MPs grapple with ins and outs of citizenship issue

MEMBERS of Parliament had more questions than answers on Tuesday about a constitutional amendment on citizenship by marriage.

One of the amendments tabled by Prime Minister Nahas Angula two weeks ago will extend the period to obtain citizenship by marriage from two to 10 years’ residence in the country.’What if a Namibian married to a foreigner dies for example eight years after the marriage, but the spouse still has to wait two years to obtain citizenship,’ asked Finance Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila.’Will the ‘foreign’ parent be allowed to take children born from that marriage out of the country? Can that parent be allowed to remain in Namibia and raise the children here?’ she asked.Kuugongelwa-Amadhila also asked the Prime Minister Angula if generational citizenship would be allowed, for instance if someone has Namibian grandparents. At present the Constitution only allows citizenship for children born to a Namibian parent or born inside Namibia.MPs then discussed how customary laws and statutory laws would apply in the case of polygamy with regard to citizenship.Minister Kuugongelwa-Amadhila wanted to know if Namibia would only allow traditional marriages according to Namibian customs or also the customs of other countries in order for the foreign spouse to obtain Namibian citizenship. ‘I also want to raise another point – if a Namibian citizen has married a foreigner outside the country and they have stayed there for five years and then come to live in Namibia, can the foreign spouse obtain Namibian citizenship after five years in Namibia, since in total he/she is now married ten years to the Namibian citizen?’ the Finance Minister asked.She also asked if the quorum required in the National Assembly – 37 of 72 MPs with voting powers present – as set out in the Constitution – could not be amended. ‘Maybe we could aim for a working quorum, which will allow for a lesser number of MPs in the Chamber so we can continue debates and answering of questions. If there are not 37 Members present, everything stops, this should be changed,’ she proposed. Should laws be passed, the quorum of 37 MPs could remain, but for any other business of the House, it could be lowered, she suggested.Justice Minister Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana said the various proposals showed that more amendments to the Constitution were required. ‘How do we work them into the existing Constitutional Amendment Bill?’ the Justice Minister asked. She was the last speaker on the debate and Prime Minister Nahas Angula will give his reply next week.brigitte@namibian.com.na