Some aspects of President Ra
From
Havana Read Spanish Version
Some
aspects of President Raúl Castro’s speech
By
Manuel Alberto Ramy
maprogre@gamail.com
Taken
from the Progreso Semanal blog of Feb. 24. Ramy is preparing an
in-depth article about this very important topic.
I’ve
allowed the speech delivered Feb. 24 by the new President of Cuba,
Raúl Castro, to rest in my mind. Although I recommend that you
read the entire text, I felt it necessary to comment on some of the
aspects that, in my judgment, are the most relevant.
I
begin by describing as a surprise the election of José R.
Machado Ventura as First Vice President of the Councils of State and
Ministers. It was always felt he would retain his position as one of
the five Vice Presidents, but it was not in the speculations of
politologists and journalists that he would occupy the second-highest
post in government.
Experienced
observers insist that it is a clear message that the presence of
historical leaders in key positions denotes a clear intention of
continuity in the Cuban process. Changes are in the wind, announced
by Raúl Castro himself, but they will follow the same
ideological line toward the strengthening of socialism.
In
his speech, Raúl Castro announced a reorganization of the
state apparatus, because the current structure does not respond to
the current needs of the country and lessens the efficacy of
responses. Undoubtedly, the announcement indicates that some
ministries will disappear and their functions will be absorbed by the
remaining ones. That is one way to relieve the government of an
excess of meetings, reports and a long "etcetera," and to
make administration more efficient.
This,
along with Raúl’s statement that some problems can have local
solutions, could point to some degree of decentralization in certain
nonstrategic spheres of the economy.
Institutionality,
mentioned insistently by President Castro, will be reinforced and it
is a corollary of its definition that only the Communist Party of
Cuba can replace Fidel Castro, with whom he will continue to consult
on fundamental issues. At his request, Parliament granted the
president permission to consult with the historic leader of the
process the measures that are transcendental in the fields of
defense, international policy and social development.
About
the most pressing problems in Cuban society, Raúl said that
some will be settled in the next several weeks. Others will take
longer, because they will emerge from a serious process of analysis
and gradual measures. But he said that "the satisfaction of the
basic, material and spiritual needs of the population" has the
highest priority.
In
the event of the disappearance of the two units of currency that
circulate at present, there will be a revaluation of the so-called
"national currency," that is, the Cuban peso, which the
population uses, the currency utilized to pay wages. In meetings
throughout the country, called by the government so the citizens may
state their concerns and complaints, the topic of the dual currency
was almost a given.
Another
of the economic issues mentioned by Raúl Castro was the ration
book, which is used for the distribution of subsidized foodstuffs.
According to President Castro, this egalitarianism — regardless of
the income earned by each consumer — is inadmissible for the current
Cuban economy.
But
the elimination of the ration book and the subsidies for some
foodstuffs also implies a reform in wages and prices, something that
Raúl Castro himself and other high-ranking functionaries say
will not be possible without an increase in productivity and economic
efficiency.
Some
of the problems will have to be analyzed in depth by the different
institutions involved, he said, and the aggressive policy of the
government of the United States will have to taken into account. On
this issue, the president may have alluded to the permit needed to
leave and reenter the country. We should not be surprised by the
caution used when describing what will be needed to face the
situation.
Raúl
Castro reiterated his support for citizens to express their opinions
and criticism. "In a society like ours, we mustn’t fear
discrepancies," he said. "The best solutions emerge from
the profound exchanges of diverging opinions." And he announced
that some of the problems to be solved would go through a dialogue
with the sector or sectors involved, as has been done. If the issue
deserves it, it could be the center of a nationwide consultation.
In
other words, some issues of great transcendence could become the
topic of a nationwide referendum. Therefore, it is not improbable to
think that some measures could even become the motive for
constitutional reforms.
Manuel
Alberto Ramy is Havana bureau chief of Radio Progreso Alternativa and
editor of the Spanish-language version of Progreso Weekly.
