Raul Castro Elected First Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party

[News_Editor]

Raul Castro Elected First Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party

2011-04-20 05:51:01 GMT+7 (ICT)

HAVANA, CUBA (BNO NEWS) -- Cuba's President Raul Castro on Tuesday was elected as the First Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party (PCC), the state-run Cuban News Agency (ACN) reported.

The announcement came during the closing session of the Sixth Cuban Communist Party Congress at Havana's Convention Center. Former president and leader of the Cuban Revolution, Fidel Castro, attended the meeting.

"I accept this task with firm conviction and compromise. I am honored to be the First Secretary of the Cuban Communist Party, with the mission of defending, preserving and continue improving Socialism," said President Castro.

The congress ended after three days of intense debates that culminated with the voting for electing the 115 members of the party's Central Committee. In addition, 313 guidelines of PCC's Economic and Social Policy were approved.

The delegates to the Sixth Congress analyzed more than 780,000 recommendations made by the Cuban people in recent months during nationwide discussions of the Draft Guidelines.

After the revision, two guidelines were added and 86 modified. The most changes were introduced in relation to social policies, strategies in the energy and industrial fields, and the agro-industrial sector.

The new Politburo was presented during Tuesday's session as well. The new body was reduced in members from 24 to 15 and is led by the newly-elected PCC's First Secretary, President Castro and includes high-profiled officials.

"Cuba has the conditions to transform its economic model and emerge from the financial crisis, without social impacts, due to the strength and readiness of its people as well as the fairness of the Cuban cause," concluded Castro.

PCC's Second Secretary Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, who was also elected this day, announced that a National Conference will be held in January 2012 to review the progress of the agreements reached during the Sixth Congress.

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