Cuba's Draft Constitution Omits the Aim of Building Communism
By Al Jazeera
23 July 18
A draft of Cuba's new constitution recognises private property and opens the
door to gay marriage.
Adraft of Cuba's new constitution omits the aim of building communism,
although it keeps the Communist Party as the guiding force of the one-party
system, as well as recognising private property and opening the door to gay
marriage.
Cuba's national assembly in the capital, Havana, is debating this weekend a
draft of the document to replace its current constitution, reflecting
political, social and economic changes.
Once lawmakers have approved the draft, it will be submitted to a popular
consultation. The final document, which could include changes, will then be
put to a national referendum.
The current draft omits a clause in the 1976 constitution on the ultimate
aim of building a "communist society", instead simply focusing on socialism.
"This does not mean we are renouncing our ideas," Esteban Lazo, president of
the National Assembly, was quoted as saying by state-run media.
Cuba had simply moved into a different era following the fall of the Soviet
Union, he added.
Carlos Alzugaray, former Cuba ambassador to the European Union and professor
at the University of Havana, described the developments as "a positive
step".
"Change is important on everything that refers to the Cuban constitutional
order ... but now we will need a broad legislative agenda, so these laws
are properly executed," he told Al Jazeera from the Cuban capital..
"We will have to see what comes out of all this discussion."
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The draft also appears to strengthen political institutions and create a
more collective leadership structure, after nearly 60 years of rule by late
revolutionary leader Fidel Castro and his younger brother, Raul.
Raul Castro was replaced by Miguel Diaz-Canel in April, although he remains
head of the Communist Party until 2021. He also heads the constitutional
reform commission.
Under the proposed constitution, the president will no longer be the head of
the council of state and council of ministers.
Instead, it creates the position of prime minister and designates the
president of the assembly also as head of the council of state, Cuba's
highest executive body.
One of the other top items at Saturday's assembly was the recognition in the
draft constitution of marriage as between two individuals rather than a man
and a wife.
"We are not the first, nor would we be the vanguard in this matter ... there
are around 24 countries that have this concept incorporated, we could not
turn our back on this issue when preparing a new constitutional project,"
said Homero Acosta, the secretary of the council of state.
'Continuity and change'
The draft also sets an age and term limits for presidents, stating they must
be under 60 when they first take office and can carry out no more than two
consecutive five-year terms.
"We are experiencing a process of continuity and change," Alzugaray, the
professor in Havana, said.
"Cuba will maintain its fundamental principles, those that were established
after the revolution, but at the same time, a change is taking place.
"Also, the way this has been handled has been extremely democratic. We are
watching live the debate in the National Assembly, we are listening to all
the deputies as they explain their reasons, and the document will be
transferred to the citizens, so they can discuss it.
"This a process of democratic deliberation that is rare in the world," he
added.
Reflecting the gradual generational transition in Cuba's leadership,
Diaz-Canel named his cabinet at the start of the assembly meeting on
Saturday, promoting two officials in their 50s to become vice presidents
alongside two sitting octogenarians and a septuagenarian.
The new president kept a majority of ministers from Castro, including in the
key posts of defence, interior, trade and foreign relations, in line with
his April promise to provide continuity.
Marino Murillo, the head of the Communist Party's reform commission and
previously one of the council of ministers' vice presidents, was the only
top figure omitted from the new line-up.
Under Castro, Murillo spearheaded changes to the state-run economy and he
remains head of the Party's reform commission and a member of the political
bureau.
The reforms have slowed however in recent years amid fears they have allowed
some Cubans to enrich themselves, fostering inequality, and weakened the
control of the state.
This month, Cuba issued regulations tightening control of the private sector
and limiting business licenses to one per person.
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