tional Assembly; election last held 24
February 1998 (next to be held in 2003) election results: Fidel CASTRO
Ruz elected president; percent of legislative vote - 100%; Raul CASTRO
Ruz elected vice president; percent of legislative vote - 100% cabinet:
Council of Ministers proposed by the president of the Council of State,
appointed by the National Assembly; note - there is also a Council
of State whose members are elected by the National Assembly head of
government: President of the Council of State and President of the Council
of Ministers Fidel CASTRO Ruz (prime minister from February 1959 until 24
February 1976 when office was abolished; president since 2 December 1976);
First Vice President of the Council of State and First Vice President of
the Council of Ministers Gen. Raul CASTRO Ruz (since 2 December 1976);
note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government

Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly of People's Power or
Asemblea Nacional del Poder Popular (601 seats, elected directly from
slates approved by special candidacy commissions; members serve five-year
terms) elections: percent of vote - PCC 94.39%; seats - PCC 601

Judicial branch: People's Supreme Court or Tribunal Supremo Popular
(president, vice president, and other judges are elected by the National
Assembly)

Political parties and leaders: only party - Cuban Communist Party or PCC
[Fidel CASTRO Ruz, first secretary]

Political pressure groups and leaders: NA

International organization participation: CCC, ECLAC, FAO, G-77,
IAEA, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IFAD, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, LAES, LAIA, NAM, OAS (excluded from formal
participation since 1962), OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU,
WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US: none; note - Cuba has an Interests
Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer Dagoberto
RODRIGUEZ Barrera (since August 2001); address: Cuban Interests Section,
Swiss Embassy, 2630 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone:
[1] (202) 797-8518

Diplomatic representation from the US: none; note - the US has an
Interests Section in the Swiss Embassy, headed by Principal Officer
Vicki HUDDLESTON; address: USINT, Swiss Embassy, Calzada between L and
M Streets, Vedado Seccion, Havana; telephone: protecting power in Cuba
is Switzerland

Flag description: five equal horizontal bands of blue (to