What opinion can refute the arguments set forth in the Constitution of the Republic, or annul the rights established for its citizens, when every one of its words was reasoned, proposed, debated and endorsed with the broadest and most active participation of the authentic people?

An independent nation is our greatest patrimony, and the path chosen to advance and preserve what we have freely and sovereignly achieved are also protected by the Constitution, approved by more than 86% of eligible Cuban voters, coming together as a people in a Constituent Assembly, responsible for converting its dictates into law, like this one, which defines what is sacred and untouchable:

ARTICLE 4

-The defense of the socialist homeland is the greatest honor and the supreme duty of every Cuban.

-Betrayal of the homeland is the most serious of crimes, and those who commit it are subject to the most severe penalties.

-The socialist system that sustains this Constitution is irrevocable.

-Citizens have the right to combat by all means, including armed struggle, when no other recourse is available, against anyone who attempts to overthrow the political, social and economic order established by this Constitution.

(Taken from Granma)

10:10 a.m. The Army General was the first to approach the voting booth located at the back of the hall. Raúl casts his vote for the President of the National Assembly of People’s Power.

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10:07 a.m. The 605 deputies prepare to vote.

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10:02 a.m. Gisela Duarte Vázquez, President of the National Candidature Commission, described the work undertaken by this electoral authority to select nominees, taking into account their merits, abilities, track record and service to the people. Duarte Vázquez reads out proposals for President, vice president and secretary of the National Assembly of People’s Power:

For President: Juan Esteban Lazo Hernández, citing his successful efforts as President of the National Assembly for the last five years, and achievements made to date.

For Vice president: Ana María Mari Machado, a trained lawyer and capable individual who served as CEN president in 2010.

For Secretary: Miriam Brito Sarroca, who has served as a deputy since 2008.

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10:00 a.m. The President of the CEN invites deputies to sign the oath.

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9:58 a.m. Deputies remain standing as the oath is read aloud.

The President of the CEN asks if all swear to uphold the oath. Deputies reply in unison, “Yes, I swear!”

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9:52 a.m. Information on the composition of the National Assembly:

47.4 % of deputies have been reelected, while 56% are serving for the first time. The average age of deputies is 49, and over 80% were born after the triumph of the Revolution.

9:20 a.m. Alina Balseiro, President of the National Electoral Commission (CEN) reads out the names of deputies who then stand and present their Election Certificate to be validated by the relevant CEN authority.
Listed below are the 605 deputies to the National Assembly:

Photo: Granma
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9:17 a.m. Raúl opens the Constituent Session of the National Assembly of People’s Power 9th Legislature

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9:10 a.m. Photos from the Conference Center

Photos from the Convention center just before the Constituent Session of the National Assembly of People’s Power 9th Legislature beings.

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9:05 a.m. Interview with Yamila González Ferrer, vice president of the National Union of Lawyers of Cuba:

González Ferrer noted that political campaigns do not take place in Cuba, stating that “when it comes to democracy people often focus on the electoral process,” when in reality, “it’s much more than that, just as our democratic process shows,” she explained.

Meanwhile, Granma also spoke to Fabio Fernández, professor at the University of Havana’s Philosophy Faculty, who summed up Cuban elections in one sentence: “The Assembly is a reflection of Cuba.”
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8:57 a.m. Cuban television begins its special broadcast of the Constituent Session of the National Assembly of People’s Power 9th Legislature

Deputies recently arrived at the Conference center, while journalists gather in the press room. Granma correspondents continue to provide live coverage of events via social media.
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8:56 a.m. Composition of the Cuban Parliament:

When, in 1993, Fidel reviewed the composition of the National Assembly of People’s Power (ANPP), he noted that the growing number of university graduates, Black, Mixed Race, and female members reflected the “the way in which inequality and discrimination have been disappearing in our country.”

Women make up 53.22% of the 605 deputies elected last March 11, making Cuba the second country in the world with the highest number of female parliamentarians, behind Rwanda with 61.3%.
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8:50 a.m. On Sunday, March 25, Provincial Assemblies of People’s Power were constituted, composed of 1,265 delegates elected by the people March 11, who after assuming their seats, elected via a secret ballot vote, the Presidents and Vice Presidents of these bodies.

