• Submitted by: manso
• Society
• 12 / 16 / 2010

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For the first time in years, foreign correspondents are not allowed to see the sessions of the national parliament, foreign journalists in Havana say.

The December session of the Asamblea del Poder Popular, which is scheduled to start Wednesday, will discuss the outline of economic reform produced by the Communist Party ahead of a big rank-and-file congress slated for late April.

While foreign journalists didn’t always have access to the summer session of the parliament, access to the winter session in December had been a long-standing tradition. The economic plan and budget for the next year are presented during the December session.

Instead of several days of committee sessions, the committees will meet only during one day, to listen to Economy Minister Mariano Murillo. In contrast, there will be several days of plenary sessions, apparently to discuss the reform outline.

State television will transmit a summary of the plenary sessions.

Source: /www.cubastandard.com/2010/12/14/no-access-to-parliament-sessions-for-foreign-correspondents/