Aubrey Norton, the Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), led a picketing demonstration outside the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Friday, advocating for the introduction of digitalised fingerprint registration and verification at polling stations.
During a weekly news conference, Norton expressed his party’s decision not to submit any claims and objections to GECOM, fearing that such actions could lead to a trap set by the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC). He asserted that if the PNCR were to submit claims, the PPPC would likely minimize those figures, complicating the resolution process and falsely asserting that the voters list had been cleansed. “We’re not doing any claims and objections at this stage… One more round of registration and the voters list will be bigger than the population. Why should we rescue them out of that by talking about claims and objections?” he stated.
GECOM Chairman Claudette Singh has made it clear that there will be no biometric system implemented for the 2025 general and regional elections due to time constraints regarding expert advice, procurement, deployment of equipment, and training of personnel. She also highlighted the necessity for legislation to safeguard the use of fingerprints. Justice Singh has ruled out the exclusive use of digital fingerprint verification for electors at polling stations, citing constitutional concerns.
Norton reiterated his support for biometrics in Guyana’s elections, emphasizing that a digitalised fingerprint registration and verification system is vital to ensure the credibility of this year’s election results. He criticized the current voters list, which includes 738,484 names, claiming it is inflated and reaffirmed the PNCR’s commitment to push for a clean voters list.
He indicated that the government’s refusal to accommodate the demand for digitalised biometrics remains the primary objection of the opposition, calling it “the major objection,” while considering other issues as secondary. Furthermore, when questioned about concerns regarding a potential High Court case due to a lack of evidence from the claims and objections exercise, he stated he was unaware of such a case and remained confident in his party’s position.
Previously, PNCR Chief Scrutineer Carol Smith Joseph filed a court case in December 2024, calling for verification of registrants’ addresses, citing concerns over uninhabitable or nonexistent addresses linked to applicants. She argued that this could jeopardize the integrity of the General and Regional Elections and Local Government Elections.
In response, Chief Elections Officer Vishnu Persaud acknowledged the importance of residency but argued that the claims and objections process is designed to address these concerns. Dr. Dexter Todd, representing Smith-Joseph, contended that GECOM’s verification efforts fell short, as they only confirmed the existence of addresses without linking them to registrants. He emphasized that GECOM should not shift its responsibility for maintaining an accurate National Register of Registrants to individuals or political parties, clarifying that the claims and objections process is meant to be a final opportunity for public input, not a primary verification tool.
