DUAL CITIZENSHIP - POLITICAL INSTUMENT
Support A1+!Dual citizenship of a legal institute which cab serve different political aims.
In general it is used in former colonial states. By this reason Spain fixed a constitutional norm according to which the issue of dual citizenship can be settled by means of international agreements with Latin American states. In early 90-ies Russia also implemented similar policy. However the practice was not a success. The RF realized that from the policy will justify itself from the social viewpoint, since all those who receive dual citizenship will mostly reside in Russia and the country will face the problem of job placement. «Dual citizenship is a political instrument», specialist of constitutional rights Vardan Poghosyan considers.
In case with Armenia Vardan Poghosyan views the issue from different aspects. “First, we have Diaspora, second RA's national security is rather vulnerable as the country is dependent on great powers including our strategic partner Russia. We should take into consideration all these aspects when adopting the law on dual citizenship”, he noted. Relations with Diaspora, in Poghosyan’s opinion, bear emotional nature. He does not think that fixing of the clause of dual citizenship in the Constitution is an urgent problem for Diaspora, except the cases when a US resident wishes to receive Armenian citizenship without relinquishing the US one. «Taking into account the hard social and economic position of the republic such wish is understandable. The problems will arise if we allow the people with dual citizenship enjoy the same rights the RA citizens possess».
He also noted that the statement that Armenians of the whole world wish to receive dual citizenship will have a symbolic character only, since neither the US nor France and Iran admit the institute of dual citizenship. Even of Russia and Armenia sign an agreement, individuals with dual citizenship who do reside in Armenia permanently should be deprived of suffrage. The other problems like tax payments, compulsory military service are just technical ones. The international practice shows that a citizen fulfills these obligations in the country where he permanently resides. In case the institute of the dual citizenship is adopted it should be regulated with balanced approaches otherwise the RA national security will become an instrument in the hands of superstates”, Vardan Poghosyan affirms. “To avoid problems the individuals with dual citizenship should not possess the right to elect or being elected. The people, who are citizens of another state should not serve on the Armenian parliament, as parliamentarians should serve the republic only and must not have any legal ties or obligations with any other state”, he resumed.
By Victoria Abrahamyan
