Diario Granma (Cuban Communist Party’s official newspaper) published an article last Friday concerning the generational shift, as per the Cuban Government’s view, in the parliamentary body (National Assembly of the People’s Power) wherein the Communist Party is the only political actor designated to participate in the upcoming January 20th parliamentary election.

Interesting statistics of note:

• Of the 614 candidates for the parliament, 374 (60.91 percent) were born after the triumph of the revolution in 1959. Another 134 (21.82 percent) were under the age of ten. Only 106 candidates (17.25 percent) knew capitalism in Cuba, that is to say, those who were part of the generation that defeated the Batista dictatorship and began building socialism.

• In terms of continuity and renewal, 36.78 percent of the candidates (224) are incumbents in the current 609 member legislature. Therefore, a little over 63.22 percent (385 legislators) will be newcomers in the new legislature of 614 members with the additional 5 members reflecting population growth.

• 42.16 percent of the candidates (265) are women and a majority (481) of the candidates have a university level education (78.34 percent) and 127 (20.68) with high school and/or technical degrees.

Delegates of the Municipal Assemblies of Santiago de Cuba and Segundo Frente approved on December 3 the candidacy of Maximum Fidel Castro, Army General Raúl Castro and Commander of the Revolution Juan Almeida as candidates to the Cuban National Parliament.

On December 27, Fidel Castro sent a message to the National Assembly signaling a possible relinquishment of power.  In his letter, he stated:

“What the international press has emphasized most in its reports on Cuba in recent days is the statement I made on the 17th of this month, in a letter to the director of Cuban television’s Round Table program, where I said that I am not clinging to power. I could add that for some time I did, due to my youth and lack of awareness, when, without any guidance, I started to leave my political ignorance behind and became a utopian socialist. It was a stage in my life when I believed I knew what had to be done and wanted to be in a position to do it! What made me change? Life did, delving more deeply into Martí’s ideas and those of the classics of socialism. The more deeply I became involved in the struggle, the stronger was my identification with those aims and, well before the revolutionary victory I was already convinced that it was my duty to fight for these aims or to die in combat.”

As the Maximum Leader’s designated successor, Army General Raul Castro might be elected to succeed Fidel Castro as President of the Council of State and  Council of Minister, however, Fidel may assume the symbolic post of titular head of government.

One political figure whose ascendancy is evident is Carlos Lage.  Will his ascendancy bring the technocrats to shared power with the prevalent political force: the military?

It remains to be seen, but if change is not in the horizon ,vis-à-vis a political and economic aperture, then what looms for the status quo regime is instability and a serious threat to its sustained power.

(H/T: Cuaderno de Cuba)

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