The exercise of democracy in Cuba is not restricted only to election time. Between elections, every elected delegate is continually held accountable for his or her actions. He or she may be recalled at any time by his or her constituents. As well, each delegate to the Provincial and National Assemblies is accountable to the Municipal Assembly where he or she was elected. And each delegate to the Municipal Assemblies, in turn, meets twice yearly with his or her constituents in small public meetings known as accountability meetings.
Arnold August, in his book, Democracy in Cuba, describes several such meetings which he attended. According to him, "The accountability meetings last for two or three hours and are inevitably characterized by very vigorous debates." (p. 380) In the meetings he attended, topics for discussion included: the U.S. blockade, the state of disrepair of apartment buildings, the prices of meals at work sites, a new dental service at a local clinic, report on a new neighbourhood garden for medicinal plants, energy conservation measures, complaints about the lack of some medicines, complaints about the indifferent attitude of some local health care workers, problems with young people, allocation of playground space and complaints about noise. Resolutions were passed at these meetings to deal with many of the problems presented and to follow up at a later date. August concludes that,
. . . the accountability gatherings are not an occasion to lambaste the delegates and blame them for all the problems existing in society. By the same token, these meetings are not used as levers to whitewash the delegates and clear them of their duty to the citizens who voted them in as their elected representatives. The goal of accountability is to create a forum in which the actors on the Cuban economic, political and socio-cultural scenes at all levels work collectively to solve the problems of which the citizens put on the agenda. (p. 402)
Delegates to the Municipal Assemblies must also establish a day in the week and a place where he or she can meet constituents on an individual basis to hear their concerns or opinions.