French MPs Vote on Stripping Terrorists of Nationality

Local Editor

French lawmakers will vote on Wednesday on a controversial package of measures to change the constitution in the wake of the terror attacks on Paris in November.

One of the measures proposed by President Francois Hollande would strip people convicted of terrorism of their French nationality, a contested move that led to the resignation of the justice minister.

Another would enshrine in the constitution the state of emergency which is currently in force, giving security forces greater powers.

Relatively, the lower house of parliament voted through both measures separately this week, but the collective package of measures still requires the support of lawmakers on Wednesday before it can pass on to the upper house, the Senate.

For it to be fully adopted, it will then need the support of three-fifths of the Congress, the body formed when both houses meet at the Palace of Versailles to vote on revisions to the constitution.

For his part, PM Manuel Valls said late Tuesday he was confident the reforms would pass, and warned lawmakers from his Socialist Party that voting against them would "put the government in difficulty and leave the president in a minority."

He said France faces a terrorist threat "without doubt more serious than before November 13" when gunmen and suicide bombers killed 130 people in Paris.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team