General Abdularahman A. Al-Barawi “The New Identity Cards Are Impossible to Forge” [Archives:2001/08/Interview]
February 19 2001
Owing to this importance, the government allocates a handsome budget for the Authority to enable it to do its duties as proper as possible. Recently the Authority issued new identity cards classified as impossible to forge. To shed light on the newly issued identity cards and other related issues Ismael Al-Ghabery met with General Abdularahman A. Al-Barawi, president of the Authority of Civil Affairs & Registration and filed the following short interview:
Q: What are the responsibilities of the Authority?
A: Responsibilities of the authority have been identified in its bylaw regulation issued in 1998 as to outline the general strategy of the authority according to valid laws, register social events such as marriages, births, deaths, divorce, etc., issue identity cards and family cards, cooperate with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to issue identity cards for Yemeni emigrants, develop the Civil Registration Law and facilitate services for the public, etc.
Q: What Are The Features of The New Identity Cards?
A: The new identity cards are the outcome of careful studies of a number of Arab identify cards. The most distinguished features of the new cards are that they can not be forged. The photo of the ID card holders is taken upon applying for the card by a specialized officer and is inserted by computer in the card. Some information related to jobs has been dropped because they are changed from time to time. The card also include a secret line in which all information is stored. By this, none can get two cards from two different places. The computer will notify the officers wither the person is applying for an identity card for the first time or he has already applied in another town.
Q: What kind of facilitation the authority offers to make the new ID cards reach all Yemenis?
A: The Authority forms a number of ad hoc committees to make field visits to all government offices, schools, etc. to encourage and make it easy for people to get the new identity cards or any official documents at the specified price.
Q: Do you plan to deliver the new ID cards to Yemeni emigrants?
A: We have been doing this since unification. All Yemeni emigrants who meet the conditions have the right to get identity cards. We have organized committees to shoulder responsibility of issuing identity cards to Yemenis in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and other Arab countries. lack of financial support did not enable us to continue visiting other countries. There are future plans to visit Malaysia and Indonesia where Yemenis concentrate in big numbers.
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