Analytics, Legislation, Lithuania, Society
International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics
Friday, 19.04.2024, 13:11
Lithuania can't lower turnout for dual citizenship referendum
"The Constitutional Court has ruled once again that dual citizenship
can only be legalized by referendum. There was no surprise in this (ruling) and
the issue we face now is how to ensure that people turn out and express their
will," Lina Antanaviciene said
on the Ziniu Radijas radio station.
The Lithuanian World Community fears that a referendum on dual citizenship
would fail as more than 50% of citizens would have to participate in the
plebiscite and more than half of them would have to vote in favor for it to be
legally valid.
However, she emphasized that it would be a mistake to try to relax the
stringent requirements for a referendum.
"I think we can't do that. What we can do is bring all of us together
-- politicians, the public, Lithuanians who live both here and abroad -- for
joint effort to ensure that everyone takes part," the advisor said.
Antanaviciene believes that it would be the most reasonable to hold a
referendum in tandem with the next presidential election in 2019 as voter
turnout is usually the highest in presidential elections.