IDENTIDADES 1 ENGLISH IDENTIDADES 7 ENGLISH | Page 139
Independent Civil Society,
Political Parties, and Citizen
Participation
Eroisis González Suárez
Nuevo País Women’s Platform
Havana, Cuba
D
emocracy is the ideal tool for
governability; it is the system
that allows people to freely
arrive at fundamental agreements among
political and social actors. Thus, it facilitates the formulation of a shared national
project and makes possible a harmonious
relationship between growth and development, as well the solution to conflicts
via dialogue and negotiation, with legitimate procedures according to the legal
norms of a State of Law. The number of
democratic political organizations is ever
increasing in Cuba and many more than
a few combine efforts to peacefully
achieve the establishment of a democratic and free system. It is worth our time to
reflect on the most viable strategies to
achieve the opening up and strengthening of lasting, democratic institutions.
The challenge is not only to implement a
political system with free elections, civil
rights, guarantees for expression and
reunion, as well as an independent judiciary. There must also be functional political institutions in the midst of natural
divisions common to any society that
have to peacefully resolved creating
public policies that express the needs of
the nation and its citizens. In Cuba, the
members of the governing elite that controls authoritarian system is made up by
people who watch out only for their own
interests. Thus, they threaten, repress,
and harass anyone who is not mindful of
its dictatorial caprices, and make life
unbearable. The deteriorated economy
makes the situation even worse. We
must make a democracy that regulates
political conflict in an orderly manner a
reality. This requires clear rules that are
clear and in accordance with the will of
citizens. Access to power is controlled
by the governing elite, which leads to the
need for a system of representation that
offers guarantees of legitimate participation, and permits the articulation of social interests in order to for them to be
considered and decided upon. Independent civil society is developing rapidly, and is a determining factor in the
search for freedoms and rights. We must
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