By Alejandra Garcia on September 6, 2022, from Havana
photo: Bill Hackwell
Cuba is immersed in preparations for its most important civic event in years: the Families Code referendum. On September 25, the island will decide on the approval of this document, which was reviewed and discussed by all communities and institutions in the country beginning back in early February.
There are many expectations about the Code, which proposes to be a fair and emancipating document for all families, a Code of love, affection, and respect. For this reason, the country is preparing 21,000 polling stations in time for the process to go smoothly.
According to the president of the National Electoral Council (CEN), Alina Balseiro, Cuban citizens, including members of the armed forces, those who 16 years of age and older and who hold political and civil rights, will have the right to vote.
Preparations are not only taking place on the island but also abroad. Officials from Cuba’s diplomatic missions around the world, the CEN authorities, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are working on the organization of voting centers so that Cuban diplomats and those who fulfill international missions are not left out without casting their votes.
“From September 11 to 18, a pilot test will be carried out on the island and abroad. By that time, the auxiliary groups in charge of processing information, supervising, and collaborating with the process will already be prepared to guarantee the transparency and quality of the exercise,” Balseiro explained.
As established by the National Assembly of People’s Power, the text will be approved if it receives a majority vote in favor.
Experts are expecting that the document will be endorsed by the majority of the population, despite the reluctance of some more conservative groups. “The bill seeks to guarantee the rights of all people, regardless of the structure they have opted for,” explained Ana María Álvarez Tabío, professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Havana.
If it is approved, “we will preserve values such as mutual respect, loyalty, solidarity, reciprocal assistance, as well as affection among its members so that the family will continue to be a moral and diverse structure,” she added.
Many activists have taken to the networks to promote conversations about Cuba’s need for such a Code. The best-known campaigns are El Código Sí Suena, Among Diversities, and Give Me Your Hand. In addition, a WhatsApp group was created to connect people from several provinces to promote talks in the digital space, where there is not so much presence of fundamentalist churches that oppose the Code’s approval.
In addition, there are stickers, flyers, and other materials on murals in polyclinics and doctors’ offices, public transportation, bus stops, parks, schools, cafeterias, and restaurants.
All of Cuba is talking and looking forward to September 25. The Families Code has a single objective: to represent and offer guarantees to all of those who compose it. It is a design that meets the needs and reality of the Cuban society of these times.
Source: Resumen Latinoamericano – US