The Cuban Communist Party is carrying out preparations for its Fifth
Congress, to be held in Havana from October 8-10. The Party has just
concluded broad-based discussions on the document The Party of Unity,
Democracy and the Human Rights We Defend which will be presented in its
final form for adoption at the Congress.
More than 230,000 joint meetings were organized to discuss the
document. They were attended by members of the Party and the Young
Communist League, trade union sections, student brigades and assemblies
of the Committees for the Defence of the Revolution, the Federation of
Cuban Women and the Association of Small Farmers.
In total, it is estimated that some six and a half million people
participated in the discussion and debate on the document, and a total
of 20,000 different comments about the document were officially
recorded, including ratifications, modifications, suggestions,
criticisms, etc. These proposals will be analyzed and summarized for the
final presentation of the document for approval during the Fifth
Congress.
Delegates to the Congress have been elected at assemblies of the
party at the municipal level which were held between August 20 and
September 10 and attended by the general secretaries of the Party
organizations. Candidates for the Central Committee are also being
approved by the Municipal Party assemblies. In all, 1500 delegates to
the Congress will be elected and 250 invited guests will also
participate. President Fidel Castro Ruz was selected as a direct
delegate to the Congress, as a representative from Santiago de Cuba.
Following the municipal assemblies, provincial meetings of the
delegations that will be attending the Congress will be convened; the
participants will study and discuss the most important documents of the
Congress.
The Fifth Congress will evaluate the work carried out since the
Fourth Congress in 1991, as outlined in the Main Report to be presented
by the First Secretary of the Party, President Castro. An article in
Granma, the official organ of the Communist Party of Cuba states that
the Fifth Congress will also "analyze the economic situation and draw
up, in a special resolution, its guidelines in accordance with the
policies established that reflect our particular conditions." It states:
"The principal conclusions of the Party Congress will be projections for
continued progress in the midst of the special period and the U.S.
blockade. Under the guidelines of the Fifth Congress, we will continue
to advance along the path of our socialism, with our battle standards
held high, under the guidance of the Party and the historical leaders of
the Revolution."
CPC(M-L), 9/97
Shawgi Tell
Graduate School of Education
University at Buffalo
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
