 |
|
|
ELECTORAL HISTORY AND PROCESS
|
 |
|
The National Assembly of Peoples Power (Parliament), the highest legislative power, is elected every five years. From its members the Council of State is elected, which acts on behalf of the National Assembly, between sessions. The National Assembly also appoints the Council of Ministers. In 1992, the Parliament approved changes to the electoral system, which would strengthen public control over the government. Henceforth, the deputies to the National Assembly and the delegates to the Provincial Assembly were to be elected through free and direct ballot.
People's Councils were added to the governmental structure in 1988 and were renewed in 1993. Delegates are elected at the constituency level, they represent the area in which they work and have authority to develop the production and service industries, and to meet the people's needs.
Municipal Administrative Councils consist of elected representatives who work with delegates from social and economic organizations. These Councils can demand that these organizations fulfill their duties to the community.
Ricardo Alarcon, president of the National Assembly, believes that the democratic nature of the National Assembly has been improved, since to be elected you must be nominated by your community. Inherent in the system is the voter's right to recall delegates who are not fulfilling their mandate. This in conjunction with the fact that 99% of those eligible voted on February 24th 1993 reflects the people's active participation in their election process.
Nomination Assemblies are convened within constituencies to propose and elect candidates. There is no intervention by the Communist Party in the process. The Candidacy Commission draws up lists of candidates for delegates to the Provincial Assemblies and for deputies to the National Assembly. These Commissions are made up of representatives of trade unions, students, farmers and women's groups.
In 1998 were elected to the 5th Legislature 601 deputies, among them 282, representing the 46.92%, are base delegates, 145 work in centers of production and services, 31 are linked to the health system, 33 to the educational system, 26 to research institutes, 30 come from trade union, 25 from mass and social organizations, 7 are students, 3 are religious ministers, 14 are writers, artists and culture workers, 16 come from mass media, 35 are members of the armed forces, 67 are officials of the Communist Party and the Union of Communist Youth. The 27.62 % of the Deputies are women and 4.33% are young people under 30 years. |
|
|
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE PEOPLE'S POWER
|
|
|
The Assembly is the only in the Republic that is invested with constituent and legislative authority. It holds two regular sessions a year, which are public unless the Assembly itself votes to hold them behind closed doors for reasons of state.
The Assembly, a one-chamber Parliament, originated from the nation-wide elections held in 1976, with a turn-out, in the first electoral round, of 95.2% of the voters and of 94.9% in the second round. Elected officials, according to the procedures established by law, met for the first time on December 2, that year, thus formally setting up the Cuban Parliament.
The Constitution of the Republic of Cuba, approved in a Referendum on February 14, 1976 when 98% of the voters turned out, empowered the National Assembly as the supreme body of State power, representing and expressing the sovereign will of all the people.
Its deputies are elected every five years, and among them they elect their President, Vice President and Secretary, as well as the 31 members of the Council of State, whose President is the Head of State and Government. However, the Council of State must report to the National Assembly on all its work and tasks. The National Assembly from among its members elects the 31 members of the Council of State; their terms expire when a new Assembly is elected.
The National Assembly has the power to amend the Constitution, pass, amend, and repeal laws, debate and approved national plans for economic development, the State budget, credit and financial programs, the guidelines for domestic and foreign policies, as well as to elect the Council of Ministers, the Presidency, the members of the Supreme Court and the Attorney General Office of the Republic.
It, too, hears the reports from national government and administration agencies and can also grant amnesties. Its members do not receive any economic or personal perquisites and carry out their legislative duties together with their usual work, for which they get their salaries.
The National Assembly convenes twice a year in ordinary periods of sessions. It has, though, permanent commissions to look after issues of legislative interest.
Among its permanent or temporary commissions are those in charge of issues concerning the economy, the sugar industry, food production, industries, transportation and communications, constructions, foreign affairs, public health, defense and interior order.
The National Assembly also has permanent departments that oversee the work of the Commissions, Local Assemblies of the People's Power, International Relations, Judicial Affairs and the Administration. |
|
|
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
|
|
|
The Council of Ministers is Cuba's top executive and administrative body and as such it is the Republic's Government. The Head of State and Government and the First Vice President chair it, and it includes other vice presidents, the secretary, the ministers and the administrators of national agencies.
The Council's most important body is its Executive Committee, chaired by the President, the First Vice President and the other vice presidents, who control and coordinate the work of the ministries and the administration's central bodies.
The Council is responsible of putting into practice the agreements the National Assembly reaches on the country's political, economic, cultural, scientific and social endeavor. It also proposes general plans for economic and social development and once passed by the National Assembly it directs and oversees their implementation.
It also directs the country's foreign policy and its relations with other governments; approves international treaties before passing them over for ratification of the Council of State; directs and oversees foreign trade; elaborates the State budget and watches over its implementation. The Council of Ministers enforces laws and puts into effect agreements the National Assembly reaches and the laws and decrees the Council State passes.
It must report periodically on all its work to the National Assembly.
Its President, the First Vice President, six Vice Presidents, the Secretary, and 27 ministers head the Council of Ministers. |
|
|
PROVINCIAL AND MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLIES
|
|
|
Cuba is divided in 14 provinces, a special municipality under the supervision of the central government and 169 municipalities subordinate to their respective provincial authorities.
The Assemblies of representatives of the People's Power are the top political bodies of power of the State at municipal and provincial levels according to the Constitution.
Local officials have the highest authority for exercising their state functions. They hold local governments and through the bodies of power they create they run production and economic enterprises and the services, and try to meet the health, economic, cultural, educational and recreation needs of the people under their jurisdiction.
These provincial and municipal governments also contribute to the development and implementations of economic, social and cultural plans within their territories, which are not directly subordinate to them. By law, for the exercise of their functions the local Assemblies rely on the initiative and participation of the people and work closely with social and political organizations.
They are also represented in the People's Councils, set up in cities, towns, neighborhoods, villages and rural areas, with the authority to carry out their functions in their localities and are an extension of the governing bodies of the People's Power.
The members of the People's Councils come from the representatives elected at the local constituencies, and they should elect their leaders. Members of the most important local organizations and institutions can also be part of them.
Once set up, the Municipal Assemblies (21 days after the representatives are elected) and Provincial bodies (15 days later) choose from among their members by secret and direct vote their presidents and vice presidents, who immediately take on their posts.
Only the voters can recall a delegate, and they may exercise this night at any time. Each Assembly elects the President and the Vice-president of the Government. |
|
|
JUDICIARY SYSTEM
|
|
|
Judicial power rests with the People's Supreme Court, which is elected by, and accountable to, the National Assembly. All judges, from the highest to the lowest, are elected by the respective Popular Power Assemblies; in other words, the Supreme Court judges are elected by the National Assembly; the provincial judges by provincial assemblies and the municipal judges by municipal assemblies.
The People's Supreme Court comprises a president, a vice president, and all professional and lay judges and is structured as follows: the Whole, the State Council, criminal, civil, administrative, labor, crimes-against-the-state and military courts.
The judicial system is based on the principle that all judges, professional or lay, are independent and are subject only to the law, and all professional or lay judges are elected, accountable and can be replaced. |
|
|
Cuban Political System
