In a recent statement on the Government operated public television station, ZIZ, the Minister of National Security, the Hon. Dwyer Astaphan offered a fatuous and uninformed opinion about the stated preference of the People’s Action Movement for the use of biometric data, specifically fingerprints on a Voter Identification Card. It is unfortunate that the Minister chose to exhibit his ignorance in such a public forum and it is especially sad that he was attempting to scare the public with hyperbolic and inaccurate protestations about criminality. How ironic it is that Min. Astaphan who is usually so reluctant to discuss the real criminality plaguing our Federation should be so quick to talk about the non – existent criminality that he is accusing the People’s Action Movement of foisting on the people. ~~Adz:Right~~
The two points raised by the Minister are easily dispensed with. The situation in Antigua where the Voter ID Card could not be read by the machines was a failure of technology that is easily rectified. The technology proposed by the People’s Action Movement is similar to that used in credit cards. The fingerprint would be encoded in a magnetic strip or barcode that would be swiped in the way credit cards are and compared with a digitized scan of the fingerprint taken on Election Day. The problems encountered in Antigua would not occur under this scenario. The beauty of this fingerprint system would be the near impossibility of duplicate voting.
The practice in the last General Election of engaging persons to vote several times using different names could not occur as once a fingerprint has been entered into the system that person would not be able to vote a second time. This is the real reason that this Government has arrogantly decided that in this case Democracy must be discarded and one man, the Prime Minister with his National ID Card must rule, and the majority of 60% desiring a Voter ID Card with fingerprint must be ignored. The agenda in this case is clear.
~~Adz:Left~~ The issue of fingerprinting turning persons into criminals is simple scaremongering that has no basis in reality. For the information of Minister Astaphan and the others who are similarly ignorant a criminal is a person who has committed a crime and has been so convicted in a Court of Law. The use of personal information for the purpose of identification is a well established practice of the modern world. Documents such as passports and social security cards are well known and contain personal information such as birthdates. The biometric data in the Voter ID Card would be no different.
The fingerprint information would not be a part of any national database but contained only in the card. It is fanciful for Minister Astaphan to attempt to associate such a card with infringing on privacy or especially when the Prime Minister with his National ID Card is the one trying to infringe on individual rights.
A National ID Card with the wealth of information suggested in one place, which is to be used in a wide variety of circumstances, would render individuals particularly vulnerable to identity theft. A card used only for voting would not. Minister Astaphan should stick to his portfolio and leave this important matter to the experts. In fact so should this Government. The gracious assistance of the Commonwealth should be accepted and a credible process of Electoral Reform that all stakeholders can support should be initiated.