Recenty elected national deputies were invited to the constitution of Provincial Assemblies in their respective territories, as were representatives of political, social, and grassroots organizations, according to ACN.

8:45 a.m. With the election, this Thursday, April 19, of the President, Vice President, and Secretary of the National Assembly of people’s Power, we will be one step closer to concluding the general elections process underway in the country, since it began with their convocation June 17, 2017.
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8:30 a.m. The Republic of Cuba’s Council of State, on the basis of authorities with which it is vested, agreed to initiate the Constituent Session of the National Assembly of People’s Power 9th Legislature, this Wednesday, April 18, at 9:00am, in the Havana International Conference Center. This decision was made to facilitate taking all steps required of a session of this magnitude.

(Granma)

In a brief statement, it explains with the change the authorities seek to facilitate the work of the legislative body in such a relevant session in which the new president of Cuba will be elected.

The inauguration of the new Parliament will take place at Havana’s Convention Center, session in which its 605 newly-elected lawmakers will take the oath and elect the 31 members of the Council of State, its president and vice presidents.

It will also be the culmination of the Cuban electoral process that began late last year.

After a first vote on November 26 with its second round on December 3, the Municipal Assemblies of the People Power were inaugurated on December 17.

On March 11, 7,399,891 citizens -out of 8,639,989- went to the polls to elect the 605 legislators to the National Parliament and 1,265 delegates to the Provincial Assemblies.

According to the National Electoral Commission (CEN), 85.65 percent of Cubans exercised their right to vote as a sign of the popular and inclusive nature of this process.

CEN President Alina Balseiro pointed out 47.44 percent of newly-elected MPs comes from the grass root, while women make up 53.22 percent and lawmakers under 35 years make up 13.22 percent of the total.

(Prensa Latina)

Central topics of ongoing interest discussed were essential aspects of the composition of the Commission and its function, as well as the culmination of the process set to take place April 18-19, with the constitution of the National Assembly of People’s Power 9th Legislature and the election of the Council of State.

This online encounter, to which Youth Computer Clubs across the country contributed, was further evidence of the importance given these issues, as was the enthusiastic, responsible participation of the population, first to elect delegates to Municipal Assemblies of People’s Power, and more recently, deputies to the National Assembly.

Who are the Commission’s members and how are they selected?

Jorge Misas Hernández (JMH) Member of the National Candidatures Commission (CCN): National Candidatures Commission are composed of representatives from our country’s mass organizations: the Federation of Cuban Workers (CTC), the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution, the Federation of Cuban Women, the National Association of Small Farmers, the Federation of University Students, and the Federation of Secondary School Students.

Reinier Cruz González (RCG). CCN member: The Commission is presided at all levels by a representative from the CTC, and its members are named by their respective national, provincial, or municipal leadership bodies, as requested by Electoral Commissions at the different levels.

It would be important to understand what legal framework guides the CNN and how it works.

Alfredo Machado López (AML). Vice President of the National Candidatures Commission: Law 72, the Electoral Law, defines the composition of the Candidature Commissions and their functions. In the democratic order, they have a very special mission, not always fully understood by our people, which consists of developing a broad pool – based on proposals from leadership bodies of the mass organizations that comprise the commissions and from nominations made in our neighborhoods – from which candidates for delegate to Provincial Assemblies of People’s Power, and for deputy to the National Assembly, are selected.

Likewise, our (National) Commission undertakes an extensive process of consultation with the deputy candidates, and later deputies, accompanying them on their visits to communities, work places, and schools. We listen to them and consider their opinions on who should be part of the National Assembly’s Presidency and the Council of State, so that before the presentation of the proposals, widespread, meticulous work has been done with thousands of men and women of proven merit, ability, and commitment to the people and the Revolution.

How different is the functioning of this Candidature Commission from those of other countries, and how much time do you have to complete and authenticate the process?

AML: Our Candidature Commissions carry out, more or less, the role that in other countries political parties carry out – leaving obvious differences aside – but their membership, consisting of representatives from mass organizations in which almost the entire population is included, allows us to all feel present.

