Finally, there seems some hope that the process of distributing e-Tazkira’s or electronic national identity cards (e-NIDs) is likely to start.
A statement from the office of the second vice-president Sarwar Danish says a six-article decree – formally issued on May 13 – was aimed at speeding up the process of preparation and distribution of e-NIDs.
Based on the decree, the Population Registration Department (PRD) is responsible for the distribution of electronic ID cards and ministries of interior, telecommunication and information technology and finance will provide equipment and other facilities for the distribution of the cards.
President Ashraf Ghani has assigned a committee –led by Danish and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah – with supervising the implementation of the e-Tazkira process.
Financial and executive affairs of the PRD would be audited by a reliable international organisation, the decree said. Trial electronic ID cards distribution, under the first phase, would be implemented in 90 days, starting from the day the decree was issued. Five hundred government employees will receive the provisional e-Tazkiras.
The project to issue new electronic NIDs has been hanging fire for months because of differences over how to decide religion, nationality and tribe statuses. The government had to change the national population register law to include the three categories in the new NIDs.
There were differences of opinion with some members of Parliament (MPs) insisting that the matter had to be decided in Parliament. An executive decision was not enough, and against the rules of democracy.
E-Tazkiras will aid transparency at the time of elections. It can also stop fraud in ID cards and the entry of undocumented people and groups into the country.
Mohammad Hashem from Kabul who stood and watched while the police searched passengers on the highway to the north says, “The rumors that armed opponents have moved to the north has meant that security forces check NIDs of travellers on the highway. Those who did not have proof of identity were taken off the buses.”
According to Hashem, an e-Tazkira would be easier to carry around, and easy for security forces to check.
Abdul Shakoor Akhlaqi, a political affairs expert, believes distribution of e-NIDs to all citizens would be considered “good governance”.
