Montreal Conf. on Democracy and Elections in Cuba - this is a keeper for reference

[magbana]

TOPIC: Democracy and Elections Cuba Conference.doc
http://groups.google.com/group/Cuba-Inside-Out/t/753a5606aeb52afa?hl=en
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== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Mon, May 4 2009 7:06 pm
From: "Karen Lee Wald"


Elections in Cuba? Democracy in Cuba?

PRESS RELEASE, Montreal, May 4, 2009

By
Karine Walsh, Co-host of Dimension Cubaine
A radio production of the Table de concertation de solidarité Québec-Cuba.
Radio Centre-Ville 102.3 FM in Montreal (www.radiocentreville.com)

(Translated from the original French to English by Dany Boucher and Karine Walsh, the co-hosts of the above-mentioned weekly radio program.)


On April 23 at Drummondville college, Quebec, about 90 students, teachers and other community members gathered, wanting to learn more about a highly misunderstood topic: the Cuban electoral system and the functioning of the state. As part of the college's Human Sciences Week, Christian Brouillard, a political science teacher and co-organizer of the event, invited an expert speaker on the electoral system and government of Cuba, Arnold August.* His conference was given in French. He is currently working on the writing of his second book to be published in 2010 - Cuba: Participatory Democracy and Elections in the 21st century.

The subject was very topical, since Cuba was one of the dominant points on the agenda at the 5th Summit of the Americas held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, where 34 leaders of the entire continent met from April 17 to April 19. The lifting of U.S. blockade against Cuba was discussed. Obama said he is ready to talk, but was beating around the bush by hiding behind the classic anti-Castro dogma, without arguments. He raised issues related to political prisoners, freedom of speech and democracy. As for our Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, he without any shame agreed with his U.S. counterpart in describing and insulting Cuba as a "communist dictatorship" and steering clearly away from the 32 other countries who had formally voted and indicated themselves clearly on many occasions in favour of the immediate lifting the blockade and for the Cuban people's right to self-determination and sovereignty. In such a context, sources of expertise such as Arnold August, and all alternative bases of information on Cuba, must set the record straight. One should not underestimate the importance of conferences and books about the Cuban political reality. They represent one of the pillars of solidarity with Cuba.

In his lecture highlighted with a PowerPoint presentation consisting of lively photos, Mr. August explained two aspects: 1) The functioning of the Cuban electoral system based on his own experience and his many visits to Havana during the 2007-2008 elections and 2) the functioning of the different levels of government between elections. To appreciate the real democracy as it exists in Cuba, one must first understand that the Communist Party, the only political party in Cuba, is not an electoral political party, but rather a revolutionary party of national unity. It does not participate in elections and does not propose for nomination or finance any candidate for elections. In addition, it does not cost a penny to be nominated and then be elected in Cuba. The very modest expenses are assumed by the state on the basis of equality between all candidates. The political system, as the speaker illustrated with maps, is highly decentralized with the people at the grass-roots level composing the foundation. For example, the Province of Ciudad de La Habana (Havana City with a population of approximately 2.1 million) is divided into 15 municipalities with one of them being used for the case study, Plaza de la Revolución.

Arnold analyzed his specific field research, some 1400 voters in the constituency or district number 12, one of 108 constituencies or districts forming the Municipal Assembly of the Plaza de la Revolución municipality. These very compact constituencies or districts serve as the building blocks for the entire political system. In terms of elections, five zones within the constituency number 12 are formed in order to further decentralize the electoral system. During the nomination assemblies in the five nomination zones, about 150-250 neighbourhood voters, living within one of two blocks of each other, have the opportunity to propose electors residing in their constituency as candidates they deem worthy to represent them in the Municipal Assembly. These nominations are followed in another step by direct universal secret ballot suffrage where citizens aged 16 and over have the right to vote for one of those that have been proposed as candidates by their neighbours.

At the national level, candidacy commissions are set up by mass organizations like the labour union, women's and student associations. These commissions at the national, provincial and municipal levels in collaboration with citizens and mass organizations have the responsibility to nominate candidates for election to Parliament so that it is a mirror of the Cuban society. It is important to take note of the fact that up to half of the 614 deputy seats in parliament are occupied by delegates elected at the municipal level, to assure that the Parliament is a body closely linked to citizens and their concerns.

