CUBA: One-Man Race

After showing his countrymen the unusual spectacle of a dictator earnestly running for President, Cuba’s Strongman Fulgencio Batista suddenly found himself running all alone this week. In a dramatic announcement only 36 hours before the polls were to open, his only opponent, ex-President Ramón Grau San Martin, withdrew from the race. Batista smilingly announced that the elections (for Congress, governorships and local offices as well as for the presidency) would go off as scheduled. But Grau’s walkout had spoiled the strongman’s plan. Batista’s main purpose in scheduling elections in the first place was to win the badge of legitimacy, and to do that properly, he needed something that at least looked like opposition.

In his efforts to legitimize his military coup of March 1952, Batista had waged a surprisingly energetic campaign. All in all, it was a clever one, too, and some observers thought Batista could beat Grau fair and square.

But as much as he wanted electoral endorsement, Batista also wanted to stay in power. And while Cubans doubtless remember the treasury looting that went on under Grau, they may also remember that they were freer and more prosperous in those days; moreover, they have a cranky habit of turning against strongmen—even good ones. Last week, as a possible precaution against such nostalgic ingratitude, the Batista-controlled supreme electoral court forbade newspapers and radio stations to use election results from any source but the court’s own official bulletins. That might guard against phony or inaccurate reports, but it also meant that the government would have a long, thoughtful look at the results before anyone else got a chance.

Candidate Grau promptly announced his withdrawal. “There are no longer any guarantees of a free election,” he said. But Grau’s name will still appear on the printed ballots. Asked whether he would accept the presidency if he won in spite of all, Grau snapped: “That’s not a realistic question.”