-1,071 cards returned so far
After a stream of complaints, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) yesterday admitted that some new National Identification (ID) Cards were produced with photographs that do not meet commonly acceptable standards.
GECOM dubbed the situation “very regrettable” and announced that it is implementing several remedial measures to replace all ID Cards with unacceptable photographs. “The Commission accepts that, notwithstanding the quality control procedures which were installed… to ensure that ID Cards of the highest quality were produced, some ID Cards with photographs of objectionable quality bypassed this component of the production system and were dispatched among Cards of superior standard for distribution,” GECOM said in a statement issued yesterday.
According to GECOM, 327,225 Cards were uplifted by the respective registrants up to Monday; the figure represents the delivery of 76.2% of the total number of ID Cards produced for distribution. Since the start of the distribution exercise, there have been steady complaints by some registrants about the quality of the photographs on the Cards. The major political parties, the PPP, the PNCR and the AFC have all reported receiving complaints about the quality of ID Card photographs.
GECOM said the issue continues to be deliberated upon extensively at the level of the Commission, with technical input from the senior management staff of the Commission’s Secretariat, in order for corrective action to be taken to ensure that an ID Card of superlative quality is delivered to each registrant.
Further, GECOM noted that enquiries into the nature of the problem revealed that the completed ID cards with unacceptable photographs are mainly from Registration District No. 4 (Region 4), where distribution began. The Commission had taken the decision to commence printing and distribution of ID Cards for registrants of the District, noting that it is the region with the largest number of registered persons and was likely to pose greater challenges in terms of achieving optimal distribution within the duration of the exercise. The detection of the problem saw corrective action taken immediately during the initial production stages, GECOM explained, and this led to it not being replicated in a significant way in the other Registration Districts.
The Commission equip-ped every ID Card Distribution Centre with a digital camera, with clear instructions for the relevant staff to retake registrants’ photographs which are found to be markedly dissimilar to the facial features of the respective registrants.
This measure will continue at the temporary distribution offices until the end of the exercise, GECOM explained. It added that in cases where any registrant is dissatisfied with the quality of the photograph because the facial features are unrecognizable, a request could be made for the photograph to be re-taken on the spot for remedial action, which should see the replacement of the ID Card with an acceptable photograph. The staff at the Distribution Centres will have a collective say on whether the request is justified as against an attempt to abuse the system, GECOM noted. So far, this measure of giving registrants the opportunity to have their photographs retaken has resulted in 1,071 ID Cards with unacceptable photographs having been returned to the GECOM Secretariat as at Monday.
GECOM noted that while just over two thirds of cards have been uplifted, there could be ID Cards with unacceptable photographs among them. As a result, affected persons would be afforded the opportunity to initiate remedial action during the conduct of the imminent Claims and Objections exercise for the upcoming Local Government Elections.
Meanwhile, GECOM said it has also taken cognisance of complaints that staff attached to some of the temporary distribution offices has been less than helpful in treating with requests from registrants for their photographs to be retaken. It noted that some such staff have reportedly refused to accommodate the requests, claiming that they were not in possession of a camera, that the registrant would have to visit the main Registration Area Office to have his/her photograph retaken, or that the photograph could be retaken only during the Claims and Objections exercises. Consequently, GECOM has issued clear instructions for all Registration Officers to take the necessary steps to guarantee that the concerns of registrants, especially pertaining to the poor quality of ID Card photographs, are addressed in accordance with the deliberate corrective policies of the Commission. GECOM added that it is not “overly worried about the cost” associated with the replacement of ID Cards with unacceptable photographs, since the photographs are being retaken digitally; the Commission is in possession of more than adequate quantities of raw materials; and the production aspect will be undertaken by permanent GECOM staff of the Commission’s Registration Department during routine operations. “Notwithstanding the issue at hand, GECOM takes this opportunity to reassure all stakeholders that the Commission and its Secretariat recognize their collective responsibilities to carry out their mandates with utmost efficiency to the satisfaction of all concerned,” it said, adding, “the Commis sion and its Secretariat will never lose sight of the need to provide service of the highest quality.”
