Armenia's president on Wednesday signed into law legislation allowing dual citizenship, a move that could vastly increase the sway that the country's vast diaspora holds over political life in the tiny ex-Soviet republic.

The presidential press service said Robert Kocharian signed the multipart bill into law, but gave no further details.

Last week, ruling party lawmakers in the 131-seat National Assembly voted 66-5 to pass the legislation over the objections of opposition lawmakers who boycotted, saying it would increase potential for corruption, though most opposition parties support the overall concept.

The law allows dual citizenship for Armenians 18 years or older who have lived in the country continuously for three years; who marry Armenian citizens; who have a child who is an Armenian citizen or other new stipulations.

Dual citizens will be able to vote in elections but only if they physically cast their ballots in Armenia. Dual citizens will not be able to run for the presidency, parliament or the Constitutional Court.

The issue is an important change for the small country of about 3.3 million, which has a massive ethnic diaspora worldwide -- estimated at between 9 million and 12 million -- with particularly large communities in the United States and France.

Expatriate Armenians send massive amount of humanitarian and financial aid back to their homeland, and often subscribe to a harder political line on key issues of national interest, such as relations with neighboring Azerbaijan and Turkey.