Cuba continues to discuss economic reforms

First round of elections held for Cuba's sixth party congress

Morning Star

Tuesday 11 January 2011

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Cuba's governing Communist Party (CCP) has started to elect pre-delegates to its sixth party congress.

On Monday Cuban First Vice-President of the Council of State Jose Machado expressed hope that party members with economic expertise will be picked.

He said they could "help with their work experience" in discussions on streamlining the country's socialist economic model.

The April congress is expected to pass a series of reforms laid out in a set of draft guidelines on economic and social policy, which are currently being discussed by the 850,000 cadres of the CCP and the public in mass meetings at workplaces and in neighbourhoods.

Delegates will be elected next month from the pool of pre-delegates.

A report in Cuban state media today noted that the congress coincides with the 50th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs invasion.