-DATE-
19831221
-YEAR-
1983
-DOCUMENT_TYPE-
MEETING
-AUTHOR-
F. CASTRO
-HEADLINE-
ANPP BEGINS REGULAR SESSIONS
-PLACE-
PALACE OF CONVENTIONS
-SOURCE-
HAVANA TV SERVICE
-REPORT_NBR-
FBIS
-REPORT_DATE-
19831222
-TEXT-
ANPP BEGINS REGULAR SESSIONS, CASTRO ATTENDS

FL212013 Havana Television Service in Spanish 1800 GMT 21 Dec 83

[Text] The Fifth Regular Period of Sessions of the Second Legislature of
the National Assembly of the People's Government [ANPP] began this morning
in the Palace of Conventions.  Commander in Chief Fidel Castro, president
of the Councils of State and Ministers, attended this morning's session.

The martyrs of Grenada were honored during this morning's session.

[Begin Bravo recording] I am proud of the heroic attitude of the 24 Cubans
who gave their lives defending our patriotic and internationalist ideals,
and of the wounded and prisoners who returned to the fatherland after
having given an example of their strength to all countries throughout the
world.

Today, when all our strength is being channeled into creative work and into
the sugar harvest, which must be one of the best in our history; when each
man and woman is trying to achieve the optimum use of resources; when
everyone is making every effort to save and to achieve greater productivity
and quality, the continuous imperialist threat confirms that there is the
need to give maximum strength and immediate attention to the task of
defense.

We ask for 1 minute of silence to honor the comrades who heroically fell in
Grenada. [end recording] [The deputies then stand up and observe 1 minute
of silence]

Deputy Antonio Martinez, president of the Constitutional and Juridical
Affairs Commission, submitted the dictum on the National Symbols Law, and
both the dictum and the law were unanimously approved.

[Begin Castro recording] There is one thing that I believe the symbols
represent for each and every struggle, because if we are only going to
review the historical aspects, then the flag was the flag of Narciso Lopez
-- do not forget this -- and that it was redeemed with the blood of those
who fought 10 years of heroic war, in '68 and '95.  Everything else became
the symbol of the patriots.  The origins must not be sought.

We also fight under the Cuban flag, the Cuban coat of arms, the Cuban hymn.
In other words, they do not represent just a part of history, they
represent history as a whole. [end recording]

[Begin Bravo recording] Well, if no one else wishes to speak about the
dictum, let us vote on it.

Those who are in agreement lift one hand.  Those who are against.  Those
who are abstaining.  Remember, the passage that is being drafted by
(?Armando) is still pending. [end recording]
-END-