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Interior ministry to delay issuance of identification cards

Interior Minister Su Jia-chyuan (蘇嘉全) said yesterday that identification (ID) card renewal will be postponed until after the Dec. 3 local government elections.

The exact date for the start of ID card renewal has yet to be decided, Su said.

Quoting the results of an opinion survey by the Ministry of the Interior, Su said 14 cities and counties have suggested that ID card renewal be started Jan. 1, while the remaining cities and counties recommended that the renewal be started after Dec. 20.

Su said the interior ministry will make a final decision after a further evaluation.

The minister made the remarks after presiding over a citation ceremony for 163 outstanding grassroots administrators, agencies and volunteers.

The ministry was originally scheduled to begin issuing new forgery-proof ID cards July 1. But on May 30, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) filed for a Council of Grand Justices ruling on the constitutionality of the existing household registration law, which requires people to be fingerprinted while picking up ID cards. The DPP's application was a response to concerns about possible human rights violations.

The Council of Grand Justices imposed a moratorium on June 10 on the fingerprinting provision until it rules on the issue. The council also began a two-day hearing on the request on Wednesday. A ruling is expected at the end of next month.

Su said the interior ministry will fully respect the council's ruling. If it rules that fingerprinting is in violation of the constitutional spirit or provisions, he said the ministry will not require fingerprinting.

Su said that when the council hands down its ruling, local population offices will be busy with preparations for the Dec. 3 local government elections.

At the request of city and county governments, the interior ministry has agreed to wait until after the elections to start distributing new ID cards, Su said.
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