New Constitutional Reformation in Cuba: Following Life

The people will have its saying in the coming constitutional reformation that looms ahead. Not just for the civic rights that benefit it, but because Cuba as it is today is not the same of ten years ago.

And that, of course should be evident in the so-call Magna Carta.

First will be the deputies to the National Assembly of People’s Power who you/they will have the chance to assess and propose approaches about the preliminary draft law of what will be the new Constitution of the Republic.

After that the people, in every last of the districts, workplaces, and educational centers will debate chapter after chapter what should remain or needs to be changed.

CubaSí presents today the approach of three university students from Law School who not only have the vision of the people, but also that of a professional.

"The Constitution should respond to the reality of a country therefore, the constitutional reformation is a common process, a matter of upgrading, that is, the true reality of a country should be reflected in its judicial reality", explained Alejandro Redondo, from Havana University.

Unaware of how deep the changes will be, the young man affirmed that if we take into account the upgrading process of the Cuban economic and social model. We can tell that the inclusion of private property will be among the modifications, which today is not included in the text.

Another matter, very discussed in the last years, is the issue of same-sex marriage. "Although the modification of the Family Code is a working process, there is a constitutional barrier that forbids the same-sex marriage; the current Constitution only rules marriage between a man and a woman.

"This is one of the matters I’d like to approach, keeping in mind that we live in a progressive nation. For society, this would strengthen the equality among all Cubans. That is we are all equals, before the law."

Alejandro highlighted his faith in the Commission in charge of writing this preliminary draft law (presided over by the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party, Army General Raúl Castro) and he commented: “We are proud and honored that the national president of the University Student Federation, Raúl Alejandro Palmero is in it. Then we can also infer that the interests of students will count."

A similar viewpoint of the matter is that of Claudia Castañeda Sueiro, from Granma University. "Our laws must resemble what we are living, and the reformation is necessary because Cuba has changed, but there are other elements that need a new look, like the recognition of same-sex marriages.

"Besides the necessary changes, according with the new times, our Magna Carta will maintain its socialist essence, always keeping in mind that the world changes and that Cuba cannot fall behind. This reformation is going to be the reflection of what we’ve been lived these years, of the work done on laws, and the judicial knowledge our population has acquired.

"If in 1976 more than 97% of voters they said yes to the project of Constitution, I believe that now the process of popular referendum will bring a larger figure. The Cuban people sticks to its principles."

José Ángel Fernández Castañeda, from Oriente University, national vice-president of the University Students Federation - recently elected in its 9^th Congress – highlighted that the importance of the Carta Magna upgrade has to do with the very national dynamics as well as the execution of the Guidelines for the Economic and Social Politics of the Party and the Revolution.

The reformation will give greater judicial security - he commented - and citizens will have the possibility to participate in its passing. Our Constitution since year 1976, when it was approved by 97,7% of voters, it has only had three modifications, a formal modification in 1978, and two others in 1992 and 2002.

"What to modify? The changes should include the new forms of property, keeping in mind self-employed workers, as well as the foreign investment. What I mean is that the reformation must consider all points of view, and not just economy.

“It’s indispensable to upgrade the Constitution, it should reflect our reality. The reformation should defend, especially, those articles that are irreversible for principles, because somehow we’ll be preserving the Revolution”.

Cubasi Translation Staff / Amilkal Labañino Valdés