The opposition has called on the government to ensure that by the next general election Malta would have a “new and clean electoral register”.

Speaking during the adjournment, Labour MP Michael Falzon criticised the government for the nine-year delay in renewing identity cards, requesting a “clear, concise reply” about when the ID renewal process would begin.

Dr Falzon said it was essential to stop what he called “the confusion” that currently surrounded the issue and to reassure the public that the next election would be based on a new, clean electoral register.

The Nationalists had won the last general election by a handful of votes, amid accusations that a number of Maltese living overseas had come purposely to Malta to cast their votes when they did not have such a right. Many felt that an outdated electoral register had allowed this to happen.

Dr Falzon asked who was politically responsible for the Electoral Commission. Was it the Prime Minister or Infrastructure Minister Austin Gatt?

He recalled that the last time ID cards had been renewed was in 2002. By means of legal notices, the expired cards had been continuously renewed. The last time this had happened was through LN 28 published on January 13 this year, wherein the Prime Minister had said that “any identity card issued after January15, 2002 which expires before December 31, 2010 shall, notwithstanding the expiry date appearing on such identity card, remain valid up to December 31, 2010 and such identity card shall not be deemed to have expired before December 31, 2010.”

On several occasions the government had promised to start the renewal process but nothing had happened. The first time had been in 2008. In May 2009, Minister Austin Gatt had said the system was being set up. Five months later, he had declared that the plan was being implemented, and the electronic ID card would be a reality by the middle of 2010.

Barely a month had passed, said Dr Falzon, and Dr Gatt had said the new system would operate after Malta received funds from the EU for the purpose. Last May, when the funds had failed to arrive, Dr Gatt had said the government was looking at alternative means of funding.

Two weeks ago, the minister had said the process would start at the end of the year, and last Monday he had told Parliament that it would start in August or September next year. Answering a series of opposition questions, the minister had said a contract for the production of biometric identity cards was expected to be signed with De La Rue in the coming weeks, with the first cards expected to be issued in August or September next year.

The signing of the agreement, Dr Gatt said, would follow the production of the necessary software together with the Electoral Commission. The EU last month had approved funding for the renewal of all ID cards.

He said the new cards were expected to feature greater security and more information on their owners, including fingerprints. The information would be stored on a chip in the card.

Replying to the Leader of the Opposition the Prime Minister had said the renewal of the cards was to take about 12 months.

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