The Cuban Parliament approves the constitutional reform: 5 things that would change



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The Cuban deputies approved this Sunday, after two days of discussion, the 224 articles of the next Magna Carta, whose provisional text amends 113 articles, adds 87 and eliminates 11 compared to the current Constitution of 1976. [19659002] The constitutional text was approved unanimously at a regular session of the National Assembly. The project will now be the subject of a popular discussion from 13 to 15 November. Finally, a national referendum will take place before final approval.

"We are facing a project that will help, after the popular referendum and the referendum, to strengthen Cubans' unity around the revolution," he said. President Miguel Díaz-Canel, at the end of the two-day parliamentary session

The Cuban leader called for an "active and conscious" participation in this consultation, which he considers an act of " greater political relevance "and" a reflection Even more than the revolution is based on the most genuine democracy. "

In the preliminary draft of debate, there are significant changes in the economic sphere compared to the current text, such as the deletion of the term "communism" and the promotion of foreign investment.

This underlies the reforms implemented by Raúl Castro since 2006, which legalized out-of-state companies in certain sectors such as the hotel, transport and other services, and to which President Miguel Díaz-Canel gave continuity after taking power in April of this year.

More limited are the changes that the new Constitution will impose in the political sphere, where the "socialist character of the political and social system" under the command of the Communist Party of Cuba (only legal) as "superior leadership force."

These are the 5 main changes that the new Cuban Constitution would have and which delimit the government of President Miguel Diaz-Canel, first Cuban state leader born after the 1959 Revolution and not belonging to the Castro clan

Homobadual marriage

Article 68 of the constitutional draft establishes that it is permissible to sit

The current Constitution (1976) defines marriage as "the only way to be married". voluntary union between a man and a woman ", which the day of the approval of a modification of the family code that legalized the unions between people of the same bad, since this would have been unconstitutional.

See more: Cuba, Yes to Gay Marriage and Goodbye to Communism

of the State Council of the Island, Homero Acosta, explained to deputies today that the concept of marriage is changed so that now "it does not specify which bad are the people who would conform it."

"He does not say that he is" Acosta said on state television, which transmits an hour late debate in plenary session of the National Assembly (unicameral Parliament), to which The foreign press does not have access.

"With this proposal for a constitutional settlement, Cuba is among the vanguard countries, in the recognition and guarantee of human rights," said MP Mari. Ela Castro, daughter of former president Raúl Castro, one of the leading promoters of the LGTBI community rights recognition on the island.

Is communism over?

"Has the Cuban Socialist Model Changed Its Principles Have Not Changed The fundamental concepts of our socialism are here (…) The role of the Communist Party, of the economy State, socialist property is unchanged.But it takes a transformation, "said Homero Acosta, secretary of the State Council, explaining the proposed changes.

See more: Cuba eliminates the word communism from its new Constitution

The 1976 Constitution, which will be reformed, it states in its article 5 that the Communist Party of Cuba (CCP), the only party in power, " organizes and guides joint efforts towards the high goals of building socialism and advancing towards communist society ". However, in this new project, the section on "communist society" will be withdrawn.

"Of course, we have to make adjustments, and that's the result of this project, because society has changed and the economy has changed. this must be reflected in the constitution, "added Acosta, who was escorting Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel to the table from which the debate was taking place.

Private property

The regulation recognizes the market, the property The private sector and foreign investment as part of the country's economy being reformed almost ten years ago

"The recognition of private property is an opening to investment foreign but basically an internal ideological openness. tries to think that the Cuban economy is mixed, with possible integrations of different public and private sectors, "said Cuban political scientist Arturo López-Levy, professor at the University of Texas, told AFP -Ri. O Grande Valley

The economic reforms, which Raúl Castro began in 2008, aim to achieve an "independent, sovereign, socialist, democratic, prosperous and sustainable" model of country, according to his guidelines.

See more: Castrismo sin los Castro

Currently, private work, known in Cuba as "own account," accounts for 591,000 people and 13% of the country's economy. "You can not ignore the role of the (…) Private property, as a result of adjustments to our economic and social model, exists, "added Acosta, explaining that this could give way to the legal recognition of small and medium-sized enterprises. without giving up the "It's not wealth, which is related to prosperity, which must be limited, but concentration (of wealth)," he said. Therefore, the new laws will allow citizens to have a maximum of a license to open a business.

Promotion of Foreign Investment

The chronic poor health of the Cuban economy has worsened in the last two years due to the Venezuelan crisis, which has drastically reduced subsidized oil deliveries, and the hostile turn from Washington to Havana after the arrival of Donald Trump, which intensified the embargo that his country maintains on Cuba.

In Cuba, the term "reforms" refers to the openness measures promoted by Raúl Castro (2008-2018) to attract foreign investment and promote – albeit under strict control – the private sector to alleviate poverty. bulky state workers.

For the moderate leftist dissident Manuel Cuesta Morúa, the change of nomenclature "indicates a certain realism, a certain adaptation to what is happening in the world and in Cuba", without forgetting that the Communist Party continues the only legal one.

Prime Minister

The new Constitution will establish the personality of the President of the Republic – he is currently President of State Councils and Ministers – and the office of Prime Minister will emerge

See more: Miguel Díaz -Canel, the man of the post-Castro era

also limits the maximum age to apply for the presidency at 60, and leaves on paper that the presidential term is 5 years , with the right to immediate re-election. The predecessors of Diaz-Canel (58), Fidel and Raúl Castro, abandoned the octogenarian power

"In the context of the Latin American left, the limitation of the presidential term has implications when the radical leaders of Nicaragua, from Venezuela, and Bolivia opts for doubtful indefinite reelection, and in China, President Xi Jinping also tries to perpetuate itself, Cuba appears from this trend, "said López-Levy

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