New Cuban parliament has 53% women MPs

Cuba completed the second stage of its general elections on 11 March with the election of a new National Assembly of 605 deputies, and 1,265 delegates to the country's 15 provincial assemblies.

The National Assembly is due to elect a new Council of State on 16 April, and they will then elect a new president. Current president Raul Castro announced in 2017 that he would not be seeking reelection in accordance with the island's new two term limits for senior officials.

Voter turnout was over 80 per cent, and more than seven million people participated in the vote. 53.2 per cent of new MPs are women, making Cuba the country with the second largest number worldwide.