Our term began on June 30, of 2017, and through the different stages of the process, we worked on more than 12,000 proposals, and I can assure you that what takes place in the leadership bodies to come up with their definitive proposals is far from a formality. There is a democratic component that would be hard to see in any other country.

If you add to this that constituency delegates are nominated and elected in neighborhoods, and that the National Assembly can include up to 50% of these grassroots delegates, and that all the country’s municipalities are represented by at least two deputies, I would dare to assure you that it is highly unlikely that anything like this happens anyplace else.

Could you summarize the process of electing the President and other national leaders?

JMH & RCG: As stipulated in the Electoral Law cited, Law 72, this April 18, the President, First Vice President, Vice Presidents, Secretary and other members of the Council of State are elected in indirect elections, that is, the deputies elected by the people approve the candidature and then, with a secret ballot, vote for these compañeras and compañeros, selected from among the 12,000 proposals made in 970 plenums of mass organization leadership bodies.

How will the people be informed of what occurs on April 18-19?

AML: Our people will be informed, on a timely basis, ofwhat occurs during the session’s proceedings and all of the relevant details. The men and women elected to different responsibilities will also be announced, that is the President of the National Assembly, its Vice President and Secretary, as well as the composition of the Council of State.

I can assure you that the 605 deputies who make up our National Assembly are the product of arduous work by the Candidature Commissions at all levels, already explained, and that they have all the merits and abilities needed to represent us honorably in parliament.

To what degree were youth represented at the different levels you mentioned?

AML: Our communications media have provided broad coverage on the characteristics of the deputies, and we can say that a good pool exists, in which there are more than 80 youth between 18 and 35 years of age, to which we can add others not quite so young, who were born with the Revolution, as a group representing 89.25% of the 605 deputies.
Along with this, the consultation process explained, to gather opinions on this and other issues, allows us to indicate with full confidence that, in this historic session, we have the men and women who constitute the firmest and most loyal expression of the continuity of the revolutionary process we are constructing.

Are the nominations for the Presidency made by deputies in the Assembly or is the candidature as a while presented.

JMH & RCG: As we have been explaining, deputies to the 9th Legislature were consulted individually by the CCN during the month of March, to gather their proposals for members of the National Assembly’s leadership and the Council of State, including for the latter, its President, First Vice President, Vice Presidents, and Secretary.

All are among the deputies elected by the people in different provinces, and therefore have the right to be included on the candidature slate that our Commission will present to the April 18 session.

Alden Rafael Sánchez Sanjudo Ramírez (ARSR) CCN member: It’s important to clarify that these elections are conducted separately. First will be the vote to constitute the National Assembly with its new leadership, and then the proposed slate for the Council of State, prepared by our Commission, will be presented to the deputies.

Upon presenting this proposal that reflects the opinions of the deputies themselves, the Assembly President informs deputies of their right to partially or totally amend it. Next, the candidature is submitted for approval, and once it is approved by a majority of the deputies present, it becomes the list of candidates to elect the Council of State.

This vote tally is conducted by the National Electoral Commission and it is the president of this body who announces the results of the direct, secret ballot vote, and declares elected, to the proposed position, those who receive more than 50% of the valid votes cast. In the event that one of the candidates does not obtain the required number of votes, a new proposal is made by the CCN and another election is held.

After two hours of interaction with the population, led by the President of the National Candidature Commission, Gisela María Duarte Vázquez, readers added to the discussion with commentaries online, recognizing electoral authorities, supporting elected deputies, and expressing confidence that the National Assembly’s new leadership and the Council of State, will preserve the work of Fidel and Raúl.

(Granma)

In a press release, the Parliament specified that the constitutive session will begin at 09:00 local time, and the 605 deputies elected on March 11 will take an oath in the 168 Cuban municipalities; they were selected at the polls by 7,400,000 people, about 86 percent of those registered.

According to the source, the parliamentarians will meet with their respective certificates of election, a meeting in which they will choose from among their members the leadership of the National Assembly and the Council of State, a body composed of a President, a first Vice President, five Vice Presidents, a secretary and 23 members.

