Governance system in Cuba

Constitutional framework

As Cuba is a unitary socialist republic, all governing power is vested in the central government. The government is totalitarian in absolute terms, exercising direct control or sway over most facets of Cuban life. Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz(Fidel Castro) served as the prime minister from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 2008. That means he effectively was head of the Cuban government for 49 years (just 1 year less than half a century). He also was the first secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and commander in chief of the armed forces. In February 2008 he formally handed over power to his brother, Raúl Castro, who relinquished the presidency in April 2018 and retired as first secretary three years later. The nation had been governed under the 1976 constitution, which superseded revolutionary legislation that was enacted after suspension of the 1940 constitution. The 1976 constitution was amended a little bit in 1992 and 2002 and then more ominously altered in 2019.

The national assembly& the national government (Council of Ministers)

Under the constitution, legislative authority is vested in the National Assembly of People’s Power, whose over 600 members serve five-year terms. The number of assembly seats has gone up steadily, corresponding to the population of the provinces and municipalities. The National Assembly in its twice-yearly brief sessions appoints the Council of State, which is headed by the president. The Council of State remains in session all through the year and issues laws in the form of decrees. The National Assembly of People’s Power elects the president from among its representatives. The president can have only two consecutive five-year terms of office and needs to be under 60 when elected for the initial term. The president appoints a Cabinet (Council of Ministers) and a prime minister to preside over it. The Council of Ministers carries out the daily administration of the nation.

Local government

Cuba is divided into 15 provinces further subdivided into 168 municipios (“municipalities”), and one municipio especial (Juventud Island). Through universal suffrage delegates to municipal assemblies are elected to serve five year terms. They, in turn, elect provincial governors to serve five-year terms, upon the proposal of the president. Provincial governors chair provincial councils made up of a deputy governor, the municipal mayors, and the presidents and vice presidents of the municipal assemblies. The national government and the Communist Party greatly influence provincial and municipal affairs. Local governments lack independent funding and hence also lack any capacity to implement proposals autonomously. In most cases areas of responsibility of local governments overlap with those of the national ministries.