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[Judi Lynn]

Last update:Saturday, March 13th, 2010 - 05:58 GMT
Cuban dissidents campaign

Fernando Ravsberg

Havana

Sectors of the Cuban dissidents have launched a new road trying to win social power in order to be elected People's Power, governance ranging from municipalities to the parliament and the presidency of the republic itself.

Over the past months have made campaign in order to run for district delegates, a sort of municipal councilor in charge of solving community problems. They are also potential candidates for deputies.

Silvio Benitez, president of the Liberal Party, appeared in 47 of Punta Brava district on the outskirts of Havana. BBC World was present during the meeting that brought together about 120 residents, who must decide between a dissident and a candidate of the Communist Party.

Although we were assured that there were meetings to nominate other pressures against dissidents that occurred, this time everything went normally. There were questions but no attacks or insults.

Work towards the people
"We are part of the Platform for Candidates. We conducted a mass action across the country running for elected as delegates, "explained Silvio Benitez added:" It is the best way to show that we support in the population. "

"This is a great workout and hopefully desentumezca opposition and civic consciousness that we take from the base to win voters. It is time we stopped working out and get busy working toward the people, "he says.

Silvio added that "it is possible to do so, we have to present all assemblies, to question the barbarities that are made, the farce, the non-responses to the people, force them to account, stripping the lies and manipulation of government."

"This proposal will continue gaining acceptance, but start from the base", explains and recognizes that "dissident organizations in Cuba are small, so it is necessary to arrive at ordinary Cuban who is going to vote you .

Assembly calm
We came to the Assembly a few minutes before the start and hopefully sitting on a bench in the park in front. We wanted our presence did not adversely affect the environment even as we get the camera to not stand out.

As we approached we saw Silvio Guayabera with gray standing in the front row. He sang the national anthem and read an article in the official newspaper, Granma, which focuses on the qualities that you must have a delegate.

The only forces we saw was a repressive police stopped a few meters from the meeting stopping cars trying to cross the street. The dissidents assured us that nearby there were more police officers, but never saw them.

When we entered the meeting just looked at us with curiosity, we were a couple of strangers. But nobody questioned by us stand there, not even detect looks sullen, aggressive comments or anything like that.

Winning the abstention
When it came time to nominate candidates, two persons proposed to continue the current delegate, a doctor, member of the Communist Party and head of regional public health. The other was raising his hand Silvio proposed car, which is totally legal.

Among the prevailing views, an old man questioned the nomination of the maverick because, he said, has the qualities described in Granma. However, ignoring a veto proposed, the assembly president Silvio took the name of a vote.

Finally the result, according to our accounts, was 50 votes for the candidate of the Communist Party, 14 for Silvio and some 50 abstentions. The latter is an extremely large figure for the political reality in Cuba.

The dissidents are betting on a job "house to house, like the Jehovah's Witnesses" explains Silvio and concludes that the remaining task of dissent is to support all those people who no longer vote for the government proposal.