Our single-party system must represent the interests of the entire population

HAVANA, Cuba, May 24 (ACN) At the last meeting of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba, chaired by its First Secretary, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, a document was submitted that summarizes the ideas, concepts and guidelines drawn from the Central Report to the 8th Congress, the closing speech and the documents approved in its working commissions. Presented by the member of the Party secretariat and head of its Ideological Department, Rogelio Polanco Fuentes, the text was the axis of the meeting of the Cuban leadership with 2,600 directors from the whole country.

In his closing words, First Secretary Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez shared basic reflections on the work of the Party and the defense of the Revolution in the present times. He pointed out as part of the debate that is now opening for the party members and the population at large everyone must interpret "what is continuity and what is unity, and how to defend them.”

“Failure to do so entails a misunderstanding of the 8th Congress,” he stressed. "Unity has been forged, defended, and consolidated by our historical leadership in all the years of Revolution, but new demands have come into play now.

“The gradual process through which the historic generation has been handing over the main responsibilities of the Party, the State and the Government to the new generations requires, in order to preserve unity, the moral authority of the single Party, which is the one called to guarantee that unity and represent the nation,” he said. "It is very important to preserve unity—a concept put forward by Army General Raúl Castro Ruz—that a single party can be more democratic, facilitate more participation, reach better consensus, and work more collectively. (…) The single Party has to represent the interests of the entire population.”

About continuity, another essential concept, Díaz-Canel emphasized that it has to be defended with a comprehensive vision, which includes, he remarked, the consolidation of the authority that the historical generation earned on merit.

"We have to preserve that leadership and the moral authority of our organization; that is what ensures continuity (…) which also includes the exemplary nature of our political vanguard. Generational continuity is a fundamental part of unity, so the Party has to work closely with our youth," he stressed.

The First Secretary addressed a group of issues and tasks related to the work of the Party, such as internal life, and highlighted the concept that the development of the national economy, together with the struggle for peace and ideological firmness, are the main missions of the organization and therefore our priorities today.

“The present and future of the country, the defense of the Revolution and our progress depend on what we can do with our own forces, without renouncing solidarity with other peoples,” he added.