In a sudden turn of events, the parliamentary group of GERB has decided to retract its proposed draft law aimed at abolishing indefinite identity cards, as observed on the website of the National Assembly. This decision comes less than a week after the introduction of amendments to the law on Bulgarian personal documents, which would have had significant implications for over 2 million Bulgarian citizens aged 58 and above, who are currently entitled to permanent identity cards.
The withdrawal of the proposed changes became apparent during the plenary session of the National Assembly, as Speaker Rosen Zhelyazkov announced that the bill to amend the Law on Bulgarian Personal Documents, initially submitted by deputies from GERB-SDS on February 14, has been withdrawn. However, no specific reasons for this decision were provided.
The amendments were originally introduced by Manoil Manov, chairman of the internal committee in the parliament, along with former interior ministers Hristo Terziyski and Mladen Marinov. The proposed legislation aimed to phase out the issuance of indefinite identity cards, a privilege afforded to Bulgarian citizens aged 58 and older under the current legal framework.
The abrupt reversal by GERB has sparked speculation and raised questions about the motivations behind the decision. Critics argue that the proposed changes would have had far-reaching implications for a significant portion of the population, potentially impacting their access to essential services and rights.
While the withdrawal of the draft law has temporarily halted the debate on the future of identity documents in Bulgaria, it remains unclear whether GERB will revisit the issue in the future or if alternative proposals will be put forward to address concerns related to identity card regulations.