A referendum failed in Lithuania, at which they proposed to change the constitution in order to expand the possibilities of providing dual citizenship in the country.
As LRT reports with reference to the data of the election commission, according to the results of the counting of the absolute majority of votes, the referendum was 1 million 396 thousand 828 people, or 59 percent of voters.
Of these, the proposed changes approved 1 million 11 thousand 14 people, or 73.9 percent of the voted, but this was not enough.
In order for the amendment to the Constitution of citizenship to be adopted, at least half of voters entitled to vote should vote for it.
There were 2 million 385 thousand 234 people in the lists of voters this year. Collected 1 million 192 thousand 617 votes.
In 2019, it was necessary to collect 1.24 million votes, it was possible to collect – 956 thousand 564 votes, or 72.35 percent of those who voted.
This year it was proposed to change the constitution, excluding the situation from it, which now prevents Lithuania to acquire second citizenship, that “in addition to certain cases provided for by law, no one can be a citizen of the Republic of Lithuania and other state at the same time” .
It was necessary to express an opinion on the corrected version of the Constitution: “The citizenship of the Republic of Lithuania is acquired by birth and on other grounds established by law. The procedure for acquiring and loss of citizenship is determined by law”.
The referendum took place one day with the first round of the presidential election. According to its result, the current President of Lithuania Gitanas Nauceda won the first round of the presidential election with 44.10 percent of the vote. About this on Monday, May 13, reported on the website of the Central Election Commission of the country.
The second place was taken by the Prime Minister of the country of Ingrid Shinite, who gained 19.86 percent of the vote. Participation in the vote on Sunday, May 12, took 59.28 percent of voters.