The Council of State is the organ of the National Assembly that represents it between one session and another and executes the agreements of this, it has a collegial character; its President is Head of State and Head of Government.

Cuban President, Raul Castro, ratified on December 21 that he will leave office this month, when the new Legislature begins.

When the National Assembly is constituted I will have finished my second and last term as Head of State and Government, and Cuba will have a new President, Castro assured at the closure of a plenary session of the Parliament.

(Prensa Latina)

As deputies meet in the lead up to the Ninth Period of Ordinary Sessions of the Eighth Legislature of the National Assembly of People’s Power (ANPP), the body’s International Relations Commission released a statement this July 11, in support of the declaration previously issued by the Revolutionary government on June 16, regarding the President of the United States’ new Cuba policy.

The statement was read out by Yolanda Ferrer, President of the aforementioned commission, in which deputies express their gratitude for the gestures of respect and support toward Cuba from different friends and parliamentarians around the world, especially those from the United States.

The International Relations Committee also reaffirmed that “no one can set standards for the Cuban people. We will never accept any impositions regarding norms of conduct or views about our democracy or the inner workings of our economic, political and social system.”

(Granma)

According to information shared, among the principal shortcomings in the industrial sector involved the export of steel billets, given breakdowns in steelworks. The solution to this problem, and those of the steel industry in general, Pardo said, lies in the modernization of the José Martí Steel Enterprise, where investments are already underway and will begin to bear fruit in 2018. Renovations will begin next year, as well, on the plate mill in Las Tunas, he reported.

Pardo Cruz emphasized three key industrial policies being implemented: the promotion of recycling; the efficient use of machinery and equipment; and development of the wrapping and packaging industry.

(Granma)

(Granma)

Work done on the implementation of policy guidelines since the 6th Party Congress in 2011 was discussed by deputies, with a focus on updates emerging from the practical experience gained and related debates.

In the National Defense commission, José Antonio Carrillo Gómez, deputy from Nueva Paz in Mayabeque, noted that this discussion has been ongoing across the country since 2011, and that the population’s opinions are being considered.

Karen Alvarado from the municipality of Yateras in Guantánamo, participating in the Food and Agriculture commission, emphasized the importance of avoiding delays in the preparation of the legal framework needed to implement the Guidelines, to ensure that progress in the development of laws and regulations keeps pace with National Assembly discussions on policies.

Deputies focused on Industry, Construction and Energy, agreed, specifically referring to non-agricultural cooperatives. José Quintana, from Camagüey, commented that although progress has been made, regulatory issues and procedures for the acquisition of supplies have not yet been defined.

“There has been talk of an Enterprise Law and a Cooperatives Law, but they have yet to be concretized and disseminated. These bodies of law are indispensable to resolving a series of problems, about which there is little clarity,” said José Cabrera, from Minas de Ma­tahambre, in Pinar del Río.

On the other hand, Estrella Herrera, deputy from Camagüey, addressed guidelines related to investment and construction projects, stating, “We must consider the possibilities for training Cuban construction workers to ensure quality and speed, as well as taking advantage of builders among the self-employed and in cooperatives.”

Agreeing with her was Pedro Astraín, from the municipality of Mayarí, who added that the country’s policy should be to import only what is impossible to produce in Cuba, and contract foreign consultants to train our workforce.

He emphasized that a radical turn-around is needed in the situation surrounding construction projects and related research in the country, to increase capacity in this area, the technology and technique taught in universities, saying, “The economics of construction begin with the project and research.”

Several comments in the Services commission focused on the need to continue improving internal bookkeeping in state enterprises, in addition to pertinent training for those who are engaged in establishing new forms of economic management, to ensure better supervision of production and financial outcomes.

Additional emphasis was placed on problems with incomplete staffing and the placement of recent graduates, which must be solved since the performance of human beings and a qualified workforce are just as important as material resources, the legislator said.