With few exceptions, elected officials at all levels, including municipalities, provinces and the parliament, are volunteers. They receive no pay and must perform their responsibilities as municipal or provincial delegates and parliamentary deputies after their normal working hours. With regard to the need for some professional elected citizens, they are chosen according to the needs and responsibilities of the level of government to which they have been elected; they are then released from their work place. However, in this case they receive a salary equivalent to that of their work place. This principle seeks to avoid election-related privileges.

In addition to explaining the election, Arnold focused the second part of his presentation on the functioning of government after elections. With the aid of his photos, he described the lively discussions which he attended as part of the development led by the Parliament of a draft bill on social security. This proposed bill gradually delays the retirement age of five years in response to a problem among others, of the aging population. It is within meetings held across the island in thousands of work places that workers from all sectors of the economy and society had the opportunity to present and argue their opinions. On many occasions, and right up to and including the meeting of the Permanent Working Commissions formed by Parliamentary deputies, the draft law was amended according to the criticisms and suggestions coming from workers before being presented to a formal plenary session of the Parliament for the vote.

The speaker, in order to bring his audience to think in a manner unhindered by preconceived views, asked the following: "Among you, your parents or friends, how many times have you been consulted in such detail on a bill?" "NEVER!" was the unanimous response of students. Arnold went further: "In Cuba it is the norm for this type of legislation and decision. A terrible communist dictatorship according to Obama and Harper? I will let you draw your own conclusions."

Is the political, economic and social development in Cuba perfect, is it ideal? No. On the basis of a quick overview of his experience in sessions of the Municipal Assembly of Plaza de la Revolución and meetings in one of the eight Peoples' Councils in which the municipality is more decentralized towards the grass roots, the lecturer presented photos to back-up his explanation of how delegates together with their neighbours face the problems and work to improve the system.


Arnold August concluded by adding: "If there is one country in the world where people express their views openly and discuss on various issues, it is Cuba. The reality is the opposite of what the disinformation and misinformation machine conveys about Cuba. If you come out of this conference with such an understanding, I will be very satisfied."

After a short period of questions, the conference ended with the sound of enthusiastic applause from the audience and a spontaneous concluding reaction of a student: "Viva la Revolución!"

* Arnold August lives in Montreal, is a member of the International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban Five and the Comité Fabio Di Celmo pour les 5 of the Table de concertation de solidarité Québec-Cuba.


== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Mon, May 4 2009 7:06 pm
From: "Karen Lee Wald"


Elections in Cuba? Democracy in Cuba?

PRESS RELEASE, Montreal, May 4, 2009

By
Karine Walsh, Co-host of Dimension Cubaine
A radio production of the Table de concertation de solidarité Québec-Cuba.
Radio Centre-Ville 102.3 FM in Montreal (www.radiocentreville.com)

(Translated from the original French to English by Dany Boucher and Karine Walsh, the co-hosts of the above-mentioned weekly radio program.)


On April 23 at Drummondville college, Quebec, about 90 students, teachers and other community members gathered, wanting to learn more about a highly misunderstood topic: the Cuban electoral system and the functioning of the state. As part of the college's Human Sciences Week, Christian Brouillard, a political science teacher and co-organizer of the event, invited an expert speaker on the electoral system and government of Cuba, Arnold August.* His conference was given in French. He is currently working on the writing of his second book to be published in 2010 - Cuba: Participatory Democracy and Elections in the 21st century.

The subject was very topical, since Cuba was one of the dominant points on the agenda at the 5th Summit of the Americas held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, where 34 leaders of the entire continent met from April 17 to April 19. The lifting of U.S. blockade against Cuba was discussed. Obama said he is ready to talk, but was beating around the bush by hiding behind the classic anti-Castro dogma, without arguments. He raised issues related to political prisoners, freedom of speech and democracy. As for our Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, he without any shame agreed with his U.S. counterpart in describing and insulting Cuba as a "communist dictatorship" and steering clearly away from the 32 other countries who had formally voted and indicated themselves clearly on many occasions in favour of the immediate lifting the blockade and for the Cuban people's right to self-determination and sovereignty. In such a context, sources of expertise such as Arnold August, and all alternative bases of information on Cuba, must set the record straight. One should not underestimate the importance of conferences and books about the Cuban political reality. They represent one of the pillars of solidarity with Cuba.

