Perfection, not break
- Written by Maribel Flamand Sánchez
- Published in Opinion
- Hits: 2721
A draft Electoral Law has been proposed for the approval of the members of the Cuban parliament, and although the people do not have direct participation in the process, but through its representatives in Parliament, it keeps abreast on the process of debates and the information provided by the media in the island.
In this sense, the National Assembly of the People’s Power (ANPP) has created the e-mail address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for those who want to send their opinions, which will be adequately valued by the Editorial Board.
Here emerged the question: Why a new Electoral Law? The draft responds to the mandate of the newly established Constitution of the Republic, which in its first transitory provision establishes that before the six-month period, after this Constitution has entered into force, the ANPP approves a new Electoral Law, in which regulates the election of deputies to the National Assembly, its President, Vice President and Secretary; the Council of State, the President and Vice President of the Republic, the members of the National Electoral Council, the provincial governors and vice-governors, the delegates to the municipal assemblies of the People’s Power, its President and Vice President.
Democracy, transparency, affordable language and adaptation to the demands of these times are addressed in the Project that is based on a solid ethical base guaranteeing clarity in the voting and compliance with and respect for the principles of the Cuban electoral system, such as direct and free voting.
The legal norm does not start from scratch, nor is a rupture because it takes into account the experiences of several years of electoral processes governed by the current Law 72, to which is added a rigorous analysis to add lacking elements. It also has a regulatory nature because it describes in detail how each structure operates, as the current Law only makes a very brief mention of these.
It proposes the incorporation of the Electoral Council as a permanent body, as well as its peers at the provincial and municipal level with a structure in accordance with its functions and in correspondence with the characteristics of the processes convened.
It also indicates the modification of the proportion established for the election of the Deputies of one for each 30 thousand inhabitants of a municipality or more than 15 thousand. If there are more than 45 thousand inhabitants in a municipality, it correspond two deputies. In this case, the most important thing is the territorial representativeness.
If the draft is approved, the ANPP would be composed of 474 deputies, a smaller figure than the current one, which is of 605. The Council of State will only include 21 members.
The dissipation of the provincial assemblies is the most commented issue among people, as well as the introduction of the governor and vice governor at this level. Sample of an important document that is perfected is the inclusion, for the first time, of the role of supervisors and collaborators during the electoral processes.
The municipal assemblies may convene popular consultations on specific topics of interest to the voters of the territory.
A basic principle included in the draft is that the Cuban people will continue to be who nominates and choose their representatives.
