Raúl Castro's daughter first lawmaker to vote 'no' in Cuban parliament
Associated Press in Havana
theguardian.com, Tuesday 19 August 2014 16.11 BST
Mariela Castro, the daughter of President Raúl Castro and niece of Fidel Castro, has given an unprecedented "no" vote in the Cuban parliament to a workers' rights bill she felt didn't go far enough to prevent discrimination against people with HIV or with unconventional gender identities.
None of the experts contacted by Associated Press could recall another "no" vote in the 612-seat national assembly, which meets briefly twice a year and usually approves laws by a unanimous show of hands.
"This is the first time, without a doubt," said Carlos Alzugaray, a historian and former Cuban diplomat. He said even measures that were widely criticised in grassroots public meetings, such as a law raising the retirement age, had passed unanimously in the assembly.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/aug/19/mariela-castro-raul-no-vote-discrimination
