By Mark DaCosta-The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has issued strong warnings regarding the government’s controversial commencement of the Digital Identity rollout without essential legislative frameworks in place.
The opposition partnership has reiterated its commitment to modernisation but is deeply concerned about the implications of launching a Digital ID system operationally shackled by the absence of pertinent laws designed to safeguard citizens’ sensitive information. APNU’s objections stem from the comments made by Prime Minister Mark Phillips, who acknowledged that the deployment of Digital ID cards is already in progress, despite the Digital Identity Card Act and the Data Protection Act remaining dormant. This situation raises significant alarms regarding both privacy and potential governmental overreach.
According to APNU, while the government professes a desire to promote digital transformation, it is operating without the necessary legal safeguards that are vital to protect citizens’ personal data from misuse. The Prime Minister’s admission highlights a clear risk: “In plain terms, the Government is collecting and storing biometric identity data for thousands of public servants without the full force of the law.” APNU is alarmed that the administration is proceeding with the collection of sensitive identity data without the requisite legal protections intended to prevent such data from being mishandled.
Moreover, the implications of a mandatory Digital ID system for public servants and, eventually, for the wider population introduce severe concerns over privacy and individual autonomy. As senior government officials have indicated that this identification will soon be prerequisite for various essential services, including employment and banking, questions have surfaced regarding the government’s motivations. “These developments raise unavoidable questions: Why is the rollout happening before the laws take effect?” The absence of regulatory frameworks means that citizens are being compelled to trust a system that lacks accountability.
The fears voiced by APNU extend beyond mere operational concerns and enter the realm of civil liberties. Experts warn that the execution of an all-encompassing biometric identity system without legal oversight erodes the protections intended to handle personal data responsibly. “This unified identity infrastructure is being built without the legal architecture required to safeguard rights,” they argue. With such a system designed to integrate an extensive range of personal information — from employment data and banking details to healthcare statistics and migration status — APNU maintains that the government is amassing unprecedented access to citizens’ lives.
This anxiety is exacerbated by a troubling history. The current government, APNU argues, has previously mishandled citizen data, particularly during election campaigns, and has even withheld key results from the 2022 Population and Housing Census — a staggering G$2 billion endeavour. “A government that withholds national data while demanding more intimate personal data from its citizens cannot be trusted with the consolidated power this system creates,” they assert.
The party has highlighted an alarming inconsistency in the government’s approach to biometric systems. While it seeks to implement a widespread Digital ID, it has simultaneously rejected enhanced biometric safeguards at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). This contradiction suggests an insincerity regarding the integrity of electoral procedures. “This inconsistency should concern every citizen who values secure, credible, verifiable elections.”
Furthermore, APNU warns that the completed Digital ID database will eventually intersect with electoral processes, potentially manipulating voter registration. Without proper legal oversight, they argue, the system could create avenues for political exploitation: “APNU believes that the PPP is effectively constructing a digitally centralised, politically vulnerable identity backbone, one that could be manipulated to influence electoral rolls.” This sentiment has arisen amid growing apprehensions that the administration is keen to establish a system capable of clandestinely shaping electoral dynamics.
The notion is clear: while citizens seek modern services that enhance their quality of life, they are resolutely opposed to a governance model that offers no legal restraint on tracking or profiling. “A Digital ID can be a tool for progress. But without the law in effect, it becomes a tool of control.”
As the debate unfolds, APNU says it remains committed to safeguarding the rights of citizens, calling for necessary legal frameworks to ensure democracy and accountability in the face of this potentially overreaching governmental initiative.
