New Cuban Parliament Diverse

[Mika]

New Cuban Parliament Diverse
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0801/S00202.htm

Havana, Jan 22 (Prensa Latina) Diverse sectors of Cuban society, age and racial groups are represented in the National People"s Power Assembly after 614 deputies were elected Sunday.

Cuban First Vice President Raul Castro recently announced that the new assembly will meet on February 24 when the legislators will elect the State Council, composed of a president, a first vice president, five vice presidents, a secretary, and 23 other members, according to article 74 of the Cuban Constitution.

Data provided by the National Electoral Commission revealed that 481 deputies, 78.34 percent of the total, are university graduates and 127, or 20.68 percent, are high school graduates.

Among them are engineers of diverse scientific branches, teachers, economists, lawyers, doctors, and social researchers.

The professional training of the National Assembly will be of great help in the work of the ten permanent working commissions of that authority.

Other official data show that 390 deputies (63.52 percent), did not occupy a seat in the Sixth Legislature from 2003-2008, which had 609 members, 224 (36.48 percent) of whom were reelected.

The data also reveals that 374 deputies (60.91) were born after the triumph of the Revolution on January 1, 1959, when 134 of them (21.82 percent) were children under 10, and 106 (17.26 percent) knew capitalism in Cuba.

Women in the National Assembly have increased their presence to 43.16 percent, with 265 deputies.

Racially, the new assembly has 395 white, 118 black and 101 mixed-race people.

After voting in the general elections on Sunday, Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage said the National Assembly represents the values and virtues of the Cuban people.

The same day, Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque asserted that the new legislature will have to be loyal to the people, and work to strengthen the Revolution and socialism in Cuba.

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[Judi Lynn]

1. Interesting to note that it's a young group, and it doesn't appear they go in for lifetime careers,

obviously, like our own special-interest Congresscritters who usually only represent the people who will do them some good at election time.

Almost 61% born after the Revolution, in 1959. Fascinating.

Thanks a lot for posting this.