Intelligence, security officers from Moldova to be able to have dual citizenship

Chisinau, 2 August /MOLDPRES/ - Employees of the Intelligence and Security Service of Moldova (SIS) will be able to have dual citizenship, according to a draft on amendment and completion of the law on the status of the intelligence and security officer, approved at a cabinet meeting today.  

The draft law was worked out by the Justice Ministry, in order to fulfill a decision by the Constitutional Court from 31 January 2017. The High Court found out that the prohibition for persons with multiple citizenships to hold public offices was unconstitutional. The status of citizen allows a person to benefit from all fundamental rights, freedoms and duties laid down in the Constitution and the legislation in force. The Law on the Intelligence and Security Service, as well as the status of the officer from this institution contains norms which bans the holding of citizenships of other states on the period of work in service.   

The document, approved by the cabinet of ministers, provides for the exclusion from the Law on the Intelligence and Security Service of the provisions according to which, “on the period of work in SIS, employees cannot hold the citizenship of another state.”  At the same time, the following provisions are excluded from the law on the status of the intelligence and security officer: “the dismissal from post of the intelligence officer is made in case of acquiring the citizenship of another state" and “the person who does not hold the citizenship of another state can be employed as intelligence officer.”

The draft law will be submitted to parliament for consideration.

(Reporter V. Bercu, editor L. Alcaza)