One person might have two identity cards, but with the same number: DNR

The Department of National Registration (DNR) has said that one person might have two national identity cards for two different addresses, but both cards will have the same number.

In a statement issued on Monday, the DNR expressed concern over the allegations made against the institutions in relation to the problems surrounding the first round of the presidential election.

The DNR said that it is possible that one person has two identity cards, and that this happens because people request for new cards following change of addresses, and claim that they have lost their old cards, making it impossible to cancel the old cards.

The DNR said that the permanent address stated on the national identity card is the name of the house in an island at which the person is registered.

The statement further said that people move often between islands in the Maldives, resulting in several people being registered at more than one location; but that the address stated on the identity card would be the name of the house the person was registered at most recently.

Meanwhile, President of Elections Commission Fuad Thaufeeg recently said at a meeting held with political parties, that the problem of one person having two identity cards with different numbers was faced several times when checking the voters’ registry.

Several problems concerning identity cards have been noted recently by the Jumhooree Party (JP), as well as by the police in a report by its Intelligence Department.

The police report states that 1,865 people who had never been issued identity cards were included on the voters’ list, 10,020 people’s addresses stated on the list did not match their addresses on the DNR’s database, and information was received by Police Intelligence to indicate that identity cards were created abroad by a group of people earlier this year.