Over half of Transnistrian residents do not change passports issued by Tiraspol authorities

{Correction: This version modifies story titled - [Tiraspol warns it will administratively punish persons that will not change Soviet-type passports in due time]} More than a half of the population in Transnistria have not yet applied for identification papers issued by the self-styled Transnistrian authorities. But the Soviet-type passports will be no more valid in the region as from January 1, 2010, Info-Prim Neo’s correspond reports. According to Konstantin Kominyarski, an official of the Tiraspol Passport Division, the persons that will not legalize the documents in due time will be administratively punished. Only the pensioners will be allowed to use the Soviet-type passports in continuation. The passports issued by the Transnistrian authorities have been in circulation since 2001.