Cuba to Reshape Government With New Constitution

Cuba revealed new details Saturday about plans to reshape its government, courts and economy with constitutional reform set to be approved by the national assembly this month.

The reform of the 1976 constitution would create the position of prime minister alongside the president, splitting the roles of head of government and head of state.

The constitution keeps the Communist Party as the sole political force in the country and says the communist state will remain the dominant economic force.

The constitution does, however, create new recognitionof the free market and private property in Cuban society, and creates a new presumption of innocence in the justice system.

The proposed constitutional reform described in the main state paper Saturday is also expected to be approved in a later national referendum.

Officials say the 1976 charter does not reflect changes made in Cuba in recent years.