The controversial family registry system mandating children of divorced or remarried couples to use the surname of their biological fathers may be abolished by 2006 at the earliest.

The bill would replace the current method with a Western-style individual registry, under which there would be no legal head of the family. Each entry would instead be on an individual basis.

Social and women's groups have demanded changes to the present system, which only recognizes males as the legal heads of families.

The bill is expected to trigger bitter debate among lawmakers because conservatives are opposed to the revisions, saying they would break the country's time-honored traditions.