Georgetown, Guyana — “We need enhanced biometrics,” declared Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo in a dated interview, where he outlined his party’s position on improved voting systems for fairer elections. Jagdeo explained the necessity of biometric voter identification, emphasizing that enhanced systems could prevent voting irregularities at polling stations. In addition to biometrics, Jagdeo also called for electronic voting machines with a paper trail, which would strengthen transparency, accuracy, and public confidence in the electoral process. “We are going to push for electronic voting,” he said, describing a dual system that combines both electronic and manual methods, ensuring a secure voting environment.
Responding to these comments, Alliance for Change (AFC) Deputy General Secretary Beverly Alert on Friday renewed her party’s call for these measures, urging the PPP to act on the very reforms Jagdeo previously advocated. “There is no more excuse,” Alert stated at the press conference, insisting that with Guyana’s improved financial standing, the country is well-equipped to adopt both biometric ID and electronic voting for the upcoming 2025 General and Regional Elections. “If the VP is to be taken at his word, then he will follow through and honor the statements he made,” Alert asserted, challenging the PPP to implement Jagdeo’s proposals.
Alert laid out the AFC’s expectations for the 2025 elections, including “a new voters list, the use of biometric voter identification at polling stations, and electronic voting.” She further underscored the need for impartiality in the hiring process at GECOM, calling for fair hiring practices and the exclusion of openly partisan employees. “We have to ensure a fair system of hiring in GECOM,” Jagdeo had previously stated, a position the AFC is now pressing the PPP to uphold.
The AFC Deputy General Secretary urged the government to amend existing electoral legislation as needed and vowed her party’s support for funding these reforms. “The AFC will support appropriations for GECOM to capture biometrics and conduct electronic voting,” said Alert, pledging that her party stands ready to assist in ensuring transparent, fair elections. She called on the PPP to “back up their words with actions,” adding that if the ruling party believes it can win in free and fair elections, they should welcome the reforms.
As 2025 approaches, the AFC’s demand for concrete action on electoral reform challenges the PPP to make good on Jagdeo’s public statements. “Let us head to the polls in 2025,” Alert declared, asserting her party’s readiness to compete in what she described as “free and fair elections.”
