Fidel Castro Gives Rare Speech Saying He Will Soon Die

[Mika]

115. The constitution has been updated. GS is clueless on this topic.

I read the link - contains the exact language as produced by exile run CUBANET in Miami for many other GOs and NGOs.

From your GS link & snip ...

Since 1965 Cuba has been governed by a highly centralized system headed by the Communist Party of Cuba (Partido Comunista de Cuba—PCC), which is the only authorized political party ...

Above seems to be a mal-interpretation of Article 5 (which is a common occurrence in anti-Cuba diatribes).

What Article 5 of the Cuban constitution actually says is the following:

artículo 5o.- El Partido Comunista de Cuba, martiano y marxista-leninista, vanguardia organizada de la nación cubana, es la fuerza dirigente superior de la sociedad y del Estado, que organiza y orienta los esfuerzos comunes hacia los altos fines de la construcción del socialismo y el avance hacia la sociedad comunista.

Article 5 - The Communist Party of Cuba, Martiano and Marxist-Leninist, organized vanguard of the Cuban nation, is the superior directing force of society and of the State, which organizes and guides the common efforts toward the high goals of the construction of socialism and the advance toward a communist society.

Nowhere in this Article does it state that the Communist Party has absolute or perpetual power over the nation and the State. In fact, it only states that the Communist Party is a "guiding" force. Actually, the word "dirigente" should be translated as "directing" or "guiding" as opposed to "governing". I'm guessing you weren't aware of the subtle, yet very important, difference. In addition, if you had bothered to continue reading the constitution, you would have come across the following Articles:

Article 69 states that the National Assembly, which represents the sovereign will of the people, is the organism of supreme power of the State.
Article 70 states that the National Assembly is the only organism with constitution and legislative power of the Republic.
Article 71 states that the National Assembly is composed of officials that are elected by free, direct and secret vote of the electors.
Article 72 states that the National Assembly is elected for a term of five years.
Article 73 states that the National Assembly elects from its rank its President, Vice president, and Secretary.
Article 74 states that the National Assembly elects from its rank the Counsel of State which is composed of a President, a First Vice president, five Vice presidents, a Secretary and 23 members. The President of the State Counsel is the Chief of Staff and the Chief of Government. The State Counsel is responsible to the National Assembly and must account for all of its activities.


It always helps to understand the native language, and/or to have translated the nuances correctly.