Namibia: President rejects citizenship bill
Published: 15/Août/2016
by Shinovene Immanuel
PRESIDENT Hage Geingob has admitted that the proposed amendment to the citizenship law is not needed and that lawmakers and the executive should not be seen as sidestepping courts’ decisions.
Speaking publicly for the first time on the proposed amendments to the Citizenship Act on Friday, Geingob said: “You cannot sleep and wake up to amend the Constitution every day. You do it when it is necessary.”
These remarks seemed to have been directed at attorney general Sacky Shanghala and home affairs minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, who wanted to amend the Constitution to circumvent the 23 June Supreme Court ruling that a child born to Dutch parents on work permits should be given citizenship.
The National Assembly passed the amendments, but the National Council rejected them after seeking expert opinion on the issue. The proposed amendments are back in the National Assembly for further discussion.
Read further on The Namibian website.