HAVANA, CUBA.- Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez was nominated by the National People´s Power Assembly (parliament) to be the new President of Cuba for a five-year period.
Diaz-Canel, a 58 years old engineer, has been the First Vice-President of Cuba since 2013. He is a member of the Politburo of the Cuban Communist Party. Previously he was first secretary of the Party in the Villa Clara and Holguin provinces, and in 2009 was appointed by his predecessor, Army General Raul Castro, as Minister of Higher Education.
Salvador Valdes Mesa was nominated to take the position of First Vice-President. He was one of the five Cuban vice-presidents and before he was the Secretary General of the Cuban Workers Confederation (CTC) The five vice-presidents nominated were: Commander of the Revolution Ramiro Valdes, General Comptroller Gladys Bejerano, the President of the National Institute of Water Resources Ines Chapman, Minister of Public Health Roberto Morales and Beatriz Jhonson Urrutia, President of the People´s Power Assmbly in Santiago de Cuba.
The Assembly also elected nominated 23 member of the Council of State. The most significant facts of this new body is that 45 percent of the nominees are women, including Olympic champion in hammer Yipsi Moreno.
NOMINATIONS FOR THE COUNCIL OF STATE OF THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA ANNOUNCED
Miguel Mario Díaz Canel Bermúdez, nominated for President of the Council of State of Cuba
Age: 57
Education: University
Occupation: Member of the Communist Party of Cuba Political Bureau and First Vice President of the Councils of State and Ministers of Cuba
Organizations to which he is affiliated: PCC, CDR
Díaz Canelhas held positions in the FEEM and FEU.
Salvador Valdés Mesa, nominated for First Vice President
Age: 72
Education: University
Occupation: Party Political Bureau member, Council of State Vice President.
Organizations to which he is affiliated: PCC, CTC, CDR
Valdés Mesa has held a range of positions in local People’s Power bodies, the Communist Party of Cuba, Cuban Workers Federation (CTC), where he served as second secretary; he was also Secretary General of the National Agricultural and Forestry Workers Trade Union, Minister of Labor and Social Security and First Secretary of the Party Provincial Committee in Camagüey.
Ramiro Valdés Menéndez, nominated for Vice President
Age: 85
Education: University
Occupation: Comandante of the Revolution, member of the Party Political Bureau and a vice president of the Councils of State and Ministers
Organizations to which he is affiliated: PCC, CDR, ACRC
Valdés Menéndez participated in the attack on the Moncada garrison, Granma expedition, and fought in, and was promoted to commander of the Rebel Army. After the triumph of the Revolution he served as second-in-command at La Cabaña headquarters, military commander of the central region, and head of State Security bodies. He has occupied the roles of Minister of the Interior, first deputy minister of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, assistant to the Comandante en Jefe, deputy prime minister of Construction, minister of Computer Sciences and Communications, and a vice president of the Councils of State and Ministers. Valdés Menéndez is also a founding member of the Party Central Committee and its Political Bureau. He has carried out important responsibilities of an official, political and economic nature, such as the search for, and return to Cuba of the remains of Che and his compañeros in Bolivia. Valdés Menéndez is a decorated Hero of the Republic of Cuba.
Roberto Tomás Morales Ojeda, nominated for Vice president
Age: 50
Education: University
Occupation: A member of the Party Political Bureau and Minister of Public Health.
Organizations to which he is affiliated: PCC, CTC, CDR
Morales Ojeda is a doctor with a Masters Degree in Public Health. He began working at the Rodas polyclinic, before serving as municipal health director in Rodas and Cienfuegos, as well as first deputy minister of Health. He has also held various positions within the Party such as first secretary of the organization’s Provincial Committee in Cienfuegos and is a member of the Central Committee Secretariat.
Gladys María Bejerano Portela, nominated for Vice president
Age: 71
Education: University
Occupation: Comptroller General of the Republic of Cuba
Organizations to which she is affiliated: PCC, CTC, CDR, FMC
Bejerano Portela has been a member of the PCC’s professional cadres for over 30 years, from a municipal level to within its national management bodies. She has served as a representative on the Council of Ministers Executive Committee; as well as minister and deputy minister of Auditing and Control. Bejerano Portela was appointed Comptroller General and a vice president of the Council of State.
Inés María Chapman, nominated for Vice president
Age: 52
Education: University
Occupation: President of the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources
Organizations to which she is affiliated: PCC, CTC, CDR, FMC
Chapman has held various responsibilities within the FEEM, FEU and UJC. She occupied different positions within the Hydro-economy Enterprise in Holguín, before moving on to the Investments and Projects Entity. She served as assistant director of the Hydraulic Exploitation Enterprise and Provincial delegate of the National Institute of Hydraulic Resources. Chapman is also a member of the Party Central Committee and Council of State.
Beatriz Jhonson, nominated for Vice president
Age: 48
Education: Further education
Occupation: President of the Provincial Assembly of People’s Power
Organizations to which she is affiliated: PCC, CDR, FMC, CTC
Jhonson is a trained chemical engineer and worked at the José Mercerón Cement Enterprise where she was promoted to Director General of Cement Santiago S.A. Later she was appointed Vice President then President of the Provincial Assembly of People’s Power in Santiago de Cuba.