Talmont: The Russians and the Poles are like a red rag to a bull for Kubilius

The Chairman of the Human Rights Committee and a member of AWPL Leonard Talmont said in the interview for the Radio “Znad Wilii” that the dual citizenship cannot divide the citizens of Lithuania into the good and the bad ones.

The MP is in favour of that in 2014, during the presidential election, the referendum on the dual citizenship should be held. “I think it’s a god idea because all Lithuanian citizens must be heard. What can be said by 141 MPs may be different from what the citizens of Lithuania may say” – Talmont explained.

The Conservatives want the dual citizenship to be limited only to the citizens of the countries of European Union and NATO. “I think that the common sense will prevail. If there is the dual citizenship, then it must be for everyone. Lithuania cannot be divided again, into the real and the unreal ones” – Talmont stressed.

The Conservatives justify their proposal by claiming that if people from the post-Soviet states are granted with the dual citizenship, then the influence of Russia and other countries on the politics of Lithuania may increase. “We know the attitude of Mr Kubilius towards the Russians and the Poles. It’s just like to show a red rag to a bull, he overreacts at once” – commented the MP.

According to article 12 of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, the citizen of Lithuania can be a citizen of Lithuania and of another country at the same time only in exceptional cases which are stated in the law. This Article of the Constitution can be changed only by referendum.

Source: http://pl.delfi.lt/aktualia/litwa/talmont-dla-kubiliusa-rosjanie-i-polacy-jak-czerwona-szmata-dla-byka.d?id=61248621

Tłumaczenie Barbara Rożek w ramach praktyk w Europejskiej Fundacji Praw Człowieka, www.efhr.eu. Translated by Barbara Rożek within the framework of a traineeship programme of the European Foundation of Human Rights, www.efhr.eu.