DUAL CITIZENSHIP DISCUSSED AGAIN

Panorama.am
19:40 23/06/06

Parliamentary hearing on dual citizenship was held today at the
National Assembly called by the permanent committee on foreign
relations upon the request of Armenian Revolutionary Federation. The
committee is headed by ARF member Armen Rustamyan. ARF plans to use
the discussion materials in drafting the law on dual citizenship.

The hearing did not much differ from the scientific meeting held
last week on the same topic. The problems raised were similar and
so were the possible solutions proposed. The only difference perhaps
was that the parliamentary hearing was much politicized rather than
being scientific.

For example, Frunze Kharatyan from communist party suggested to follow
the Chinese experience which despite of its overpopulation grants
citizenship to any Chinese born in any where in the world. Paruir
Hairikyan, on the other hand, thinks that we do not need a law on
dual citizenship. Instead, he suggests eliminating those terms that
ban dual citizenship in the Law on Citizenship.

Hovhannes Igityan, from All Armenian National Movement says that dual
citizenship may harm the security of Armenians living abroad. "Some
Armenians do not consider themselves as full members of societies
they live in abroad. If they have a second passport they may be
deported from their countries of stay," Igityan said. In his words,
diaspora and Armenia have many other ways of communicating and dual
citizenship is not the best solution.

Asked about the effects of these discussions on drafting the law,
ARF member answered "discussions are not yet over. All materials will
be summed up and conclusions will be drawn." /Panorama.am/