Devon Dick

LAST FRIDAY, the Senate passed three bills, the electronic fingerprint voter identification bills, which will pave the way for electronic verification for the first time in an election for a Member of Parliament. There has been a pilot project in Rae Town and in Papine during local government elections so this is a further step in an attempt to institute it in islandwide General Elections. This however, is a wrong move as it will not solve the problem for which it was designed to sort out. Furthermore, there appears to be greater priorities.

CUTTING FRAUD

Electronic verification and voting were attempts to cut out electoral fraud. It is hoped that elections would become fair and it would be one person, one vote. However, electronics will not prevent intimidation. It did not prevent some JLP activists from losing their lives at an enumeration centre. On Sunday night, a newscast said that the Honourable Dr. Omar Davies, Minister of Finance, had to be ushered away from a funeral service because gunshots were being fired to intimidate persons. The same day, a football match between Tivoli Gardens and Rivoli was aborted because of gunshots at which the former Prime Minister, the Most Honourable Edward Seaga was in attendance. Electronic verification and voting cannot withstand the assault of high-powered weapons.

The late Justice James Kerr, former political Ombudsman, had offered solutions to electoral fraud, which did not include electronic verification and voting. He must be turning in his grave at the direction we are turning in seeking to address electoral fraud.

UNRELIABLE

In addition, scientists told a USA federal panel in the run-up to the 2004 election that electronic voting was not reliable and suggested a back-up paper system. It was therefore not surprising that the Senate amended the bill to allow for oath of identity if the electronic equipment fails to work. In fact, it is possible that it makes it easier to commit electoral fraud. One good hacker could cause mayhem.

In any case, electoral fraud has never affected the national results. The will of the people has been done despite fraud.

Electronic verification and voting is an untimely move because there are more urgent claims on our expenditure. Part of the responsibility of good leadership it to prioritize based on resources. Most Jamaicans would opt for a better fire service, education system and security force. The politicians are running the risk of being seen as insensitive and self- serving because at the funeral and football match where gunshots were fired, the officials had their security detail. In addition, a member of the police force paid the ultimate price in foiling a kidnapping attempt. Resources need to be expended on security for people's safety. Resources need to be expended to give that policeman an official funeral and compensation to the family over and above the normal.

One is aware that Chairman of the Electoral Advisory Committee, being an educator, would want the computers to be used in schools because it is really a shame to spend so much money on equipment that will be normally used only twice every five years for General and Local Elections. But it should be the other way round wherein school computers should be borrowed from schools to conduct elections. The government made a commendable decision in 2002 to pay for the Information Technology subject in CXC but there are schools that need an adequate computer lab.

WASTE OF MONEY

Furthermore, to spend millions of dollars on a fingerprint exercise solely for the purpose of voting appears to be a waste. This fingerprint database should be used in the fight against crime. Jamaicans have to give their fingerprints to enter Uncle Sam's country so we might as well give our fingerprint in the fight against a high murder rate right here at home.

In addition, electronic verification and voting is an indictment on the political parties. If their main interest is service and not an attempt at getting hands on the spoils of office, then there should be no fraud.

Voting is a simple exercise that need not be expensive. Electronic voter verification and voting is a nice technological system, which should be implemented only after certain basic needs have been taken care of. For the moment this system will not solve our problem and it's a waste of money that could be better spent on more urgent matters.

Rev Devon Dick is pastor of the Boulevard Baptist Church and author of Rebellion to Riot: the Church in Nation Building