No support for initiative on dual citizenship between BiH and Germany

(Patria) - The Joint Committee on Human Rights of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina did not support the initiative for the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina to initiate the procedure for concluding an agreement on dual citizenship between BiH and Germany.

Members from SNSD voted against this initiative today at the session of the competent parliamentary committee, while members from HDZ abstained, so the initiative did not receive the required number of votes. The initiative was submitted by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliament, Denis Zvizdić from NiP, a party that, together with SDP and Our Party, forms the Troika, and the Troika, together with SNSD and HDZ, forms the state government. The initiative was submitted after the new Citizenship Law of the Federal Republic of Germany came into force, which now allows for the acquisition of a German passport and the possession of dual citizenship.

The conclusion of a dual citizenship agreement would enable more than 30,000 former BiH citizens to regain citizenship of Bosnia and Herzegovina, if they wish, and other BiH citizens would not have to renounce citizenship of our country in favor of German citizenship. The Joint Committee on Human Rights of the BiH Parliament also did not support today the initiative of Our Party representative Sabina Ćudić, which would task the Ministry of Defense of BiH with amending the Rulebook on Uniforms of the Armed Forces of Bosnia and Herzegovina within 30 days to allow the wearing of the hijab, as a religious symbol, by female members of the BiH Armed Forces.

Members of the committee from SNSD and HDZ voted against this initiative today.

The Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina considered a few days ago the appeal of Emela Kapidžija, who was not allowed to wear the hijab in the Armed Forces of BiH, and determined that her right to manifest religion was not violated.