Introduction of Fingerprint biometrics must be shelved until after elections-GECOM Chair

Feb 08, 2025 News

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Kaieteur News-Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton on Friday criticized the decision by Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh on shelving the introduction of digital finger prints calling it “unacceptable and inadequate”.

Commissioner Clement Rohee on his Facebook Page on February 4, 2025 stated that Justice Singh decided that “any focus on preparations for the introduction of biometric fingerprint capture must be shelved until after the upcoming elections. At that stage, we can take the first step towards digital fingerprint capture.”

In response to the decision, Norton told reporters at his weekly press conference on Friday that the Opposition has taken note of the reports that the Chair has proposed to hire a technical expert to advise the Commission on how to go about the introduction of digital fingerprint capture for registration but this must be done after the elections.

Norton questioned how the GECOM Chair, “arrived at the conclusion that it [digital fingerprinting] cannot be done for the 2025 General and Regional Elections when she lacks the technical knowledge?”

“The Opposition rejects this latest proposal as inadequate and unacceptable. The GECOM Chair is acting as a bias arbiter, when she should be seeking consensus, and is causing Guyanese to raise questions about her competence, integrity and courage,” the Opposition Leader said.

He reminded of his party’s January 24, 2025 press conference where it was stated that

Justice Singh lacked experience in biometrics technology and project management. The party had called on the Commission “to seek proposals from expert firms on using fingerprint biometrics in Guyana for registration and voting.”

“This is the only acceptable basis that GECOM and stakeholders can have a shared understanding of the timeframe and other issues involved and to make knowledgeable decisions,” the opposition party said.

Norton said that the Chair’s decision to dance around their position, by proposing the use of biometrics be explored until after the next election, will not work as she lacks “the technical know-how to make such a critical decision.”

Further, he said that the opposition remains resolute that the integrity and credibility of the next elections cannot be held hostage to the bias, and arbitrary decision of the GECOM chair when she lacks the requisite technical knowledge to do so; her ruling against the use of biometrics in the next election was totally devoid of any technical input from relevant experts and therefore remains deficient and unacceptable and GECOM must immediately hire the experts. Only on that basis could proper decisions be made on the use of biometrics for registration and voting in the next election.

Meanwhile, Kaieteur News in its February 7, 2025 edition reported that Justice Claudette Singh said “At the last meeting, I gave an undertaking that I will give thought to the proposal to introduce digital fingerprint capture as a component of the registration process. In so doing, I have recognised that going in that direction is easier said than done.”

The GECOM Chair mentioned, “Section 9(1A) of the National Registration Act as amended by Act 14 of 2005 empowers the Commission to determine from time-to-time procedures for the acquisition and electronic processing of data.”

Taking this into consideration, Singh highlighted that there is nothing in the law or otherwise that is currently preventing the system from being introduced where the fingerprints can be taken digitally, as it is the Commission that is empowered to determine such procedures.

“This is still my opinion. However, I maintain apart from the necessary elements of implementing such a system, such as procurement of equipment, training of personnel and education of the public, there is still the need for the Commission to address other issues, such as ensuring that there is adequate legislation pertaining to the security of prints,” the GECOM Chair said.

In the statement, she explained that although the technology exists to facilitate digital fingerprint capture to be introduced, it will be a new thing for GECOM and it must be ensured that all bases are covered. It would be necessary to hire a Technical Consultant to advise on the way forward if the Commission is to have this done in a comprehensive manner.

“In this regard, our first step would have to be in defining the objectives and scope to create the Terms of Reference to advertise locally and overseas for Expressions of Interest (EoI), leading to the hiring of such a consultant,” the Chair explained.

She further explained that, “The Consultant would then be required, based on research and analysis, to prepare a project taking all variables into consideration including technological, legal, financial and operational frameworks. In my view, this is what should be our first step in the direction of introducing digital fingerprint capture during the registration process.”

According to Singh, conceiving a project for capture of fingerprint digitally should not be done at the same time as preparations for the upcoming elections, because there will be challenges in logistics, technical considerations, political and social acceptance issues, and also the costs.

(Norton says GECOM’s Chair decision on biometrics still “unacceptable, inadequate”)

(Norton says GECOM’s Chair)

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• biometrics, Chairman, decision, GECOM Chair, opposition

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