Politics

The politics of Cuba takes place within a framework of a socialist republic. Cuba is constitutionally defined as a "socialist state guided by the principles of José Martí, and the political ideas of Marx, Engels and Lenin". The present constitution also ascribes the role of the Communist Party of Cuba to be the "leading force of society and of the state".

Executive power is exercised by the government, which is represented by the Council of State and the Council of Ministers. Legislative power is exercised through the unicameral National Assembly of the People's Power, which is constituted as the maximum authority of the state. Fidel Castro is president of the Council of state, president of the council of ministers (sometimes referred to as the Prime Minister), First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, and Commander in Chief of the armed forces. Ricardo Alarcón is president of the National Assembly.

Executive Branch

Executive power is exercised by the government. Cuba is led by President Fidel Castro, who has been Chief of State, Head of Government, Prime Minister, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC), and Commander in Chief of the armed forces. The Ministry of Interior is the principal organ of state security and control.

According to the Cuban Constitution Article 94, the First Vice President of the Council of State assumes presidential duties upon the illness or death of the president. On July 31, 2006, during the 2006 Cuban transfer of duties, Fidel Castro delegated his duties as President of the Council of state, first secretary of the Cuban Communist Party and the post of commander in chief of the armed forces to his younger brother, First Vice President Raúl Castro. This transfer of duties has been described as temporary while Fidel recovers from surgery he underwent due to an 'acute intestinal crisis with sustained bleeding'. Raul Castro was officially designated Fidel's successor at a Communist Party congress in October 1997.

Legislative Branch

Cuba has an elected national legislature, the National Assembly of People's Power (Asamblea Nacional de Poder Popular), which has 609 members, elected every five years and holds brief sessions to ratify decisions by executive branch. The National Assembly convenes twice a year in ordinary periods of sessions. It has, though, permanent commissions to look after issues of legislative interest. Among its permanent or temporary commissions are those in charge of issues concerning the economy, the sugar industry, food production, industries, transportation and communications, constructions, foreign affairs, public health, defence and interior order. The National Assembly also has permanent departments that oversee the work of the Commissions, Local Assemblies of the People's Power, International Relations, Judicial Affairs and the Administration.

Article #88(h) of the Constitution of Cuba, adopted in 1976, provides for citizen proposals of law, prerequisite that the proposal be made by at least 10,000 citizens who are eligible to vote. In 2002, supporters of a movement known as the Varela Project submitted a citizen proposal of law with 11,000 signatures calling for a national referendum on political and economic reforms. The Government response was to collect 8.1 million signatures to request that Cuba's National Assembly make the Socialist Constitution untouchable. Critics argue that the alleged signatures of 99.5 percent of Cuba's eligible voters were collected by Castro's neighbourhood watch committees, whose evaluations of each citizen's political behaviour can make or break people's lives in a country where the government controls virtually all jobs.

Judiciary Branch

Although the constitution theoretically provides for independent courts, it explicitly subordinates them to the National Assembly and to the Council of State. The People's Supreme Court is the highest judicial body. The constitution states that all legally recognised civil liberties can be denied to anyone who opposes the "decision of the Cuban people to build socialism".

Cuban courts are organised into three tiers that match the governmental divisions (national or Supreme Court, provincial, and municipal). Most civil and criminal cases tried at the municipal and provincial levels are adjudicated by a panel of two lay judges and one professional judge. Cases that involve a potential sentence longer than eight years or complex civil law issues are heard, at the provincial or supreme level, by a panel of three professional judges and two lay judges. Both professional and lay judges are elected to their positions by the legislative assembly.

Committees for the Defense of the Revolution

The Committees for the Defense of the Revolution are a network of neighbourhood organisations across Cuba and most Cubans are members. The organisations are designed to put medical, educational or other campaigns into national effect, and to report 'counter-revolutionary' activity. The CDR officials have the duty to know the activities of each person in their respective blocks. There is an individual file kept on each block resident, some of which reveal the internal dynamics of households. Citizens must be careful of their actions and of what they say, as they are being constantly monitored.

Cuba and Democracy

Since the time Fidel Castro came to power, the Cuban Government has been condemned by certain Cuban groups, some international groups, and foreign governments for engaging in activities labelled undemocratic. The United States Government has initiated various policy measures; these have been ostensibly designed to encourage Cuba to undertake political change towards a multi-party electoral process. These plans have been condemned by the Cuban Government, who accuse the United States of meddling in Cuba's affairs. The distinct nature of political participation in Cuba has also fostered discussion amongst political writers and philosophers. Varied conclusions have been drawn, some of these have led to Cuba being described as a dictatorship, a totalitarian state, a grassroots democracy, a centralised democracy or a revolutionary democracy, but not a liberal democracy.

Human Rights

The Cuban government has been accused of numerous human rights abuses, including torture, arbitrary imprisonment, unfair trials, and extra-judicial executions. Dissidents complain of harassment and torture. While the Cuban government placed a moratorium on capital punishment in 2001, it made an exception for perpetrators of an armed hijacking 2 years later. Groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have issued reports on Cuban prisoners of conscience. Opponents claim the Cuban government represses free expression by limiting access to the Internet. The Cuban government denies the International Committee of the Red Cross access to its prisons and many human rights groups including Amnesty International are denied entry to Cuba. The United States is also accused of human rights violations in Cuban territory, in Guantánamo Bay.

Military

Under Fidel Castro, Cuba became a highly militarised society. From 1975 until the late 1980s, massive Soviet military assistance enabled Cuba to upgrade its military capabilities. Since the loss of Soviet subsidies Cuba has dramatically scaled down the numbers of military personnel, from 235,000 in 1994 to about 60,000 in 2003. The government now spends roughly 1.8% of GDP on military expenditures. The present Minister for the Revolutionary Armed Forces (FAR) is Raúl Castro, Fidel Castro's brother, who had played a major part as a leader in the Cuban Revolution.

Foreign Relations

Cuba's foreign policy has been scaled back and redirected as a result of economic hardship and the end of the Cold War. Cuba was comparatively isolated in the 1990s, but has since entered bilateral co-operation with several South American countries, most notably Venezuela and Bolivia. Although relations with the neighbouring United States have not improved significantly since the 1980s, Cuba has developed a growing relationship with China and retains varying diplomatic ties with the European Union. In all, Cuba continues to have formal relations with 160 nations, and claims to provide civilian assistance workers - principally medical - in more than 20 nations.

Cuba is currently an elected member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, is a founding member of the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas, a member of the Latin American Integration Association and the United Nations. Cuba is a member of the Non-Aligned Movement and hosted the last summit in September 2006. In addition as a member of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS), Cuba was re-appointed as the chair- of the special committee on transportation issues for the Caribbean region. Following a meeting in November, 2004 attempts have also been made several leaders of South America to make Cuba either a full or associate member of the South American trade-bloc known as Mercosur.