The Cuban National Assembly has approved the draft of a new constitution. 583 of the 602 deputies had voted in favor of the draft, reported the newspaper of the communist ruling party „Granma“ yesterday. The missing 19 votes were from absent parliamentarians.
Next, the inhabitants of the Caribbean island will vote in a referendum on the constitutional amendment. This should take place according to the newspaper on 24 February.
Also right to private property enshrined
Cuba had presented the first draft of the new constitution in July, then the public in open forums to give their opinion. Important changes listed in the first draft were changed again shortly before the vote in the National Assembly. Thus, a clause on the possibility of same-sex marriage was removed. A more precise definition of marriage is waived.
The wording of the leadership of the Communist Party, which was deleted from the original text, has been re-established. The new draft constitution also enshrines the right to private property. It is about the cautious opening of the centrally controlled state economy. It enabled many Cubans to build small private service companies and restaurants.
In addition, a division of political power between the head of state and a head of government is provided. For this purpose, the office of Prime Minister is to be created, as it existed before the current constitution from 1976.
