Council of State of Cuba

The Council of State of Cuba, or Consejo de Estado, is the permanent institutional organ of the National Assembly of People's Power. Its principal purpose is to maintain continuity in the work of Cuba's legislature when the National Assembly is not sitting. The Assembly generally meets for only limited periods during the year, so the Council of State is empowered to exercise most legislative authority between sessions, subject to subsequent approval by the full Assembly. It can also call the National Assembly into session outside its regularly scheduled meetings. The Council is not a commercial brand or an independent company. It is a constitutional state institution within Cuba's political and legislative system. Its membership is drawn from the National Assembly rather than selected through a separate nationwide popular election. The body traditionally consists of a president, a secretary, a first vice president, five vice presidents, and 27 other members. The senior officeholders of the Council also serve as members of the Council of Ministers, linking the legislature's permanent organ with the national executive apparatus. The institution's role changed significantly under Cuba's 2019 Constitution. Before the constitutional restructuring, the president of the Council of State also occupied the country's principal head-of-state position. The 2019 constitutional framework restored the separate office of President of the Republic and assigned the presidency of the Council of State to the president of the National Assembly. This change separated the formal head-of-state function from the permanent legislative organ while retaining the Council's role between Assembly sessions. The Council of State operates within Cuba's centralized system of government and should be understood as a standing legislative body rather than as a political party, consumer-facing organization, or business enterprise. Its powers are exercised in the name of the National Assembly and remain subject to the Assembly's authority. Assessments of the institution have also raised questions about the competitiveness of the electoral process through which its members are selected; a 2021 academic study reported that many Council members might not have retained their seats under competitive elections. Current officeholders, detailed membership rosters, and operational information are not established by the supplied reference material.

The Council of State is the permanent organ of Cuba's National Assembly of People's Power. It exists to ensure that the legislature can continue to perform core functions during the periods when the National Assembly is not in session. Because the Assembly meets for only a few days in each year, the Council serves as the standing institutional mechanism for legislative activity and national-level parliamentary continuity. Its authority includes exercising most legislative powers between sessions of the National Assembly, although those actions remain subject to approval by the Assembly. The Council also has the power to convene the National Assembly between its scheduled sessions when circumstances require an additional meeting. This arrangement places the Council in an intermediate position: it is more active than a conventional parliamentary committee, but it does not replace the National Assembly, which remains the supreme legislative institution within the constitutional structure. The Council's membership is composed of members of the National Assembly. Its traditional structure includes a president, a secretary, a first vice president, five vice presidents, and 27 additional members. The president, secretary, first vice president, and five vice presidents also sit on the Council of Ministers. This overlap connects the permanent legislative organ with the executive council responsible for national administration and reflects the integrated character of Cuba's state institutions. A major institutional transition occurred with Cuba's 2019 Constitution. Previously, the president of the Council of State also held the principal head-of-state role. The constitutional changes restored a distinct office of President of the Republic and transferred the head-of-state functions away from the Council of State. At the same time, the presidency of the Council became attached to the presidency of the National Assembly. The reform therefore clarified the distinction between the country's head of state and the body responsible for maintaining legislative operations between Assembly sessions. The Council's political legitimacy and representativeness have been discussed in academic analysis of Cuba's electoral system. The supplied reference material notes a 2021 study suggesting that most Council members could have lost their positions in competitive elections. This observation concerns the broader conditions under which representatives are selected rather than a specific commercial or organizational scandal. The Council of State should not be confused with Cuba's Council of Ministers, the National Assembly of People's Power, or the restored presidency of the Republic. It is a distinct permanent organ of the Assembly, with delegated legislative and convening functions. The supplied sources do not establish a founding date, a complete historical list of officeholders, a current membership roster, or a detailed account of its day-to-day proceedings.

• 2021

  Academic assessment of electoral competitiveness

  [1]Council of State (Cuba)en.wikipedia.org

  A study cited in the reference material assessed the representativeness of Council membership and suggested that most members might have been defeated under competitive electoral conditions.

• 2019

  Constitutional restructuring of state offices

  [1]Council of State (Cuba)en.wikipedia.org

  Cuba's 2019 Constitution restored the office of President of the Republic and assigned the presidency of the Council of State to the president of the National Assembly, separating the Council's permanent legislative role from the head-of-state function.

• 2018

  Eighth Council of State period

  [1]Council of State (Cuba)en.wikipedia.org

  The reference material identifies the Council of State serving during 2018–2019 as the eighth Council of State.

A permanent constitutional legislative organ that provides continuity between sessions of Cuba's National Assembly of People's Power.

• 2019

  Separation of Council leadership from the presidency of the RepublicStrategy

  Background

  The prior constitutional arrangement combined the presidency of the Council of State with Cuba's principal head-of-state role. The 2019 Constitution reorganized the offices of state.

  Action taken

  The constitutional framework restored the office of President of the Republic and made the president of the National Assembly the president of the Council of State.

  Aftermath

  The reform separated formal head-of-state duties from the Council's function as the permanent organ of the National Assembly while preserving its authority between Assembly sessions.

  Source

1. 1Council of State (Cuba)en.wikipedia.org
2. 2Government of Cubacubagob.cu