Although several months have passed, I could not forget the face and the request of this man, who, by all means, wanted to find a resident deputy in his city, a woman with a famous career, elected as a member of parliament.
“I have to see her. I have a proposal for you about prices that affect many people,” said the citizen, who showed a handwritten manuscript with a detailed reasoning, “to bring it up in the National Assembly.”
Many looked at this man with astonishment, probably because although deputies constitutionally represent the people, it is not customary for people to seek them out to recommend a matter or demand an account of their administration.
He eventually found her, but I’m not sure if she made any proposal in parliament, although she could have “ventilated” it with someone from the “first level”, as they say.
This anecdote now pops up in my memory as a result of the trips of candidates for deputies to communicate and exchange criteria with their potential voters in the run-up to the March 26 national elections.
These are much-needed dialogues in which future members of the National Assembly learn, look at and take the criteria that should ensure that discussions in plenary sessions end with the expression of the aspirations, ideals and wishes of the majority.
This episode at the beginning summarizes part of what Cuban democracy should be: the ability for any citizen to contact a parliamentary representative so that the “people’s problem” is “exalted” and does not remain in the stratosphere.
And if I bring it to these rebellious pages, it is because I understand, like others who are much more aware, the need for elected representatives in our country after voting to have much more understanding with their constituents, which was dreamed of, but not always achieved. on practice.
As you know, half of the deputies are in the microdistrict itself, because they are deputies from constituencies. However, it is worth asking, for the sake of the democracy we need, how many times they are interrogated to talk about issues affecting ordinary people, or how many times they are asked for clarification about a law or measure that has been passed that has not been accepted by a large part of the population. .
Much more difficult is the task of deputies who do not live in the place where they were elected; but also must not forget those corners that are visited right now.
It should be the rule, not the exception, that people like the one at the beginning of these paragraphs look for a representative, find him, and end up with a serious and profound answer.
“Of course, a deputy must do everything possible for his country, wherever he is, he cannot become a sectarian, think only about his area; but a deputy must do all he can for his district, and when he can do nothing, talk to the electors as far as possible and explain to them what is being done and what is not being done, what can be done and what cannot be done. You constantly have to give explanations,” Fidel said on March 15, 1993, in a speech delivered at the final meeting of the constitution of the National Assembly at its 4th session. Legislature.
It is worth adding that the deputy must keep his feet firmly on the ground, and not “meet” just to mechanically raise his hand, this requires dissent when necessary, moving away from false unanimity, as Raul said many times. A deputy must feel and express himself in the same way as the people who delegated authority to him. The deputy must return as many times as necessary to the places he is now visiting in order to mingle with the people. MP must do.
Source: Juventud Rebelde