Havana, August 6 (RHC)-- Hundreds of thousands of Cubans now have their copy of the text of the country’s draft constitution, as they get ready for popular discussion of the proposed Magna Carta.

Nearly 700,000 copies of the draft version have been distributed in less than one week, and the number is expected to rise to over one million by Tuesday due to a high demand for the new text. 

Once the island’s more than 11 million citizens are familiar with the document, they’ll have the chance to debate it in over 135,000 public meetings scheduled to take place in community centers and public institutions and work places across the island’s 169 municipalities between August 13th and November 15th.

The public forums will be facilitated by over 15,000 citizens trained to lead the discussion and compile the suggestions made.

In a historical move, the more than 1.4 million Cubans living abroad will also be able to participate in debates, posting their suggestions on-line, starting the first week of September via Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs website portal -- www.nacionyemigracion.cu/.

Citizens’ suggestions, critiques and complaints will then be channeled to the 605-seat National Assembly, which approved the current draft on July 23rd, for a final debate and vote for approval.