A record number of Lithuanian expatriates have registered to vote in the upcoming referendum on preservation of citizenship, according to the Lithuanian World Community. The expatriate organisation says that, with one month left to the vote, active campaigning has yet to start.
On May 12, Lithuanian voters will be asked whether they support a constitutional amendment allowing dual citizenship.
Rimvydas Baltaduonis, a representative of the Lithuanian World Community, says that over 28,000 expatriates have registered to vote in the dual citizenship referendum and that he hopes the turnout to be twice as high.
However, he thinks that debates about the issue have so far been tepid and no groups have registered to campaign for one side or the other.
So far, the government has only launched a campaign encouraging people to vote.
According to the law, only those who initiated the referendum can campaign for the issue. The referendum was called by members of parliament. Groups can, however, register to campaign against dual citizenship.
Under the current rules, Lithuanian nationals are barred from holding another country's citizenship except under certain circumstances.
Lithuanians who have left the country since 1990 and become naturalized citizens of other countries automatically lose their Lithuanian passports.
