Dual citizenship supported by Adamkus

Feb 18, 2009
TBT staff

VILNIUS- Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus has stated that he would be in favor of holding a referendum on dual citizenship and plans to authorize the parliament to consider in its spring session a new edition of the Citizenship Law, as drafted by his appointed task force.

"The president requested the Seimas Board to review the new draft Citizenship Law so as to vouchsafe a more clear and consistent legal regulation of citizenship, expand and better define cases when a Lithuanian citizen can simultaneously become that of another state. The president would back the Seimas should it decide to hold a referendum and change Article 12 of the Constitution, thus legitimizing dual citizenship for all applicants", Grumadaite spoke.

Legal experts have presented the president with a draft Citizenship Law drawn up by his appointed task force. The bill provisions a move to introduce and regulate a Lithuanian Charter document by Sept 30 and draft respective acts of law.

"I would like to remind that the new draft bill provisions that all Lithuanian citizens, who were exiled from Lithuania or left the country on their own will from 1919 to March 11 of 1990, as well as a few generations of their progeny get to retain Lithuanian citizenship. Persons, who for various reasons left Lithuania after March 11 of 1990 and chose to become citizens of another state, automatically lose their Lithuanian citizenship. However, their children, born abroad, retain the right to dual citizenship, i.e. that of Lithuania and another country", Grumadaite explained.

Members of the Seimas Board are currently not unanimous on dual citizenship prospects.

SOCIAL BOOKMARKS:   Delicious   Digg   Reddit   Ask   Facebook   MrWong   Netvouz