IDENTIDADES 1 ENGLISH IDENTIDADES 7 ENGLISH | Page 140

structure civil society’s organizations so
they can channel individual desires, posit
alternatives, and formalize citizens’
preferences. An autonomous civil society zealous about its interests needs nontraditional, participatory mechanisms to
be created so that citizens can participate
directly in public affairs in a way that is
totally transparent. Just one party facing
no competition and perpetuated by governmental power for more than half a
century is the clearest expression of an
undemocratic system. It is about time to
replace it for the good of the nation and
its citizens. The political system needs to
open up to multiple parties and allow the
coexistence of other movements, even if
they don’t espouse the same ideology.
This would allow freedom of expression
and association, as well as respect for
fundamental, individual rights, and the
rights of minorities. Oppositionist political parties like the Progressive Arc Party, Cuban Liberal Solidarity Party
(PSLC), Cuban Liberal Party (PLC) and
others could play an essential role in a
democratic system, not only representing
citizens’ aspirations and reflecting social
dissent, but also structuring agendas to
shape politics using citizens’ programmatic aspirations and the State’s institutionalized spheres. Seeking out citizens
and work in our communities is a priority for oppositionist parties, movements,
groups and independent projects. The
result is a greater acceptance and acknowledgment on the part of citizens,
who are becoming politically and socially empowered, considering the considerable increase of their activists and their

partisans. The Nuevo País Women’s
Platform (PFNP), Center for Leadership
and Development (CELIDE), and Nuevo
País Project, which are demanding citizen participation, are not lagging behind.
They want citizens to participate in a
broad range of civic responsibilities that
will directly or indirectly empower the
civility of a new democratic regime. The
establishment