As the referendum on the preservation of citizenship approaches, some Lithuanians are outraged: I don’t understand what I read

Article 1. Amendment of Article 12

Amend Article 12 to read as follows:

Citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania is acquired at birth and on other grounds and procedures established by the constitutional law.

The Constitutional Law also establishes the grounds and procedure for the loss of citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania.”

In social networks, you can find comments from citizens that this wording is not clear at all and does not describe the essence of the referendum.

“I wonder if at least half of the people will understand what they are being asked”; “I did not understand anything”; “I had to frown while reading to understand something”; “And it wasn’t possible to write clearly?” – this is how some Lithuanians respond to the wording on social networks.

Some Lithuanians wonder if their compatriots really have enough legal literacy to understand what exactly is being asked of them.

And what do you think about the wording of the referendum on the ballot? You can express your opinion: [email protected]

Some time ago, Marius Gurskas, Director of the Government Communication Department of “Delfi”, explained the essence of the wording: “The specific wording that voters will see in the ballot will sound like this: “Lithuanian citizenship is acquired by birth or on other grounds provided by the constitutional law. It can also be lost.” People who mark “Yes” on the ballot will agree that Lithuanian citizens who acquired the citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania at birth and accepted the citizenship of another country friendly to Lithuania, could retain the citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania.”

However, those people who will mark “No” on the ballot, according to the director of the communication department, will express their opposition to the said question.

On May 12, the issue of preserving citizenship in Lithuania will not be discussed for the first time. In 2019, a referendum was also held on this issue. This issue was not resolved that time. This time, slightly more than 53% voted in the referendum. Lithuanian citizens with the right to vote and most of them supported the preservation of citizenship, but still there were not enough votes in favor and the referendum failed.

According to the Migration Department, over a thousand people born in Lithuania lose their Lithuanian citizenship every year when they acquire the citizenship of another country.