Gov't, Marriage, with More Proposals in Cuban Popular Consultation

The Secretary of the Council of State of Cuba, Homero Acosta, confirmed that the issues of marriage and the figure of the President are among the sections with the most proposals in the current constitutional process of the island.

During his speech on the television program Hacemos Cuba, Acosta stressed that the new structure of provincial government and legal attention also receive numerous suggestions in the debates of the Magna Carta draft.

He affirmed that more than seven million Cubans have already participated in the consultation process that began on August 13 and will end on November 15.

The popular attendance was counted in 111,872 meetings organized in labor centers, communities, diplomatic missions and collaborations in other countries, he said.

Among the most debated issues, he mentioned paragraph 192 of article 68 on the new conception of marriage to the union voluntarily arranged between two persons with legal capacity to do so.

In addition, paragraph 403 of article 121 that limits the mandate of the President of the Republic to two consecutive periods, after which he cannot perform it again.

Attached to the previous one, paragraph 405 of article 122, which requires up to sixty years of age to be elected to this position in a first period; and paragraph 401 of article 121, which makes the deputies of the National Assembly of People's Power (Parliament), representative body of the interests of the people, responsible for the election of the president of the Republic.

Also, paragraph 566, article 165 on the provincial government and the designation of the provincial governor by the president of the country, as reflected in paragraph 572 of article 170.

He recalled that the opinions of the residents abroad have been taken into account, a distinctive aspect of the previous process.

The secretary of the Council of State stressed that it is a unique exercise, not only for Cuba but also in the world because a change is being proposed with the direct participation of a people in the construction of a constitutional text.

Although he praised the willingness of the people to provide criteria for the future of the nation, he warned that there should be a qualitative analysis in this process.

'Everything that contributes, that makes it better is valid and that is the most important thing,' Homero Acosta said.