Dominican Republic deputies steamroll bill fast tracks citizenship

Santo Domingo.- The Chamber of Deputies on Friday passed the bill that provides a quick path to Dominican citizenship for persons born in the national territory who figure in the country’s Civil Registry and on naturalization, less than 24 hours after president Danilo Medina submitted it to congress Thursday.

The lawmakers took the decision at the special session held today to debate that single initiative, received yesterday from Interior and Police minister Jose Ramon Fadul and Presidency legal adviser Cesar Pina.

The 161 lawmakers present in the lower Chamber approved the bill, who voted in the second session, where just two voicing opposing to its rushed approval.

Deputy Juan Carlos Quiñones asked his colleagues not "stew" the legislation, while Eugenio Cedeño urged the Chamber to exercise restraint and "allow a bit more time" to study its legality.