No opposition let up in push for biometrics for 2025 elections- Alexander, Norton

Last Updated on Sunday, 19 January 2025, 17:44 by Writer

Despite Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, Retired Justice Claudette Singh’s decision that there was insufficient time for biometric registration and verification of electors, the opposition-nominated Elections Commissioners and the political opposition on Sunday seemed set to intensify their struggle for the system and for it to be made mandatory.

Elections Commissioner Vincent Alexander told Demerara Waves Online News that he and his two other colleagues—Desmond Trotman and Charles Corbin—would advise that the opposition engage the governing People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC). “There are issues that they, as political parties, have to confront if this matter is to go forward.” he said. Asked whether he got the impression that the opposition parties would be willing to do so, he said, “I don’t think they have an option.”

But Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton on Sunday virtually dismissed such an approach. “I doubt it. The ruling party is behind what GECOM is doing,” he said. He said the opposition would likely revise its strategy on achieving its objective of digital fingerprint capture for registration and verification at polling stations. “We would probably change our approaches but we need some time to think it through. It came at a time of the budget when we are focussing on the budget but we’ll address it,” he said.

Reacting to the GECOM Chairman’s decision, he said “we anticipated it. She votes generally with the PPP and the PPP is saying ‘no’ to biometrics, having said ‘yes’ a few years ago.”

Mr Alexander disagreed with the GECOM Chairman that the implementation of a digital biometric system could not be done in time for the 2025 general elections. He said the manually captured fingerprints, which had been digitised for cross-matching, could be used along with original digital fingerprints of first-time registrants. “You don’t have to impose on people to come and do a re-registration necessarily. They are already registered, they are already digitised. We have a minimum number of fingerprints that are problematic and we know them when it arises at the cross-matching so we could build on the base that we already have,” he said.

The GECOM Commissioner did not give a specific timeframe for the procurement of equipment, training and implementation of such a project, but said the target timeframe should be November 2025 with the possibility of extensions.

Referring to the postponement of the 1990 elections to 1992 to allow for electoral reforms, Mr Alexander said “this country has responded to that kind of crisis in 1990 so I don’t see why they can’t respond if the crisis arise in 2025.”

He was also at odds with the GECOM Chairman’s position that it would be unconstitutional for digital fingerprints to be used as the only means of verification of voters’ identities at polling stations. Mr Alexander insisted that digital fingerprint verification of electors must be the primary means except in rare circumstances and said that could not be equated with the High Court’s invalidation of the 1997 general and regional elections because voter identification cards were used in those polls. “I am personally looking at the question of the unconstitutionality of the fingerprints as a primary source of identification and seeking some legal advice on that matter,” he said. He said “somebody presenting himself or herself physically cannot be questioned” for both registration and subsequently by voting after fingerprint verification.

Concerning a technical failure of biometric verification equipment or blackout at polling stations, he said in other countries there are usually power back-up and redundancy systems to cater for such events. He also suggested that by-elections could be held in areas where there was a system failure of one kind or another.

The opposition also wants the names of Guyanese, who died overseas, to be removed from the national register of registrants. Opposition People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) member, Carol Smith-Joseph has a pending High Court case concerning the need to verify the residency of registrants at addresses that they have given GECOM.

In her January 16, 2025, decision, the GECOM Chairman told fellow commissioners that due to the several tasks to run off the 2025 general and regional elections, the implementation of the biometric system would not be feasible”. They include stakeholder consultations to determine whether GECOM should introduce biometrics now, consulting with stakeholders like the Government and Parliament to determine whether it is even possible to do so now, considering things like costs and any legislative amendments necessary to cater fully for it; procurement of equipment for the introduction of biometrics in the registration process and at the place of poll; training of staff on the use of such equipment, public education on the introduction of these systems and how they are to be used to aid in registration and in voting.

Justice Singh also cited the need for the Commission to ensure that there is adequate legislation pertaining to the security of prints, and their use as a different tool to identify persons.