban Time: Raul reminds the nation that he has fullfilled his promise of serving only two terms in office.
#Live From Cuba | First Secretary of Cuban Communist party @RaulCastroR : Since I assumed my second term on February 24, 2013, I expressed that this would be the last. As of today, #Cuba will have a new president
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) April 19, 2018
Watch live here: https://t.co/HnxiPj2WYC pic.twitter.com/SpvnhqwosF
11:20 a.m. Cuban Time: Raul prasies Cuba's electoral commissions.
#Live From Cuba | First Secretary of Cuban Communist party @RaulCastroR : It is an opportune time to recognize the work by the electoral commissions and of the candidates that collaborated for the good performance of the elections
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) April 19, 2018
Watch live here: https://t.co/HnxiPj2WYC pic.twitter.com/5PsW2Krclp
10:40 a.m. Cuban Time: First Secretary of Cuba's Communist Party Raul Castro addresses the assembly after the election of Diaz-Canel
#Live From Cuba | Raul Castro speaks and Venezuela is one of the first countries to congratulate #Cuba on their recent election.
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) April 19, 2018
Watch live here: https://t.co/HnxiPj2WYC pic.twitter.com/EEwlLuevnq
9:45 a.m. Cuban Time: The new president praises his predecessor's achievements.
#Live From Cuba | Miguel Diaz-Canel, the new president of #Cuba, praises the achievements of former president @RaulCastroR
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) April 19, 2018
Watch live here: https://t.co/eu9rnQDai1 pic.twitter.com/i9KU2uxelw
9:45 a.m. Cuban Time: Diaz-Canel vows to be committed to the legacy of late president Fidel Castro and the Cuban revolution.
#Live From Cuba | Miguel Diaz-Canel, the new president of #Cuba: We will be faithful to the legacy of Fidel.
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) April 19, 2018
Watch live here: https://t.co/eu9rnQDai1 pic.twitter.com/Kx0xhvbRZl
9:35 a.m. Cuban Time: Cuba's new president addresses the country's national assembly and council of state.
#Live From Cuba | Miguel Diaz-Canel, new president of #Cuba: Today's election is a true victory for the Cuban people. pic.twitter.com/Tw9Ug1CbvK
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) April 19, 2018
9:23 a.m. Cuban Time: All 31 members of the Council of State have just been elected in Cuba.
#Live From Cuba | All 31 members of the Council of State have just been elected in #Cuba, including new president Miguel Diaz-Canel.
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) April 19, 2018
Watch live here: https://t.co/eu9rnQDai1 pic.twitter.com/9eTraQVv4G
9:15 a.m. Cuban Time: Miguel Diaz-Canel has been confirmed as the new Cuban president with 603 votes in the country's national assembly.
#Live From Cuba | Manuel Diaz-Canel has just been voted by the People's Power Assembly as the new president of #Cuba.
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) April 19, 2018
Watch live here: https://t.co/eu9rnQDai1 pic.twitter.com/hE3DxZC1Nr
Just hours before Cuba elects a new president of the National Assembly, we remember the contributions of Raul Castro to the Cuban revolution. pic.twitter.com/sVZYwyiPEy
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) April 18, 2018
#Live #CubanElections | Esteban Lazo, newly elected President of the National Assembly of the People's Power in #Cuba: "As commander Fidel Castro once said: 'the ideal society for imperialism is a divided society.'" pic.twitter.com/2C9e4n2RBE
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) April 18, 2018
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.
#Live From The South | Esteban Lazo has just been elected as the President of the National Assembly of People's Power (ANPP) of #Cuba. pic.twitter.com/W0PJOqDn10
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) April 18, 2018
Cuba's parliament is now made up of 322 female delegates, 53.2% of the total. Is the second country with a higher percentage of women representatives after Rwanda. #Cuba pic.twitter.com/ryZ9yCOAnW
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) March 20, 2018
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.
#CubanElection Live update | Our correspondent @laurapteleSUR brings us an update from Havana, where the National Assembly session to elect a new president and other high-ranking positions is about to start. pic.twitter.com/rkxAHYcFEm
— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) April 18, 2018
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.
RELATED:
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."