Dual citizenship for foreign nationals moves onward

VILNIUS-

VILNIUS - LithuanianPresident Valdas Adamkus proposed holding a referendum on dual citizenship in conjunctionwith the 2009 presidential elections.

Adamkus voiced the suggestion at a meeting of presidents of the Lithuanian World Community and theWorld Lithuanian Youth Union inTrakai.

The president pledged to ask Parliamentary Speaker Ceslovas Jursenas soon toinitiate a parliamentary decision on the referendum.

In mid-July, the parliament approved the presidential veto on the newCitizenship Law and voted in support of the president-proposed amendments,which provide that dual citizenship can be an option for children of Lithuanian nationals born abroad andcitizens of the countries with which Lithuaniahas dual citizenship agreements. So far, Lithuaniahas not signed any such agreements.

The vetoed law stipulated that only children of Lithuanian emigrants born abroad and Lithuanian nationals who are acquiring citizenship of EU and NATO countries could be able tohave two passports.

When vetoing the law, the president stressed that the new Citizenship Law asadopted by the parliament was disregarding the constitutional requirement thata Lithuanian citizen can only bea citizen of yet another country in exceptional cases.

At this time Article 12.2 of the Constitution provides for a possibility tohave dual citizenship in exceptional cases, however this matter is extremelyimportant for foreign Lithuanians-- upon becoming citizens of their country of residence, they lose their Lithuanian passport immediately.

President of the Board of the World LithuanianCommunity, Regina Narusiene, censured Adamkus' veto of the law and expresseddisappointment in the parliament's approval of the presidential veto.

In the fall of 2006, the Constitutional Court found that the country's mainlaw provides for dual citizenship as rare exceptions, declaring laws allowingdual citizenship as running counter the Constitution.