Dear Editor,
It is noted that the Elections Commission is reported as being indisposed to providing ID cards to citizens who contribute to the salaries and benefits enjoyed by Commissioners and staff, who appear, like so many others, indifferent to the history of this strategic document.
It is true that it was initiated for the purpose of verification of the voting process, more than half a century ago. But it subsequently expanded to serve as identity verification in relation to an increasing range of business transactions, even involving pensioners. The demand for identification on a daily/nightly basis has become exponential to the extent that it has least to do with voting every five years – unnoticed however by every Administration, and indeed other public (and private) sector agencies.
Interestingly one is more easily served in seeking a Passport. The GRA is another agency respected for its expeditious provision of relevant identification. The time has long come when issuance of a National ID card should be the responsibility of an agency independent of any voting implications. Is it too optimistic to expect the current administration to retrieve the mask of this sensitivity from a political to a professional arena of ‘security’?
Sincerely,
Elijah Bijay