Should foreigners be allowed to run for public office in a country?

Should foreigners be allowed to run for public office in your country?

  • yes

    Votes: 8 30.8%
  • no

    Votes: 12 46.2%
  • maybe

    Votes: 6 23.1%

  • Total voters
    26
Mitsuo Oda said:
That's my answer too.
As long as they are LEGAL. Then I have no problem with it. They MUST be a citizen

I can't understand your post. Being legal (resident), be a citizen and have a country's nationality are 3 completely different things. If are a foreigner and have a valid visa, you are a legal resident. You need to be naturalised (and often renounce to your previous nationality) to become a national. Citizenship just means that you have the right to vote or be elected. Some nationals don't have that right (some criminals) and foreigners in some countries do. For instance, some foreigners in Britain can vote at elections and be elected.

Please read the thread Nationality VS Citizenship
 
Maciamo said:
The US does accept dual citizenship, but Haitie normally doesn't. Here is a list of country and their position on the issue.

Yes my Taiwanese relatives who live in the U.S have dual citizenships.

I did not say differently. I also look back at my "homeland". It's just that I feel a similar attachment to several countries, so it doesn't give an absolute priority to one in particular. I just can't forget about my experiences, the culture, language, people, etc. in the countries where I have lived. I haven't really spoken my mother-tongue (French) for the last 5 years. I now feel more comfortable with English, and more used to the Japanese lifestyle. So I feel somewhat strange when going back to Belgium. I feel I do not really belong there anymore, but cannot determine one country where I really belong. I feel as much at home in England, Belgium, France, Italy or Japan. In fact, I do feel at home when I am in Luxembourg or in the Netherlands although I have never lived there. It's just that the atmosphere is so similar to Belgium that it can feel more like home than even Japan. Can you understand this feeling ?

I think I can, I have lived in East Malaysia, two cities in Australia and now France. I have no attachment with any places, any of the schools I have been to since I changed schools too often I feel I don't really bond with any of those schools or cities I have been with.

I completely disagree. We are not talking about presidential elections, but just election (even local ones). In the EU, all citziens from the 25 membe countries have the right to run for the local and EU election in their district of residence, wherever they live. So, if a Pole wants to run for election in Spain, or a Greek in France or a Slovene in Scotland, they can. They can, even if they do not speak the language (well) or do not know anything about the local culture or affairs because they have just arrived. Yet, a non-European who has lived for 30 years in the same small Scottish town, knows many people around, speaks perfect Scottish English and know more about the region than many locals, may not be allowed to run for elections if he/she does not take on the British nationality. They may choose not to become British because they would lose their nationality and may have very difficult to visit their relatives in their home country, if that country does not make it easy for British citizens to go there. This person may become a very good politcian, but is refused the right to just run for election (no guarantee of being elected) just because of such a stupid thing as nationality ? Do you find this normal ? If the local people want to vote for that person, then why not ? If everybody objects, then he/she won't be elected anyway. But why not give this person a chance at least ?

Hmmm I supposed in this case the person who lives there long enough and knows more about the country should have more right to run for public office.

Personally, I wouldn't want to give up my nationality for the Japanese one, because it gives me the right of a permanent resident with some voting rights in 25 countries (some where I have never been, others that I know very well).

Look at the US. Many people who weren't born there are allowed to run for election, even keeping their original nationality (as the US allows dual nationality). Schwatzeneger is one of those immigrant who became governor of the most important state (California has a bigger GDP than France or Britain), and became the most famous Republican politician after the president himself. I cannot grasp your example about the african tribal man in this case. I doubt that Schwarzeneger (not really a scholar, not even an intellectual) knows much better the US than I know Japan.

I saw a documentary about Schwarzenegger, when he first came to the U.S. he said to himself that he would one day become a movie star, be married to a prestigious member of the U.S. society and would run public office of the U.S. And he did it all, that documentary also said his father was a Nazi.
 
Minty said:
I saw a documentary about Schwarzenegger, when he first came to the U.S. he said to himself that he would one day become a movie star, be married to a prestigious member of the U.S. society and would run public office of the U.S. And he did it all, that documentary also said his father was a Nazi.

Perhaps, then, it really is the land of opportunity and dreams.

But, I wish the politicians there would work out a health care system so that people can afford it. Perhaps something like Japan`s that makes it, or at least the basices, affordable for all.

That said, I do think that foreignors with permanent legal residence status of 10 years should be able to run for city or perhaps even prvincial/prefectural/state legislative positions. Being a mayor should also be acceptable for foreignors. As for provincial/prefectural/state governors -- I am not so sure. Maybe for those positions the requirement for length of residency should be 15 or 20 years.

Once someone is naturalized and renounces citizenship of their original birth country, all positions should be open except for the presidency.

At the moment, that seems to be the position Arnold is in.
 
I reject the concept of "foreigner." If you come to live in my country and you do not carry any weapons you are welcome as my compatriot. That is my philosophy. Everyone shall be free to travel upon the planet we share without any restrictions which include being elected to a public office, in my opinion.
 

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