Another Australian MP resigns over 'dual citizenship'

The dual citizenship crisis in Australia has taken a new turn as another member of parliament has announced his resignation.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull attends a dialogue session at the APEC forum in Da Nang on November 10. Photo: REUTERS

According to Reuters, today (November 11), Australian Liberal Conservative MP John Alexander announced his resignation. The reason, as he told the press, was because he was not sure whether he really had only one Australian citizenship or not.

"It is my responsibility to resign," Alexander said at a press conference in Sydney on November 11. "That is what I will do. I think it is important to have some certainty to clarify the situation and to do it as effectively as possible."

Mr Alexander is still awaiting confirmation from the Home Office as to whether he holds British citizenship by descent. It is not clear whether the Home Office has responded.

Mr Alexander will have to establish that he is solely an Australian citizen before running for re-election here.

The politician said he also plans to run for re-election in Australia, which the Sydney Morning Herald said would be announced early next week.

The Australian constitution prohibits dual citizens from sitting in parliament. Last month, Prime Minister Turnbull’s centre-right coalition was thrown into turmoil after the High Court ruled that five of its members were ineligible to sit in parliament.

In that context, Prime Minister Turnbull had to rely on two independent MPs to help the ruling coalition protect Mr. Turnbull's position, preventing the approval of the law that his government opposed.

Only two independents are now backing Mr Turnbull after the High Court disqualified three Liberal-National coalition MPs from sitting in parliament, and a fourth resigned days after his dual citizenship was confirmed.

According to Tuoi Tre