Australian will hold an unprecedented five by-elections on the same day in July due to a political crisis over a 117-year-old constitutional ban on dual citizens holding seats in Parliament. Speaker Tony Smith told the House of Representatives on Thursday that the by-elections in four states will be held July 28. The ruling means that long delays by foreign countries in processing a citizenship renunciation application can cost a dual national a chance to be elected to the Australian Parliament. Since July, 15 lawmakers have been disqualified by the court or quit pre-emptively because of the dual citizenship ban. Only two lawmakers had previously been expelled over the dual-national ban since the Australian Parliament first formed in 1901.

Source: ABC News May 24, 2018 08:36 UTC