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ANM BOARD DEPUTY CHAIRMAN IS SURPRISED WITH PRESENT POSITION OF RPA CONCERNING ISSUE OF DUAL CITIZENSHIP
Noyan Tapan
Jun 22 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 22, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian society does not display
a unequivocal approach towards the issue of dual citizenship. Samvel
Nikoyan, the RPA Deputy Chairman, the Secretary of the NA "RPA"
faction said about it at the June 21 debate. According to him,
a part of the society finds that dual citizenship is necessary to
unite all the Armenians and to create an all-Armenian potential. The
opposite side insists that it will bring to negative consequences,
will create a mess connected with the state-citizen legal relations,
citizens' obligations and rights, and even will become a threat for
the state security.
Expressing his own viewpoint, the speaker mentioned that only Armenians
by origin may be given dual citizenship. Besides, a man must personally
come to Armenia to get citizenship, and some compulsory schedule for
visits and living in Armenia must be fixed to keep the right of dual
citizenship. He also attached importance to paying some taxes for
keeping the right of citizenship what must be much bigger than the
consular payment: this tax may be of different sizes for different
countries.
According to Nikoyan, if the electoral right is awarded to
all those getting dual citizenship, the issue of the state
political administration of Armenia may be solved by the U.S. and
Russia. Consequencly, not all dual citizens must get the right of
electing, and after adopting the law on dual citizenship, elections
must take place only in Armenia. The electoral code must be connected
with obligations as well, particularly with the compulsory military
service. According to the speaker, there are problems connected with
the land property. Becoming a dual citizen must not give a person an
unequivocal right to become a land owner. To get the right for land,
a person must have some instillations in Armenia.
Andranik Hovakimian, the Deputy Chairman of the ANM Board mentioned
that his party joint with the RPA was against the dual citizenship
in 1995, and that's why he is surprised with the present position of
the Republican Party concerning this issue.
According to the speaker, the principal connected with Armenians by
origin, which is a national discrimination and may not be accepted
by the CE Venice Commission, is not understandable.
"In essense, there are two issues: one of electing and one of serving
in the army, or of obligations and rights, and whatever we do, we'll
get two types of citizens what is inadmissible for any country and
especially for Armenia," Hovakimian emphasized. According to him,
the issue is mentioned as an argument that Diasporan Armenias will
become better with Armenia, getting dual citizenship. But it does
not correspond to reality as at present many Diasporan Armenians are
close with Armenia irrespective of anything and do their best for
the Fatherland within borders of their possibilities, and there are
opposite examples when people do not recognize their nationality and
even do no want to visit Armenia.
Noyan Tapan
Jun 22 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 22, NOYAN TAPAN. The Armenian society does not display
a unequivocal approach towards the issue of dual citizenship. Samvel
Nikoyan, the RPA Deputy Chairman, the Secretary of the NA "RPA"
faction said about it at the June 21 debate. According to him,
a part of the society finds that dual citizenship is necessary to
unite all the Armenians and to create an all-Armenian potential. The
opposite side insists that it will bring to negative consequences,
will create a mess connected with the state-citizen legal relations,
citizens' obligations and rights, and even will become a threat for
the state security.
Expressing his own viewpoint, the speaker mentioned that only Armenians
by origin may be given dual citizenship. Besides, a man must personally
come to Armenia to get citizenship, and some compulsory schedule for
visits and living in Armenia must be fixed to keep the right of dual
citizenship. He also attached importance to paying some taxes for
keeping the right of citizenship what must be much bigger than the
consular payment: this tax may be of different sizes for different
countries.
According to Nikoyan, if the electoral right is awarded to
all those getting dual citizenship, the issue of the state
political administration of Armenia may be solved by the U.S. and
Russia. Consequencly, not all dual citizens must get the right of
electing, and after adopting the law on dual citizenship, elections
must take place only in Armenia. The electoral code must be connected
with obligations as well, particularly with the compulsory military
service. According to the speaker, there are problems connected with
the land property. Becoming a dual citizen must not give a person an
unequivocal right to become a land owner. To get the right for land,
a person must have some instillations in Armenia.
Andranik Hovakimian, the Deputy Chairman of the ANM Board mentioned
that his party joint with the RPA was against the dual citizenship
in 1995, and that's why he is surprised with the present position of
the Republican Party concerning this issue.
According to the speaker, the principal connected with Armenians by
origin, which is a national discrimination and may not be accepted
by the CE Venice Commission, is not understandable.
"In essense, there are two issues: one of electing and one of serving
in the army, or of obligations and rights, and whatever we do, we'll
get two types of citizens what is inadmissible for any country and
especially for Armenia," Hovakimian emphasized. According to him,
the issue is mentioned as an argument that Diasporan Armenias will
become better with Armenia, getting dual citizenship. But it does
not correspond to reality as at present many Diasporan Armenians are
close with Armenia irrespective of anything and do their best for
the Fatherland within borders of their possibilities, and there are
opposite examples when people do not recognize their nationality and
even do no want to visit Armenia.