Lithuanian parlt amends law to provide more time for organizing referendum

VILNIUS - The Lithuanian parliament on Friday amended a law to provide more time for organizing a referendum.  

The measure was passed in a vote of 67 to one with six abstentions. 

The amendment was tabled by a special working group set up by the parliament to prepare for a dual citizenship referendum. 

The Law on Referendum currently requires that a referendum be held no later than three months and no sooner than two months after the Seimas passes its resolution to call the plebiscite.  

The amendment calls for holding a referendum no later than eight months and no sooner than two months after the date of the respective resolution.  

Arvydas Nekrosius, deputy speaker of the Seimas, said the current time-frame was too short to properly prepare for a referendum. 

MP Algirdas Sysas of the opposition Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, however, called the decision a "political game" aimed at influencing people's opinion in a dual citizenship referendum that is planned to be held in tandem with next May's presidential election.