The permanent work commissions of the National Assembly of People's Power reported on their operation in the IX Legislature of the Cuban Parliament, during the session of the Council of State headed by the President of this body, Esteban Lazo Hernández.
Among the years 2018 and 2023, the deputies members of the parliamentary commissions followed up on issues related to the national economy, the development of the constitutional reform process and carried out an intense legislative activity after the proclamation of the Magna Carta on April 10. 2019, among other priority matters for the country.
In addition, during the period of prevention and confrontation with the COVID-19 pandemic, the legislators joined, from their respective functions in the territories, the tasks indicated by the defense councils.
Correspondingly, the commissions of the National Assembly organized checks on this activity, increased interaction with municipal assemblies, exchanges with organizations, and visits to areas with the highest incidence of the new coronavirus, especially in Havana; as well as verified the implementation of the approved Economic and Social Strategy.
The members of the Council of State recognized how, based on the indications emanating from the 8th. Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba, the permanent work commissions adapted their objectives and the work systems oriented to the fulfillment of the principles and tasks. In this way, they reinforced the actions in the territories, with greater exchanges with the population; checking policies and programs prioritized by the country; and popular participation and control actions.
In turn, it was reported that all the professional presidents and vice-presidents of the commissions joined the transformation work in vulnerable neighborhoods and communities in Havana; among other community activities carried out by the deputies in their localities on this issue.
As a distinctive element in the last years of the IX Legislature, the development of accountability processes and the highest supervision of agencies of the Central State Administration and Provincial Governments, indistinctly; with favorable results and experiences to continue perfecting both exercises, as a tangible expression of our socialist democracy.
The members of this body also examined how the commissions established a greater working relationship with the Council of State, checked the implementation of the agreements and recommendations contained in the opinions of the National Assembly, and controlled the decree laws and laws approved.
Permanent work commissions of the National Assembly:
10 ordinary meetings and 3 extraordinary
541 topics analyzed, from which 607 agreements were derived.
17 parliamentary visits to provinces: 2,674 institutions were visited and more than 63,000 people were contacted in 95 municipalities.
18 meetings of the commission holders with different social sectors, where 878 young people have participated.
7 meetings held at the National Capitol, with more than 700 attendees from various organizations and institutions, mainly young people.
85 Parliamentary Friendship Groups abroad, although links of various kinds were maintained with 137 legislative bodies.
When analyzing the results presented on the work carried out by the commissions, the numbers are illustrative of the strengthening of the work of the National Assembly, said Karla Santana Rodríguez.
However, he pointed out that it continues to be a challenge for the population to become aware of the intense work carried out by our Parliament, especially the youngest in our society, not only through social communication, but also through political work and with the responsibility of each deputy, in their respective spaces of action, in contributing to the dissemination and knowledge of the citizenry of the activities carried out in the legislature and of the pending challenges.
For his part, Esteban Lazo stressed the importance of this exercise, which constitutes in itself an accountability of the parliamentary committees, to continue promoting their work.
Three new decree laws were adopted
In its session on January 19, the State Council approved three decree laws: "On the Security and Physical Protection System", "On Conflict Mediation" and "On the Mission of the Ministry of Economy and Planning."
Colonel Ariel Marto Rodríguez, head of the Protection Directorate of the Ministry of the Interior, referred to the first of the adopted norms that it seeks to achieve better protection of people, goods and resources, in accordance with the interests of the State and society. Likewise, the updating of this legal instrument will allow an adequate articulation of security and physical protection with the economic transformations of the country and the postulates included in the Constitution.
Regarding the decree law "On Conflict Mediation”, Oscar Silvera Martínez, Minister of Justice, reported that it was necessary to establish the legal framework of the mediation procedure as a conflict resolution method to restore social relations that favors peaceful means of dispute resolution, identify the binding force that accompanies the agreements achieved and promote a culture of peace. This normative provision is in correspondence with the current constitutional order and current trends in the application of conflict resolution means.
In essence, this norm places Cuban society in a higher echelon of civility in the treatment of its conflicts, due to its effective educational component of culture of peace, concluded its speakers.
In relation to the decree law "Of the Mission of the Ministry of Economy and Planning", it transpired that, as a result of the various tasks assigned to this body, it was necessary to specify its mission in order to adapt its organization and operation to the changes that operate in the organization of the Central State Administration.
On the other hand, Miriam Brito Sarroca, president of the Local Bodies Commission of the National Assembly of People's Power, reported on the results of the approval of the Economy Plan and the Budget by the municipal assemblies for the year 2023.
This important process took place between December 24 and 29, 2022 in sessions held in each municipal body. Among other issues addressed, the delegates raised the need to promote local development and municipal autonomy, correctly directing the destination of the income collected with the land contribution for local development, popular control of budget execution and actions that allow reduce the budget deficit, Brito Sarroca said.
At the same time, he recommended that the possibility of projecting a longer period of time for the organization and preparation of the delegates with a view to the analysis and approval process in its different stages be studied.
Subsequently, Homero Acosta Álvarez, secretary of the Cuban Parliament, presented the proposals for adjustments to the agenda of the Council of State for the next two months and for the call to the extraordinary session of the municipal assemblies for the nomination of candidates for deputies to the National Assembly of People's Power on February 5.