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IS ARMENIA THE HOMELAND OF ARMENIANS OR…?
[04:41 pm] 22 February, 2007
On February 22, deputes of RA National Assembly held a debate on the
admission of the packet on dual citizenship.
`Armenia exists due to the people living in the country who have
overcome the hardships and tortures of the recent years’, NA Speaker
Tigran Torosyan announced during the debate. He assumes that it is
unjust to ensure equal rights and conditions for the people living in
Armenia and beyond its boundaries.
Regardless of his respect towards the Diaspora Armenians, Mr. Torosyan
reminded that they have countered no obstacles over the past 15 years
to return to Armenia, get citizenship and settle in their homeland.
NA Deputy Speaker Vahan Hovhanissyan asked a rhetoric question, `Do
Armenians living in the Republic of Armenia always decide their own
fates and do they always form the power?’ In this respect, he
highlighted the importance of holding free and just elections in the
country; the remark was addressed to the Republican Party.
As for the notion of `resident’, Vahan Hovhanissyan wondered that once
a person is the RA citizen and not a resident, he doesn’t pay income
tax as he has no income, should he be deprived of the right to vote.
ARF Dashnaktsutyun, at the head of Vahan Hovhannisyan, finds it
inadmissible that RA dual citizenship implies that RA citizens must
have families in Armenia, business or they must have lived in Armenia
for at least six months over the past 5 years.
Mr. Hovhannisyan inquired what will become of the RA President and MPs
in case they become citizens of other countries during their office.
`There is one legal solution to this problem’, answered David
Haroutyunyan. `In case they admit the citizenship of other country
they must be considered criminals under the Penal Code’.
To note, tomorrow the bill will be put to voting. By the way,
Republican Party and ARF Dashnaktsutyun tried to conceal the
antagonism between their parties and underlined that they both
endorsed double citizenship; their opinions differ concerning the ways
and methods of its implementation.