Civil servants allowed to hold dual nationality

The public servants will be able to have dual nationality. The Parliament Wednesday introduced a number of relevant amendments to the legislation, lifting the given restriction, Info-Prim Neo reports. The amendments were adopted in two readings by the vote of the Liberal-Democrat MPs . The Communist MPs neither voted, nor made comments. The legislative initiative was tabled by the Liberal-Democrat MP Vlad Filat, who reiterated that the restriction on holding dual nationality imposed on civil servants by a law passed on December 7, 2007 ran counter to the international norms. Speaking from the Parliament's rostrum, Filat said the ECHR described the given law as discriminatory. “The adoption of the amendments is a normal step aimed at adjusting the legislation of Moldova to the international norms. Not the number of passports determines the level of patriotism. These rights have been limited abusively,” he said. Under the adopted amendments, the following public servants will be allowed to hold dual nationality: the head of state, MPs, district heads, mayors, police officers, members of the Audit Office and the Constitutional Court, judges, members of the Administration Board of the National Bank of Moldova, ombudspersons, members of the Central Election Commission. The restrictions do no more apply to employees of the State Protection and Guard Service, personnel of the National Commission on the Financial Market, employees of the Security and Information Service and of the Center for Combating Corruption and Economic Crime, customs officers and prosecutors. Before discussing the amendments in the Parliament, the MPs took a two-hour break during which the factions of the Alliance for European Integration held separate meetings and then a joint meeting.