In his lecture highlighted with a PowerPoint presentation consisting of lively photos, Mr. August explained two aspects: 1) The functioning of the Cuban electoral system based on his own experience and his many visits to Havana during the 2007-2008 elections and 2) the functioning of the different levels of government between elections. To appreciate the real democracy as it exists in Cuba, one must first understand that the Communist Party, the only political party in Cuba, is not an electoral political party, but rather a revolutionary party of national unity. It does not participate in elections and does not propose for nomination or finance any candidate for elections. In addition, it does not cost a penny to be nominated and then be elected in Cuba. The very modest expenses are assumed by the state on the basis of equality between all candidates. The political system, as the speaker illustrated with maps, is highly decentralized with the people at the grass-roots level composing the foundation. For example, the Province of Ciudad de La Habana (Havana City with a population of approximately 2.1 million) is divided into 15 municipalities with one of them being used for the case study, Plaza de la Revolución.

Arnold analyzed his specific field research, some 1400 voters in the constituency or district number 12, one of 108 constituencies or districts forming the Municipal Assembly of the Plaza de la Revolución municipality. These very compact constituencies or districts serve as the building blocks for the entire political system. In terms of elections, five zones within the constituency number 12 are formed in order to further decentralize the electoral system. During the nomination assemblies in the five nomination zones, about 150-250 neighbourhood voters, living within one of two blocks of each other, have the opportunity to propose electors residing in their constituency as candidates they deem worthy to represent them in the Municipal Assembly. These nominations are followed in another step by direct universal secret ballot suffrage where citizens aged 16 and over have the right to vote for one of those that have been proposed as candidates by their neighbours.

At the national level, candidacy commissions are set up by mass organizations like the labour union, women's and student associations. These commissions at the national, provincial and municipal levels in collaboration with citizens and mass organizations have the responsibility to nominate candidates for election to Parliament so that it is a mirror of the Cuban society. It is important to take note of the fact that up to half of the 614 deputy seats in parliament are occupied by delegates elected at the municipal level, to assure that the Parliament is a body closely linked to citizens and their concerns.

With few exceptions, elected officials at all levels, including municipalities, provinces and the parliament, are volunteers. They receive no pay and must perform their responsibilities as municipal or provincial delegates and parliamentary deputies after their normal working hours. With regard to the need for some professional elected citizens, they are chosen according to the needs and responsibilities of the level of government to which they have been elected; they are then released from their work place. However, in this case they receive a salary equivalent to that of their work place. This principle seeks to avoid election-related privileges.

In addition to explaining the election, Arnold focused the second part of his presentation on the functioning of government after elections. With the aid of his photos, he described the lively discussions which he attended as part of the development led by the Parliament of a draft bill on social security. This proposed bill gradually delays the retirement age of five years in response to a problem among others, of the aging population. It is within meetings held across the island in thousands of work places that workers from all sectors of the economy and society had the opportunity to present and argue their opinions. On many occasions, and right up to and including the meeting of the Permanent Working Commissions formed by Parliamentary deputies, the draft law was amended according to the criticisms and suggestions coming from workers before being presented to a formal plenary session of the Parliament for the vote.

The speaker, in order to bring his audience to think in a manner unhindered by preconceived views, asked the following: "Among you, your parents or friends, how many times have you been consulted in such detail on a bill?" "NEVER!" was the unanimous response of students. Arnold went further: "In Cuba it is the norm for this type of legislation and decision. A terrible communist dictatorship according to Obama and Harper? I will let you draw your own conclusions."

Is the political, economic and social development in Cuba perfect, is it ideal? No. On the basis of a quick overview of his experience in sessions of the Municipal Assembly of Plaza de la Revolución and meetings in one of the eight Peoples' Councils in which the municipality is more decentralized towards the grass roots, the lecturer presented photos to back-up his explanation of how delegates together with their neighbours face the problems and work to improve the system.


Arnold August concluded by adding: "If there is one country in the world where people express their views openly and discuss on various issues, it is Cuba. The reality is the opposite of what the disinformation and misinformation machine conveys about Cuba. If you come out of this conference with such an understanding, I will be very satisfied."

After a short period of questions, the conference ended with the sound of enthusiastic applause from the audience and a spontaneous concluding reaction of a student: "Viva la Revolución!"

* Arnold August lives in Montreal, is a member of the International Committee for the Freedom of the Cuban Five and the Comité Fabio Di Celmo pour les 5 of the Table de concertation de solidarité Québec-Cuba.