Editing History of Cuba (section)

===Elections and independence===
Popular demands for a Constituent Assembly soon emerged.<ref name="Cantón Navarro p. 77"/> In December 1899, the U.S. War Secretary assured the Cuban populace that the occupation was temporary, that municipal and general elections would be held, that a Constituent Assembly would be set up, and that sovereignty would be handed to Cubans. Brooke was replaced by General Leonard Wood to oversee the transition. Parties were created, including the [[Cuban National Party]], the [[Federal Republican Party of Las Villas]], the [[Republican Party of Havana]] and the [[Democratic Union Party (Cuba)|Democratic Union Party]].

[[Cuban local elections, 1900|The first elections]] for mayors, treasurers and attorneys of the country's 110 municipalities took place on 16 June 1900, but balloting was limited to literate Cubans older than 21 and with properties worth more than $250. Only members of the dissolved Liberation Army were exempt from these conditions. Thus, the number of about 418,000 male citizens over 21 was reduced to about 151,000. The same elections were held one year later, again for a one-year-term.

Elections for 31 delegates to a Constituent Assembly were held on 15 September 1900 with the same balloting restrictions. In all three elections, pro-independence candidates won overwhelming majorities.<ref name="diwapu">Cantón Navarro, José. ''History of Cuba'', p. 79.</ref> The Constitution was drawn up from November 1900 to February 1901 and then passed by the Assembly. It established a republican form of government, proclaimed internationally recognized individual rights and liberties, freedom of religion, [[separation of church and state|separation between church and state]], and described the composition, structure and functions of state powers.

On 2 March 1901, the U.S. Congress passed the [[Army Appropriations Act of 1901|Army Appropriations Act]], stipulating the conditions for the withdrawal of United States troops remaining in Cuba. As a [[rider (politics)|rider]], this act included the [[Platt Amendment]], which defined the terms of Cuban–U.S. relations until 1934. The amendment provided for a number of rules heavily infringing on Cuba's sovereignty:

* That the government of Cuba shall never enter into any treaty with any foreign power which will impair the independence of Cuba, nor in any manner permit any foreign power to obtain control over any portion of the island.
* That Cuba would contract no [[foreign debt]] without guarantees that the interest could be served from ordinary revenues.
* That Cuba consent that the United States may intervene for the preservation of Cuban independence, to protect life, property, and individual liberty, and to discharging the obligations imposed by the treaty of Paris.
* That the Cuban claim to the Isle of Pines (now called [[Isla de la Juventud]]) was not acknowledged and to be determined by treaty.
* That Cuba commit to providing the United States "lands necessary for coaling or naval stations at certain specified points to be agreed upon".

On 6 April 1901, the Constituent Assembly rejected the Platt Amendment by a vote of 24 to 2. The United States demanded that this amendment be approved fully and without changes by the Constituent Assembly as an appendix to the new constitution. US Secretary of War [[Elihu Root]] told Governor Wood to convey to the Cuban delegates that “they never can have any further government in Cuba, except the intervening Government of the United States, until they have [approved the Platt Amendment].” On 12 June 1901, after heated debate, the Constituent Assembly approved the appendix by a margin of four votes. Wood later admitted privately to [[Theodore Roosevelt|US President Roosevelt]]: "Little or no independence had been left to Cuba with the Platt Amendment and the only thing appropriate was to seek annexation".<ref name="diwapu" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Ferrer |first=Ada |title=Cuba: An American History |publisher=Scribner |year=2021 |isbn=978-1-5011-5457-7 |edition=1st |location=New York; London |chapter= 14: Island Occupied}}</ref>

In the presidential elections of 31 December 1901, [[Tomás Estrada Palma]], an American still living in the United States, was the only candidate. His adversary, General [[Bartolomé Masó]], withdrew his candidacy in protest against U.S. favoritism and the manipulation of the political machine by Palma's followers. Palma was elected to be the Republic's first President.