Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Should Cuba Repeat The Same, Old Elections?

Should Cuba Repeat The Same, Old Elections?
April 14, 2015
The democratization of Cuba has been a pending, national demand since 1952.
Pedro Campos
.
HAVANA TIMES — The municipal elections of Cuba's People's Power
Assemblies will be held this coming April 19th. As in all previous
elections, it is a question of choosing a representative that sits with
their arms crossed, whose sole function is to give the process the
semblance of legitimacy, to give credence to the claim that they were
elected directly by the people in each of the different jurisdictions.

The electoral commission appointed in each of these jurisdictions is to
ensure that the "suitable candidate" is advanced and elected, and it
will be paying close attention to any move in support of a proposal that
does not respond to "the interests of the revolution." The candidates'
bios, demonstrating their "loyalty to the revolution," will be the only
information citizens will have at their disposal to choose the municipal
assembly representatives.

In turn, these assemblies will elect their respective chairs from among
the candidates advanced by the municipal commissions of the Cuban
Communist Party (PCC) and their subordinate organizations.

Then, in 2017, we will hold elections to choose the provincial and
national representatives, from among candidates who have been
pre-selected by commissions run by the PCC and their "conveyor belts",
as Marxism-Leninism calls civil society organizations subordinate to and
financed by the Party/government/State.

The Provincial and National Assembly representatives will be elected
directly by citizens, that's true. But people will vote for candidates
who have been pre-selected by Cuba's one party, at all levels. There
will be no spaces left blank and there will be only one name on the
ballet for each position. Once again, no one will know what plans these
candidates have to solve the problems of their province or the nation –
we will only be sure that they are to follow the policies advanced by
the Party leadership.

The Provincial Assemblies will then elect the governors (provincial
chairs) on the basis of a proposal advanced by the candidacy commission
controlled by the Party at that level.

The National Assembly will then elect the president and vice president
of the republic based on the proposal from the Party Politburo.

Neither mayors, nor governors nor the president of the country will be
elected through a direct and secret citizen vote.

None of the candidates elected at different levels of government will
defend any independent political, economic or social program, as all are
expected to work to implement the Guidelines approved by the PCC, which
is the body that stands above all popular sovereignty and is responsible
for directing the course of the nation, according to Article 5 of the
current constitution.

Any change to the current electoral law that does not entail the
previous establishment of freedom of expression, association and
election and maintains the premises of the single-party system, indirect
vote, commissions and pre-selected candidates and the absence of any
information about the candidates' political programs, cannot guarantee a
truly democratic and independent electoral process.

So, why hold the same old elections again? To continue to have the same
results?

Those who want to change things stop using the same old means and
methods. Those who do not want to change anything (and say they do)
continue to do the same thing. It's not that some are wiser than others,
it's simply that some want change and others do not. Without a doubt,
there is wisdom to be found in doing things so that nothing will change.

Raul Castro has set out to define his government on the basis of
austerity. This would be a good opportunity to put that austerity into
practice and, rather than hold the same old elections and show that the
government is truly willing to implement change, save on the expenses
generated by this Soviet-styled election process and turn the situation
around.

The road to follow could be the creation of a political atmosphere
characterized by mutual trust and freedom of expression, association and
election, an environment where a truly inclusive dialogue is possible.
In addition, a new referendum for the establishment of a
legally-constituted State should be held, and an electoral law should be
passed that guarantees different political currents the right to defend
their programs and advance their candidates in truly democratic,
multi-party and free elections. The constitution and electoral law must
be discussed in a broad, horizontal and free debate, and then approved
through a nationwide referendum.


Illustration by Yasser Castellanos
This process, leading up to the new elections, could take more or less a
year, or the time left in Raul Castro's presidency. It would be a
democratic opening that the majority of the people would be grateful
for, though the old mentality that the president himself has asked us to
leave behind does not seem capable of generating any initiatives in this
direction.

The Communist Party, convinced it's done the best for the Cuban people
over the past half century, and sure of its broad, popular support,
should not fear losing the support of the majority in truly democratic
and free elections.

This way, it would do justice to the demand of the Cuban people who took
up arms against Fulgencio Batista's dictatorship, which had suspended
the constitution through its coup in March of 1952. The government that
took power following the revolution of 1959 put aside the national
demand for democratization, because its leaders decided to prioritize
its social program and the new "socialist" course, leading to the
counterrevolution, imperialist aggression and the blockade/embargo (all
of which have been used to justify postponing such democratization).

This process, coupled with the removal of all obstacles, monopolies and
regulations that curtail the country's productive forces, that prevent
people from enjoying Internet access, that bar medical doctors,
dentists, architects, lawyers and other professionals from having their
own, private practices, that hamper the development of independent
cooperatives and other forms of free associated labor, that maintain the
State wage system as the main axis of the economy and thwart the
development of other needed forms of production and investment, is the
only quick road to a society that includes everyone and works for
everyone's benefit.

Those who call for the democratization of Cuban society, no matter what
our political tendency and without the need to waive or identity or
renounce to our mid and long-term programs, could agree to the
following, basic platform: 1. A nationwide debate characterized by
freedom of expression, association and election. 2. A new constitution.
3. A constitutional State and 4. A new electoral law.

Source: Should Cuba Repeat The Same, Old Elections? - Havana Times.org -
http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=110612

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