Deputy Tomasa Mo­lina Bernal, from Villa Clara, reported that there are currently municipalities in her province where last year’s budget close-out reports have not been completed, because they simply don’t have the personnel to do them. Recovering a sense of responsibility, of hard work, as part of a change in mentalities, comes first, she said, emphasizing that deputies must serve as examples in their workplaces, as is expressed in Guideline no.11.

Along these same lines, Yaquelin Puebla, from the municipality of Bartolomé Maso, in Granma, noted that the economic battle is at the center of political work, and leaders must focus on knowledge, so that, with the participation of all, enterprises and cooperatives are solvent and generate earnings.

Referring to Guideline no.15, Deputy Pedro Víctor Simón Rodríguez, also in the Services commission, added that capacity building is a key issue, that regular training is needed, about what is being established legally in the country, not only for enterprise managers, but for delegates and Party leaders as well, so they can do a better job supervising.

Regarding autonomy and the ability of municipalities to assume decentralized management responsibilities – addressed in Guideline no.17 – Arelis Virgen Maceo, from Habana del Este, noted that it is at the local level where the problems are, and this is where public policies based on objective realities can be formulated, and the population involved as part of the solution.

A MUCH NEEDED DISCUSSION

The concentration of wealth engendered a number of reflections in the Education, Culture, Science, Technology, and Environment commission.

Deputies agreed that this phenomenon is a reality, and Alpidio Alonso, from the Havana municipality of Plaza de la Revolución questioned whether the country is ready to regulate its development, when previous experience has shown, “We have not been able to apply mechanisms of control,” and, “We cannot accept this in the model of socialism we are proposing.”

Miguel Limia, from Cam­pe­chue­la, in Granma, insisted, “The fact that we recognize the ability of private property to manage resources in an efficient manner in certain areas of society, implies the need to avoid it becoming the organizer of life in society, leading toward polarization, toward the restoration of capitalism.”

He noted that the conceptualization of Cuba’s socialist model defines social property as the base of the country’s socio-economic life and development, requiring growth and the accumulation of capital for investment, but also implies regulation with measures adopted to limit the concentration of wealth and property to levels which do not undermine basic social equality or legitimate differentiation within society.

Yury Valdés, from the Havana municipality of La Lisa, commented that the development of this phenomenon puts socialism at risk, “And we do not have the right to realize, 10 years from now, that we made a mistake.” He stated that clearly the concentration of wealth and property is happening today, and that what is most difficult, beyond theoretical concepts, is how to find a practical solution. Regarding the role of the National Assembly, he insisted that the body must follow-up on the impact of measures adopted, saying, “We need to go and see where these manifestations are occurring.”

In regards to policies on science, technology, and the environment, Deputy Mirta Millán, from the Isle of Youth Special Municipality, proposed adding to Guideline no.102 the importance of not only sustaining and developing science, as the document states, but also disseminating this knowledge, given the economic and social impact it can have.

Eulogio Pimentel, from Nuevitas in Ca­ma­güey, suggested adding a guideline on high tech enterprises, or adding this specific category in appendix 112, referring to the promotion of dynamic structures, given that technology is critical to scientific research and innovation in many countries.

He said that such enterprises could generate industrial property and greater earnings, and benefit from tax and financing incentives which favor the use of technology in production. They can promote the application of scientific research in the Cuban economy, he said.

Zuleica Romay, president of the Cuban Book Institute, expressed concern regarding guidelines on employment and salaries, and the absence of a specific item on protecting workers in the private sector, given that, in a few cases, super-exploitation has been revealed.

Other deputies expressed similar opinions on the issue, and emphasized its importance regardless of the formulation used in the Guidelines, calling for practical solutions and a culture of attention to workers in this sector.

Consensus and support are perhaps the best words to summarize what was happening in the Convention Center’s various meeting rooms, where the issues were discussed. This was the case largely because of the extensive process of consultation held in provinces before and after the recent Party Congress, which included members of People’s Power assemblies, either as delegates or invited guests.

Bernardo Díaz Bello, president of the Food and Agriculture commission noted that the richness of debate within this group of deputies produced timely proposals and observations on the Guidelines, and reflected the vast fund of deep, well-founded knowledge regarding the most pressing priorities in agriculture.

(Granma)