The Seimas permitted nationality information in the passport. Gift for Tomaszewski

The Seimas permitted at citizen’s request nationality information in the passport.

The Seimas adopted the amendment to the Passport Act, which permits nationality information in the passport. For adoption of the amendment voted 56 Member of Parliament, 24 abstained and 11 were against.

The reason of the deferral proposed by the government are technical problems, because new page in the passport is to be accepted and new passports need to be manufactured.

The amendment was registered by Mečislovas Zasčiurinskas from the Labour Party (Darbo Partija, DP), but the nationality information in the passport was rejected by the government, because of the technical possibilities.

The change of nationality information system in new passports will initially cost about 100 thousand Lithuanian litas.

Lithuanian liberals are not contented with the amendment. Member of Parliament and former Minister of Justice Remigijus Šimašius criticized adoption of the amendment on his social network account and added a tag: „#‎DovanaTomaševskiui” (“A gift for Tomaszewski”).

“The Seimas adopted the amendment (only liberals were opposed) concerning the nationality information in the passport and thereby gave satisfaction to Zaščiurinskas, Gražulis, Baškienė, Kupčinskas and Jakavonis. It grieves me that so many Members of Parliament need nationality information in the passport to feel proud of their nationality. We will be the only country in Europe with such an information” – wrote Šimašius.