LDP urges immediate passage of dual‑citizenship ban for MPs and officials
LDP says the proposal is stuck in parliament and asks that the ban apply to ministers, judges, prosecutors and other officials, not only future MPs.
The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) urged lawmakers to pull from the drawer and finally adopt a bill that would bar members of parliament and other officials from holding dual citizenship, saying the proposal remains stalled in parliamentary channels.
In a party statement, LDP officials criticized the governing apparatus for spending public money on celebrations marking 35 years of independence while delaying what they called a key measure to secure the loyalty of public office-holders.
Demand for broader scope and immediate checks
The LDP repeated that the MPs who submitted the draft law — representatives from VMRO-DPMNE — have fallen silent and are avoiding a final vote. The party said the law should cover not only MPs but also ministers, directors, judges, public prosecutors and all other officials.
The LDP recalled that its leader and MP, Monika Zajkova, has already published a notarized declaration proving she holds only Macedonian citizenship, and urged other legislators to do the same. The party called for current office-holders to make their personnel files available for review and for anyone found to hold dual citizenship either to renounce the second nationality or to resign immediately.
The statement warned that any further delay amounts to buying time and raises serious doubts about whether those who exercise state functions protect the interests of North Macedonia or those of another country.
The LDP noted that VMRO-DPMNE submitted a proposal to amend the Law on MPs to add a requirement that a person can become an MP only if they possess solely Macedonian citizenship — a proposal introduced in the Assembly on April 21 this year. The party also recalled that the next day Zajkova invited fellow MPs and all officials to notarize declarations confirming they did not hold any other citizenship when they took office and do not hold one now, saying that anyone found to have had dual citizenship should resign immediately.
Finally, the LDP said the ruling SDSM had labeled the VMRO-DPMNE proposal "a classic scam"; although SDSM pledged support for the draft, its leader Venko Filipche announced plans to table amendments that would extend the restriction to cover current MPs as well.
Photo: press material from the event
