Moldovan government gives negative note to introduction of patronymic name in identity papers

Chisinau, 12 March /MOLDPRES/ - The cabinet of ministers today ruled not to back a draft on amendment of the Law on identity papers from the national passports’ system, which provides for the compulsory introduction of the patronymic name in the identity acts. The legislative initiative was put forward by a group of MPs of the Party of Socialists (PSRM). According to the Socialists, the rights of the ethnic minorities, for which the use of the patronymic name was a tradition, will be observed in this way.     

If the additional field „Patronimicul/Oтчество” (Patronymic Name) is introduced in the identity acts of Moldova’s citizen, “the patronymic name of a person of Russian origin will be put down differently from the one of the Moldovan origin, which will trigger confused interpretations and discontents on behalf of holders,” the government’s note reads.  

According to the note, the name formula in the national system of the Moldovan people is made up of the first name and family name and the patronymic name is  synonymous with the “family name”, while in the system of the Slavic languages (Russian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Polish, Belarusian), the name formula is made up of the first name plus “patronymic name” plus family name.      

Under a ruling by the Constitutional Court and the amendments made to the law on civil status acts, the compilation of civil status acts, as well as the writing of mentions is made only in the state language. Hence, the patronymic name of the holder is not put down in the civil status acts issued at present. Moreover, the second generation identity acts, which are currently used in Moldova, meet the European standards.    

The return to the variant of writing personal data in the identity cards in the Russian language, in order to correctly show in the identity cards the patronymic name of a person of the Russian origin, which represents just one of the minority  languages spoken on the territory of Moldova (according to the State Register of Residents, there are over 150 ethnic groups in Moldova), harms the rights of representatives of the other national minorities to use the name and patronymic name in the form accepted in their mother language, the note reads. The change demanded “disagrees with the principles on guaranteeing the rights of the national minorities, as well as with the principle of equality of all citizens before the law,” laid down in Moldova’s Constitution.   

At the same time, the informative note unveiled by the group of MPs does not show the economic impact of the new regulations. The introduction of new compulsory data in the identity acts of the national passports’ system will eventually require the change of the civil status acts. In the same context, the legislative intention is criticized also under the aspect of harmonization of passports in the international relations, which is of special importance in terms of security, the cabinet of ministers added.   

(Reporter V. Bercu, editor A. Raileanu)