Less than 10% seek to be citizens of Moldova

Multiple citizenships are allowed in Pridnestrovie: Some residents hold Russian, PMR and Moldovan

DUBOSSARY (Tiraspol Times) - As reported by Moldovan news agency IPN, according to a study conducted by the Russian-Transnistrian Analysis Centre, 60.2% of Pridnestrovie's inhabitants would like to obtain the Russian citizenship, 27.3% - Ukrainian, 9.9% - Moldovan, 1.7% - Romanian, and 0.9% - Polish citizenship.

The survey was revealed as parliament passed amendments to the citizenship law, allowing locals to hold as many citizenships as possible. The survey focuses on which citizenships the population would like to acquire, and does not comment on the actual citizenship already held by the population.

The 2004 census covered citizenship data, revealing that since double citizenship has always been allowed in Pridnestrovie, many residents hold one citizenship as a pledge of allegiance and to show their state affiliation, and another for convenience and travel purposes. Census data revealed that approximately one third of the population of Pridnestrovie holds double citizenship.

Those residents who hold citizenship of Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublica and chose to identify themselves as citizens of PMR numbered 508,600 people (more than 90,0% of the permanent population of the republic).

Meanwhile, 107,600 thousand people (19,4%) listed themselves as citizens of the Republic of Moldova, while 56,000 people (10,1%) claimed citizenship of the Russian Federation and 44,400 people (8,0%) citizenship of Ukraine.

Pridnestrovie is mostly Russian-speaking and has a Slavic ethnic majority, in contrast to Moldova where most of the population speaks Romanian and is ethnically Moldovan. But in Pridnestrovie, according to the latest census results of 2004, there is an ethnic minority of 31.9% who are Moldovans. Even among these ethnic Moldovans, the majority are in favor of separate statehood for Pridnestrovie and want no future within Moldova.

Multiple citizenships are legal

Earlier this month, Pridnestrovie's parliament made several amendments to the law on citizenship. Until now, the residents of Pridnestrovie have had the right to hold dual citizenship only. But with the latest amendments, parliament has approved the right of the country's population to hold two or more citizenships.

The author of the amendments, MP Andrei Sipcenko, stated that they are necessary in relation with the fact that Pridnestrovie is not yet a recognized state, and because of the need for the population to travel.

" - I can get the Moldovan citizenship if I want to," said Dumitru Nastase, a resident of Dubossary. "But I am not sure that I want to. If I have to take an oath to Moldova, I am afraid that I will just have to tell them what they can do with their oath. I am sorry, but I feel strongly about this. But maybe I will need travel documents, because unfortunately our own passport, from Pridnestrovie, is not recognized abroad yet. We can only travel within the CIS countries for that reason."

Pridnestrovie, which is also known as Transdniester or Transnistria, declared independence in 1990 in reaction to what many here saw as anti-Slavic discrimination in Moldova. Although not recognized as an independent country, it meets the requirements for statehood under international law. It has a population equivalent in size to the population of Montenegro, U.N.'s latest member. It has a territory approximately twice the size of Luxembourg, and a government with its own flag, national anthem, passports, stamps, car plates, a Supreme Court, a democratically elected parliament, a Central Bank, and a currency, the PMR Ruble. (With information from IPN)

See also:
» Ethnic Moldovans in Pridnestrovie prefer independence over unification with Moldova