-DATE- 19911013 -YEAR- 1991 -DOCUMENT TYPE- -AUTHOR- -HEADLINE- Proceedings of Fourth PCC Congress Reported -PLACE- CARIBBEAN / Cuba -SOURCE- Havana Tele Rebelde and Cuba Vision Networks -REPORT NO.- FBIS-LAT-91-199-S -REPORT DATE- 19911015 -HEADER- ********************* Report Type: Daily Report AFS Number: FL1310213591 Report Number: FBIS-LAT-91-199-S Report Date: 15 Oct 91 Report Series: Latin America Start Page: 37 Report Division: CARIBBEAN End Page: 37 Report Subdivision: Cuba AG File Flag: Classification: UNCLASSIFIED Language: Spanish Document Date: 13 Oct 91 City/Source of Document: Havana Tele Rebelde and Cuba Vision Networks Report Name: SUPPLEMENT Headline: Proceedings of Fourth PCC Congress Reported Subheadline: Delegates Consider Electoral System Author(s): Amada Montalvo on a dialogue between President Fidel Castro and an unidentified delegate during the Fourth Congress of the PCC from the Heredia Theater in Santiago de Cuba-live] Source Line: FL1310213591 Havana Tele Rebelde and Cuba Vision Networks in Spanish 1800 GMT 13 Oct 91 Subslug: [Report by Amada Montalvo on a dialogue between President Fidel Castro and an unidentified delegate during the Fourth Congress of the PCC from the Heredia Theater in Santiago de Cuba-live] -TEXT- FULL TEXT OF ARTICLE: 1. [Report by Amada Montalvo on a dialogue between President Fidel Castro and an unidentified delegate during the Fourth Congress of the PCC from the Heredia Theater in Santiago de Cuba-live] 2. [Excerpts] For or against, everything is being debated. Different opinions and proposals were presented by the delegates, especially concerning structural and organizational matters, while progress was made on the draft resolution on improving the organization and functioning of the People's Government bodies. Among many of the most polemical points were whether the delegates to provincial assemblies should be elected directly or indirectly, whether the executive-administrative branch should be separate from the legislative branch, and whether a given person should belong to both branches. 3. [Begin recording] [passage omitted] [Delegate] It seems contradictory to me that we should elect the delegates directly to the municipal assemblies and the deputies to the National Assembly, but elect the delegates indirectly to the provincial assemblies. The citizens know who they have elected as delegates and deputies, but do not know who the provincial representatives are. I... 4. [Castro, interrupting] Of course, more than contradictory, it seems illogical. [Delegate] Illogical. It also seems illogical to me that although the municipality of the comrades may be very small, the current structure is being defended, in which the work of the People's Government, far from being oriented toward the populace's opinions, the commissions and all that representative kind of work were absorbed by administrative work, and it became a kind of guerrilla war of administrative work. I completely agree with what the resolution says about the separation [of administrative and legislative posts], and there would not be so many chiefs because I see the apparatus of this administrative committee as having the same administrative chiefs as the ones who are already there in the municipality. So they would not have to be reappointed. 5. [Castro] And what would you do with the president of the... [Delegate, interrupting] The same thing, because I was also going to say that it seems contradictory to me for a comrade to propose two presidents for one municipality. Two presidents! I said, jokingly: Is one on vacation and the other working? Because that is not logical. It is even more illogical. Having two presidents seems more illogical to me. 6. [Castro] I am going to ask you something out of pure curiosity. I do not want to cause confusion here, although we should not be afraid of becoming confused if our ideas are clear. What would you do about the mayors? [Delegate] They should be elected directly. 7. [Castro] You say so? [Delegate] I do. I have never proposed it because... 8. [Castro, interrupting] You are already starting to become confused. And the ... [Delegate, interrupting] The head of the province? 9. [Castro] Yes. [Delegate] He should be elected directly also. Do you know why... 10. [Castro, interrupting] And the president of the Council of State? [Delegate] No, he should not be elected directly. [laughter] 11. [Castro] That begins to seem like a contradiction, or something illogical. You can see how these are issues that concern very important concepts. What kind of government do we want to organize? What is more democratic? Are we creating tyrants who do not have to answer to anyone, and who become all-powerful masters? [Delegate] No, but... 12. [Castro, interrupting] This is one of the little points. Of course, if we elect people, it has to be logical. If we elect this one, we elect that one and that other one. We could suspend the assemblies. Why would we want to have them? [end recording] 13. The delegates approved by a majority to recommend to the National Assembly that the delegates to the provincial assemblies be elected by a direct vote, rather than through the municipal assemblies, as is currently done. This was in fact the only modification to the draft resolution. With respect to the electoral system, the document also includes a provision that the deputies to the National Assembly should also be elected by the direct vote of the electors. The rest of the proposals will also be transmitted to the highest government body. -END-