The President of the Councils of State and Ministers of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, presented at the Extraordinary session of the IX Legislature of the National Assembly of People's Power the Commission that will draft the Draft Constitution of the Republic of Cuba, in the Palace of Conventions, on June 2018; in his words, he said that the new Constitution will take into account the humanist and social justice principles that shape our political system and consider the irrevocability of the socialist system that our people sovereignly adopted as unassailable pillars; ratify today more than ever, the national unity and the role of the Communist Party of Cuba, as an organized vanguard and superior leadership force of society and the State; finally informed the agreement of the Council of State so that Army General Raul Castro, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, presides over the Commission (see full text and the members of the Commission).
General Comrade of the Army Raul Castro Ruz, First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party; comrade Esteban Lazo Hernández, President of the People´s Power National Assembly; dear Deputies; Guests:
As the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, Army General Raúl Castro Ruz, in the Central Report to the Seventh Congress of the Party, said: "The current Constitution, approved in popular referendum in 1976, 40 years ago, and reformed Partially in 1992 and in 2002, responds to historical circumstances and economic and social conditions that have changed with the passing of time and the implementation of the Guidelines for the Economic and Social Policy of the Party and the Revolution ", end of the quotation .
More recently, at the close of the Constituent Session of the National Assembly of People's Power, he announced the creation of a commission of deputies that would be responsible for the drafting and presentation to the Parliament of the Project of a new Constitution of the Republic. In view of the above, the Council of State has agreed to propose to this Assembly to initiate the process of constitutional reform and approve, as a first step, the creation of a commission for these purposes.
For a long time a number of comrades, a part of which are deputies and are among those proposed to integrate the commission, was commissioned by the Political Bureau to analyze the impact that the constitutional order has on the changes originated, as a result of the decisions adopted in the VI and VII Congress of the Party and its First National Conference, the foreseeable future and the other measures that have been approved in these years.
Likewise, evaluate issues required to incorporate the constitutional text, by virtue of our experiences in the construction of socialism, study constitutional processes developed in various countries, as well as deepen aspects of our history and constitutional tradition. The Political Bureau and the V Plenum of the Central Committee of the Party have already been informed about these matters recently.
The commission that intends to set up has as its fundamental mission to draft a draft of the Constitution of the Republic, broader popular consultation, becoming our people in a constituent body in line with the principles of our socialist democracy, be submitted after the analysis of the results by this Assembly, in the exercise of its powers, submit the Constitution to a referendum in which the nation pronounces itself in this regard.
The enunciations of the new Constitution will take into account the humanistic and social justice principles that shape our political system and consider as irremovable pillars the irreversibility of the socialist system that our people sovereignly adopted; to ratify today more than ever, the national unity and the role of the Communist Party of Cuba, as an organized vanguard and superior leadership force of society and the State.
The commission that the Council of State presents integrates a representation of the most diverse sectors of society.
As I expressed in my words before this Assembly, on the occasion of assuming my position on April 19, Comrade General Raul Castro Ruz lead the decisions of greater significance for the present and the future of the nation. In correspondence with this, the Council of State proposes that it is he who presides over this commission (Applause), and that the following deputies also include it:
I thank the compañeras and compañeros who, as they are mentioned, stand up.
As vice president of the Commission Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, president of the Councils of State and Ministers.
Members of the Commission:
José Ramón Machado Ventura, second secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Cuba.
Teresa María Amarelle Boué, member of the Political Bureau and general secretary of the Federation of Cuban Women.
Ulises Guilarte de Nacimiento, member of the Political Bureau and Secretary General of the CTC.
Abelardo Álvarez Gil, member of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the Party.
Ana María Mari Machado, vice president of the National Assembly of People's Power.
Homero Acosta Álvarez, secretary of the Council of State.
José Amado Ricardo Guerra, secretary of the Council of Ministers.
Carlos Rafael Miranda Martínez, national coordinator of the CDR.
Rafael Ramón Santisteban Pozo, president of the ANAP.
José Luis Toledo Santander, president of the Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee of the National Assembly of People's Power.
Miguel Ángel Barnet Lanza, president of the National Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba.
Eduardo Moisés Torres Cuevas, president of the Academy of History of Cuba and director of the National Library "José Martí".
Ariel Mantecón Ramos, president of the National Organization of Collective Law Firms.
Antonio Hernández López, official of the Office of the Second Secretary of the CCPCC.
Yumil Rodríguez Fernández, deputy chief of the Secretariat of the State Council.
Elba Martínez Amador, head of the legal department of the Secretariat of the Council of Ministers.
Johana Odriozola Guitar, legal director of the Ministry of Economy and Planning.
Raúl Alejandro Palmero Fernández, president of the University Student Federation.
Elier Ramírez Cañedo, historian.
Marcia Cristobalina Chicoy Ramírez, judge of the People's Provincial Court of Camagüey.
Yoraida Núñez Bello, deputy provincial prosecutor in Santiago de Cuba.
Luis Clodoaldo Velázquez Pérez, president of the Academy of Sciences of Cuba.
Nancy Acosta Hernández, president of the Provincial Assembly of the Popular Power of Guantánamo.
Yailín Orta Rivera, director of the Granma Newspaper.
Santiago Eduardo Lajes Choy, rector of the University of Camagüey.
Alexis Lorente Jiménez, president of the Municipal Assembly of the People's Power of Sancti Spíritus.
Yansi María Bravo O'Farril, provincial chief inspector in Mayabeque.
Ania María Aparicio Albelo, provincial director of Justice, in Villa Clara.
Yanet Hernández Pérez, adviser to the Minister of Education.
Rule María Ferrer Domínguez, vice president for the Provincial Administration Body in Pinar del Rio.
Ana Teresa Igarza Martínez, director of the Office of the Special Development Zone of Mariel.
Deputies and deputies:
With this extraordinary session of the National Assembly begins a process of special importance for the country, and we must all be aware of the duty and civic responsibility that this requires.
Inspired by the heroism and patriotism of those who fought for the free country, in the legacy of José Martí and the national heroes; guided by the political thought of the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution, Commander in Chief Fidel Castro Ruz, we work to achieve a constitutional norm that reflects the durability of a sovereign, independent, socialist, democratic, prosperous and sustainable nation, at the same time, more inclusive, where the institutionality of the revolutionary State is strengthened and the martial preaching prevails that the first law of our republic be the cult of Cubans to the full dignity of man. Thank you very much (Applause).