Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government and more so the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) must deliver to this nation credible preparations for the next General and Regional Elections, constitutionally due in 2025. No excuse accepted. GECOM must do its work consistent with the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana to deliver free, fair and credible elections. The PPP/C Government and National Assembly must provide the requisite funding to ensure this.
Enough of the excuses and avoidance to do what’s required. Guyana’s electoral system needs a complete overhaul, and it must be urgently done to allow for fairness and justice. One of the ways by which we can do this is by demanding the incorporation of biometrics in our electoral processes.
We must not succumb to the PPP/C’s convenient objection to the use of biometrics technology. Fraudulent elections benefit the PPP but injure Guyana’s image, the integrity of the vote, and our hard fought and won political freedom/independence. Be reminded, this very government signed a US$34.5 million contract with Veridos- a German- based provider of integrated identity solutions- to implement an electronic identification system locally. Thus, we must ask the question: Why an electronic identification but no biometrics for an electoral system that has been mired in all sorts of disputes and controversies?
The idea of incorporating biometrics technology into our electoral system is not new. In fact, many countries have adopted this technology in their electoral processes to varying degrees. For example, India, Nigeria, Kenya and Pakistan have been using this technology for quite some considerable time now in their electoral system. In the Caribbean, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts and Nevis have all adopted biometrics technology in their electoral systems. It is necessary for me to point out that the population of some of those countries are smaller than ours. Yet, those governments recognised the utility of that technology to enhancing the credibility of their election systems and democracy.
The existence of a bloated voters register and the empowerment and disempowerment of certain groups of people make it absolutely to adopt this technology to secure the integrity of electoral processes. The integrity of electoral processes is a main pillar of democratic governance, making sure that the will of the people is accurately represented and protected.
This technology offers a number of benefits: it functions as a safety valve for transparency: biometrics voters registration ensures that the identity of each voter is accurately recorded. This reduces the opportunity for duplicate registrations or voter manipulation. This facilitates additional security as it prevents unauthorised persons from casting votes on behalf of others.
Also, it reduces electoral fraud and irregularities, which compromise the legitimacy of election outcomes and affect public trust in democracy. With biometric authentication, electoral authorities can identify and prevent instances of voter impersonation, ballot stuffing, or multiple voting attempts.
As well it helps to make elections more inclusive and accessible to all citizens, including those in far- flung communities. By capturing biometrics data during voter registration, electoral authorities can design a comprehensive voter database that accurately reflects the demographic composition of the electorate.
Again, biometric identification systems can accommodate voters with disabilities or those who may face difficulties with traditional forms of identifications, fostering greater participation and representation in the electoral process.
GECOM must act to ensure the adoption of biometrics in time for Guyana’s 2025 elections. This is crucial for maintaining public confidence in the electoral process and upholding the legitimacy of electoral outcomes. By using advanced technology to authenticate voter identities, electoral authorities show a commitment to fairness, transparency, and accountability.
