ARMENIAN COALITION DIVIDED OVER DUAL CITIZENSHIP
By Astghik Bedevian
Radio Liberty, Czech Rep.
Feb 22 2007
Armenia’s governing coalition remained divided on Thursday over key
provisions of draft legislation allowing foreign nationals of Armenian
descent to become Armenian citizens.
A package of bills endorsed by the government and championed by the
Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutyun) regulates practical
modalities of dual citizenship, which was effectively introduced in
Armenia in November 2005 as part of a controversial constitutional
reform.
The National Assembly passed them in the first reading earlier this
week amid serious misgivings voiced by lawmakers representing virtually
all other parliamentary parties, including Prime Minister Andranik
Markarian’s Republican Party (HHK). They are particularly unhappy with
a provision that gives dual citizens living outside Armenia voting
rights. Some of them have also accused Dashnaktsutyun, which has many
supporters in the worldwide Armenian Diaspora, of seeking additional
votes ahead of the upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.
But leaders of the nationalist party have denied any ulterior motives
behind their strong support for dual citizenship. They say it will
boost Armenia’s small population and strengthen its security. "By
failing to introduce dual citizenship we lost a major source of our
security," one of them, Armen Rustamian told reporters.
Still, parliament speaker Tigran Torosian and other HHK lawmakers
insisted Thursday on their draft amendments to the legislative package
that would enable dual citizens from the Diaspora to vote in Armenian
elections if they have resided and paid taxes in Armenia during at
least one of the pervious five years. "People whose fate hinges on
developments in other countries must not decide the fate of people
living in Armenia," Torosian said at the end of heated parliament
debates on the issue.
Opposition deputies made similar arguments. "People living abroad must
not have the right to predetermine the fate of the people living in
Armenia," said Grigor Harutiunian of the Artarutyun alliance.
For its part, the pro-government United Labor Party (MAK) said its
five parliamentarians continue to oppose the bills because they
stipulate that members of Armenia’s government can be dual citizens.
The latter would only be barred from running for president and
parliament. "That would mean a partial loss of Armenia’s sovereignty,"
said MAK leader Gurgen Arsenian.
Justice Harutiunian David Harutiunian, who presented the bill on behalf
of the government, rejected the amendments proposed by both the HHK and
the MAK. Harutiunian pointed to a constitutional clause which gives
equal rights to all Armenian citizens. "Besides, we can’t check who
has or has not lived in our country for more than 183 days," he said.
While voicing strong objections, HHK leaders did not say whether
they their faction, the largest in the National Assembly, will vote
for the draft laws in the second reading. The vote is scheduled
for Monday. Markarian and other HHK ministers have not yet publicly
commented on the debate.