DUAL CITIZENSHIP WILL CONTRIBUTE TO STRENGTHENING ARMENIAN LOBBYING

Yerkir.am
February 16, 2007

Hrayr Karapetian, the leader of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation
(ARF) faction in parliament, once again stated at a press conference
on February 15 that adoption of dual citizenship should not be linked
with the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.

Karapetian noted that if this were the tendency the government
would have drafted the law immediately after the constitutional
referendum aiming to involve those having dual citizenship in the
elections. Meanwhile, after the law is adopted the government
still needs to develop the procedures for application for dual
citizenship. If we take into consideration the bureaucratic delays
possible in Armenia this process might last 6-7 months or more.

Karapetian reminded that when the newly established state of Israel
declared that all Jewish people living in different countries have
their rights and obligations in Israel, they did not think about
any elections.

"The government was thinking about strengthening the country, it was
thinking about expanding the investment environment, strengthening
the army, strengthening its lobbying capacity since the communities
that are not connected with the homeland are much weaker than those
that are connected," Karapetian said.

According to Karapetian, adoption of dual citizenship does not imply
that all Armenians from different countries will apply for citizenship
since such an application carries also responsibilities – service
in the army, tax obligations, etc. "Those who really want to connect
their and their children’s futures with the homeland will apply for
citizenship. Most of them have already applied that have temporary
residence permits," Karapetian noted adding that the economic potential
of the Diaspora is used to a very small extent.

Karapetian noted that adoption of this law does not only concern the
traditional Diaspora. There was a large wave of emigration in 1990’s
and those who left the country at that time should also be given an
opportunity to return.

Karapetian pointed to the law on eliminating criminal responsibility
for those who escape mandatory military service drafted by the
ARF’s faction. 2500 Armenians returned to the country after this
law was adopted. Had this law not been in place they would have
been imprisoned.

Karapetian stressed once again that adoption of dual citizenship is not
only ARF’s goal. It is the goal of all political forces that want to
unite the Armenian nation and strengthen it. Commenting on the question
of the timeline for adoption of the law, Karapetian noted that it
would be logical for the incumbent National Assembly to adopt the law
since it was this National Assembly that initiated the constitutional
reform. Karapetian concluded that the same logic should work for all
legislative reforms that derive from constitutional amendments.