Cubans urged to debate Communist Party unity

HAVANA, May 21 (Reuter) - Cuban authorities called on citizens on Wednesday to debate a document on unity, democracy and human rights ahead of a Congress of the ruling Communist Party in October.

The party newspaper Granma said the document, to be submitted for approval at the October 8-10 Fifth Party Congress, would be published in its Saturday edition and in other newspapers, and would be distributed to party bodies.

It will be debated across the island of 11 million people from June 1 to July 15, Granma said, calling this an "important popular process" and a "new plebiscite of Cuban society".

It did not indicate to what extent, if any, citizens would be able to call for or make changes to the document.

Granma said the document dealt with "essential concepts"

such as the "historic continuity of the revolution, the forging and development of the Party" and unity and democracy in Cuban society.

The announcement in April of the party Congress made clear the October gathering was unlikely to herald major political or economic changes, but would reaffirm Cuba's determination to stick with its one-party political system.

The reference to human rights and democracy in the party document to be debated next month appeared to be a typical official response to criticism of Cuba's one-party system, in which opposition is banned and freedom of expression and association are broadly limited to support of President Fidel Castro's 38-year-old revolution.

Havana argues its society is democratic, western countries cannot dictate models of democracy, and the issue of human rights should include social rights such as the free health care and education provided by the Cuban system.

Cuba's only legal political party holds congresses to elect its leaders and prepare future economic and political strategy.

The last congress was in 1991.

20:30 05-21-97