AMN /
France lower house of parliament has passed a proposal to amend the constitution to strip people convicted of terrorist offences of their French nationality.
National Assembly voted by 162 to 148 late last night to incorporate a passport-stripping clause into the Constitution, despite misgivings by some lawmakers that it is too extreme.
A follow-up vote is scheduled on Wednesday in which the lower house is due to reaffirm the vote.
Earlier on Tuesday, parliament overwhelmingly voted to extend the current state of emergency by another three months, giving police and security forces increased powers.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls welcomed the vote’s result and said the constitutional reform will go ahead.
To change the constitution, the government’s proposal will need approval by the upper house of parliament, the Senate, and then finally by both houses by a three-fifths majority.
French President Francois Hollande launched the long process to change in the Constitution after the November 13 Paris attacks by Islamic State terror group that killed 130 people.
The measure to strip terror convicts of French nationality has strong public support but has deeply divided Hollande’s ruling Socialist Party.
Christiane Taubira resigned as justice minister late last month over her opposition to it and Hollande’s former Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault has publicly condemned the amendment.