A Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee Plenum was held during early August 2011 in Havana. The party is assessing its progress and the road to the future is being charted., a photo by Pan-African News Wire File Photos on Flickr.
Havana
August 1, 2011
Central Committee 2nd Plenum held
BEGINNING with a minute’s silence in honor of Frank País García, Raúl Pujols Arencibia, and all those who have given their lives throughout Cuba’s revolutionary struggle, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba held its second plenum on July 30, Martyrs of the Cuban Revolution Day. The Party’s First Secretary, President Raúl Castro Ruz presided.
Next, José Ramón Machado Ventura, second secretary of the Party, presented a report describing steps taken in each province to follow up on issues discussed at the 6th Party Congress to create the necessary conditions for the implementation of the Policy Guidelines approved and to prepare for the National Conference of the Party scheduled for January 28, 2012.
Machado Ventura explained that work has been carried out keeping in mind the principle that the Party should not take on other functions or missions beyond those established in its statutes and norms. He emphasized that the organization has the responsibility, first and foremost, to effectively oversee economic activity, in order to warn authorities of anything which might impact the fulfillment of plans or projects of social importance – in a timely fashion, with solid arguments, from the local level to the highest.
He reiterated the need to demand that everyone, be they Party members or not, fully carry out their duties. In this vein, he indicated that self-criticisms cannot be accepted if they amount to no more than justifications, nor can commitments be put off from year to year and never fulfilled, neither by the administration nor by the Party.
He emphasized the urgency of firmly demanding why something required was not done when it was needed; who the responsible parties are; what is being considered to rectify the situation; what the results are thus far; and within what timeframe a solution is expected – so that the Party is in fact playing the role it should.
Machado Ventura also reported on the Party’s provincial assemblies, the expanded plenums of municipal committees and meetings of general secretaries of grassroots organizations, as well as the discussions underway in Party workplace nuclei. In all of these meetings, he said, different problems affecting the economy have been opportunely and critically addressed, with the characteristics of each region being taken into consideration.
At the same time, he reported, those attending these meetings have agreed on the need to adjust training and support of cadres in accordance with current efforts to strengthen ties with the community and eliminate bureaucratic methods, the lack of creativity, the tendency to call too many meetings, and the passivity and conformism which characterize many leaders, turning them into people who only do what they are told by a higher authority.
"To mitigate the problems which have emerged on the local level, it is necessary to first change cadres’ way of thinking and acting, be they working within the Party, the state or the government," he said.
Finally, he stressed the need to consolidate every step and measure adopted, in order to honor the decisions made by the 6th Congress.
Marino Murillo Jorge, member of the Political Bureau and head of the Implementation and Development Permanent Commission, also presented a summary to the plenum, describing the ongoing process of implementation of the Policy Guidelines approved at the 6th Congress, as well as progress in improving the structure and functioning of government and central administration at different levels.
Along these lines, Murillo Jorge, also a Vice President of the Council of Ministers, explained the principles upon which the Commission’s five-year plan will be based; the current tasks underway; the economic decisions made which do not require the development of new legal regulations; and the policies which are in the investigation and development stage.
Murillo Jorge also emphasized that the Commission’s work does not supplant the responsibility of any other body or entity. He assured the plenum that, as a matter of principle, the Commission will listen to all opinions offered about an issue, with the goal of achieving consensus.
At this point, Raúl was emphatic in saying that any disagreement would be analyzed and not discarded out of hand, thus guaranteeing an open discussion in which everyone expresses what they think and want.
The Central Committee plenum was informed by Adel Yzquierdo Rodríguez, member of the Political Bureau and Minister of Economy and Planning, as to the performance of the economy during the first half of the year. Topics addressed at the recent meeting of the Council of Ministers were reviewed.
As for the development of the plan, Raúl, reiterated the need to better prepare those who are charged with its elaboration, since, as is evident in the recent period, deficiencies persist, in many instances, as a result of inexperience.
Once again, the First Secretary of the Party emphasized the importance of changing methods and patterns of work which, being ill-suited for the current situation, often impede the correction of errors. "We cannot allow misunderstandings of any kind to create obstacles in the enormous task we have before us," he stated.
Translated by Granma International
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