Havana, Cuba.- Professor of the Law Faculty of Havana University, Lisandra Esquivel, highlighted today the democratic nature of the Cuban electoral system, a few days before The 9th Parliament Legislature is constituted.

Democracy has been interpreted in different way by each of the political systems, with features of each of the historical, social and cultural conditions that determine the system, explained the academician to Prensa Latina.

Esquivel, who served in the past elections as coordinator of collaborators of the National Electoral Commission, noted that in order to talk about democracy, citizen participation in political decision-making must be taken into account indisputably.

Specifically in Cuba, there are two ways to elect our representatives: directly in the case of the delegates to the municipal and provincial assemblies of the Popular Power; as well as the deputies to the National Assembly; and indirectly for the members of the Council of State, explained the jurist.

On April 19, the 9th Legislature of the National Assembly of People’s Power will be constituted, starting from the direct elections that took place last November and March.

Once this body is constituted, the Candidature Committee will announce who are the proposals to run this legislative body.

After this step, the Council of State, which represents the Parliament between sessions, will be elected, and the proposals for these positions also come from the Candidature Commission, a body recognized in the Constitution and the Electoral Law.

At that time there is the possibility for the deputies to change or not those proposed, and then the candidacy that will be put to a vote are approved in a visible way.

Subsequently, the members of the Council of State and its leaders, that is, the president, the first vice president, the five vice presidents and the secretary, are elected by secret ballot – as it is the principle of the Cuban electoral system. These figures, together with the other 23 members, make up the 31 positions of the Council of State of the Republic of Cuba.