GUYANA | MP Forde Blasts Troubling GECOM Rejection of Biometric Voting

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, January 19, 2025 - Opposition Shadow Attorney General Roysdale Forde SC has launched a blistering attack on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), demanding it reverse course on its decision to reject biometric voting for upcoming elections.

The senior counsel's forceful intervention comes just one day after GECOM Chair Justice Claudette Singh (ret'd) dismissed biometric implementation as impractical given time constraints - a position Forde argues puts Guyana's democratic future at risk.

"We cannot afford to proceed with a flawed system that compromises the legitimacy of our elections," Forde told Village Voice News in an extensive interview. "Biometrics isn't just about security—it's a non-negotiable requirement for protecting our democratic future."

In making his case for urgent electoral reform, Forde emphasized that biometric technology has been battle-tested globally, pointing to its successful track record in curbing voter impersonation and preventing duplicate registrations in numerous jurisdictions.

The shadow minister saved his sharpest criticism for what he termed GECOM's "appalling and troubling" failure to implement key recommendations from election observers and the 2020 Commission of Inquiry (COI) Report, which followed Guyana's contentious general elections that year.

At the heart of Forde's concerns lies Guyana's notoriously bloated voters' list - an issue he argues has plagued elections and eroded public confidence across political lines. The senior counsel pointedly referenced previous criticisms from the now-ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP), highlighting how concerns about electoral integrity transcend partisan divisions.

"If we're truly committed to credible elections, we must invest in tools that provide both security and accuracy," Forde insisted, detailing how the current voter registry remains riddled with deceased individuals and emigrants, potentially skewing election results.

The shadow attorney general's criticism of GECOM's stance was particularly pointed when discussing the Commission's response to the 2020 COI recommendations. "Not a single recommendation has been implemented, nor has any explanation been provided for this inaction," he said, characterizing the electoral body's approach as one of troubling indifference to reform.

Forde painted a stark picture of Guyana's electoral crossroads, arguing that the nation's ethnic tensions and history of alleged electoral fraud make the adoption of biometric safeguards all the more crucial. The current system, he maintained, leaves the door wide open for various forms of electoral malpractice.

Drawing upon his legal expertise, Forde laid out a comprehensive case for how biometric verification could help cleanse the National Register of Registrants (NRR), which he claims continues to list long-departed citizens among its ranks. The senior counsel argued that such technological upgrades would serve as a shield against the kind of electoral controversies that have historically divided the nation.

"The need for robust biometrics isn't theoretical—it's a fundamental requirement for protecting the legitimacy of our election results," Forde emphasized, urging GECOM to prioritize the system's implementation before the next electoral cycle begins.

His parting message to the elections body carried both warning and appeal: Guyana's democracy deserves better than a system that leaves the door open to electoral manipulation. The time for modernization, he insisted, is now.

Forde called on GECOM to demonstrate its commitment to transparent and credible elections by reconsidering its stance on biometric voting, arguing that the commission's current position risks undermining public faith in the entire democratic process.

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