By Aixa Alfonso Guerra
Source: Cuban News Agency, 20 April 2011.
It is encouraging for the Cuban people to listen to the delegates to the 6th Congress of the Cuban Communist Party debate important aspects in the country´s economic life in a transparent and realistic way. True democracy is expressed in the active participation of the people in the analysis of issues that affect the population as a whole.
An example of this is the discussion of fundamental problems by the over 8 million citizens in some 163 000 assemblies that were held prior to the congress. What the delegates are debating are the results of a broad discussion process of the Project of the Economic and Social Guidelines of the Party and Revolution held in neighborhoods, work places and communities across the country. Reflections and opinions were generated in these meetings held in each People´s Council where the population enriched the document with proposals and suggestions.
There were 181 of the 291 guidelines modified and 36 new proposals were incorporated after debates among the population. This was an example of the quality of the discussions, as expressed by President Raul Castro during the inauguration of the 6th Party Congress last Saturday. A consensus among the population in search of solutions to problems worsened by the world economic crisis is only possible in a revolutionary process that has been underway on the island since January 1st, 1959 in addition to a ferocious economic, commercial and financial blockade imposed by the US government for over 50 years.
The one thousand delegates are currently debating on the guidelines which began on April 16th at the International Convention Center coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the victory over the Bay of Pigs Invasion. The Cuban people, inspired in the teachings of the leader of the Revolution, Fidel Castro that; “Revolution means to have a sense of history; it is changing everything that must be changed; it is full equality and freedom…”, we bet on the continuity of socialism in our country, as guarantees to the independence of our Homeland.
