The poor quality photographs on new national identification (ID) cards have been a major issue during the continuing distribution exercise, to AFC MP David Patterson has noted.
Patterson told Stabroek News that his party is “disappointed” that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) did not put a system in place that ensure the best results, while explaining that complaints about the quality of the cards have been a recurring issue.
Both the PPP and the main opposition PNCR have confirmed receiving reports about the poor quality of the cards. Patterson said his party also received similar complaints and he said there was particular disappointment at the development, after the endorsement of the new national registration exercise. Further, he said while GECOM has stated that those registrants who are disappointed with the photographs on their cards could request that it be retaken, some centres have not been communicating this option to registrants. He added that this has been the practice at those centres manned by AFC scrutineers.
According to Patterson, just under 50% of registrants have uplifted their cards but he added that it does not necessarily follow that there was general satisfaction with the cards since some centres instructed registrants that they would have to await the start of the claims and objections process to retake photographs. He said the commission needs to say how many photographs have been retaken since the distribution exercise began. He believes that a lot of people would seek to use the claims and objections period to effect such changes.
Patterson added that while the cards could satisfy GECOM’s requirements for voting, as a form of identification it would be very limited given obvious deficiencies. “The pictures are barely recognisable,” he lamented.
GECOM has said that “an appropriate quality control procedure” was installed to ensure cards of the highest quality. GECOM said it would be in a position to accurately determine how many persons were affected by the problem of defective photographs at the end of the current ID card distribution exercise. However, it has made a strong appeal to dissatisfied registrants to use systems that are in place for corrective action to be taken if needed.
GECOM spokesman Vishnu Persaud said in a letter on Thursday that GECOM provided training, re-training and refresher training to the temporary personnel employed during the 2008 House-to-House Registration exercise. “Considering that those were not photographers by profession, and the fact that the overwhelming majority of the photographs taken during the exercise are of good quality, the commission is not dissatisfied with the level of success achieved,” Persaud said. He added that while glitches were expected, it was hoped that all ID cards would be of the best quality. “At this time we are heartened by the fact that hundreds of thousands of registrants have already uplifted their ID cards based on their satisfaction of the quality,” he added.
Persaud said GECOM did install a quality control procedure, having recognised the need. He said the procedure operated throughout the three eight-hour shifts each day during the ID card production exercise. At the same time, he noted that the commission anticipated that glitches, including poor photographs, would have been encountered, “especially since this system was being operated by humans, and in spite of the extensive training provided to them.”
Persaud said too that every ID card distribution centre continues to be equipped with a digital camera, with clear instructions for the staff to re-shoot registrants’ photographs which are found to be markedly dissimilar to the facial features of the respective registrants. Alternatively, Persaud added, affected persons would be afforded the opportunity to correct all deficiencies of ID cards during the conduct of the imminent claims and objections exercises for the upcoming local government elections. “We urge such persons take advantage of this opportunity,” he said.
GECOM has extended the period for the distribution of ID cards to December 31, 2009 at distribution centres countrywide. The exercise was expected to conclude on December 6, 2009. The distribution would continue at the 272 temporary distribution centres set up countrywide until the end of the year, at which point GECOM’s permanent Registration Offices would have responsibility for the exercise. There will be a break in the ID card distribution to facilitate the holding of local government polls and thereafter the process would resume. Cards are being distributed at centres from 15:00 hrs (3 pm) to 19:00 hrs (7 pm) from Monday to Friday, and 10:00 hrs (10 am) to 16:00 hrs (4 pm) on Saturdays and Sundays.
