Cuba's New Constitution: The Island Prepares For Opening Up, But Govt Will Retain Control

Political and economic reform may be about to arrive in Cuba, as lawmakers approved a draft constitution that aims to modernize the island, by encouraging and guaranteeing foreign investment. 

Many of the economic reforms would create a legal framework for reforms already underway, but would also seek to limit the impact of capitalism on the island. As Geoff Thale argues in The Washington Post, the slow pace and government control will likely mark the process for a while. Gradualism is the name of the game. 

It's not just market reform

The new Constitution will replace the current one, which dates  from 1976, and will be eventually voted on in a national referendum. New Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel has announced the process seeks to unify Cubans and strengthen democracy, although major changes are not expected to emerge in public debates.

Among some of the key innovations in the text is the introduction of term limits, introducing a 60-year cap to the age of incoming presidents. The bill would also create the post of a Prime Minister to head the Council of Ministers. Recent developments point to Diaz-Canel's attempt to introduce new faces in said Council, but the Miami Herald shows there's plenty of continuity with his predecessors.

Finally, the bill eliminates the objective of enacting a communist society. Even if maintaining the substance of a one-party socialist state, Reinaldo Escobar argues (Spanish), this might prove to be a radical change in the long run.