PNG’s digital ID stalls; Switzerland slated for e-ID voting

As Papua New Guinea edges closer to the next general election, digital ID has come into focus, with legislators blasting the government for the delayed rollout, which they say could affect the polls.

In Switzerland, voters will take to the polls later this month to give their verdict on whether the country should introduce digital IDs.

PNG’s digital ID faces hurdles

The island nation of PNG has been on a digitalization journey in recent years, with a new digital ID as one of the pillars. Last year, it launched a pilot for the SevisPass digital ID system, and in June, it unveiled the Draft Digital ID Policy to unify digital identity for its citizens. A month prior, the government kickstarted a data integration exercise under SevisPass for public authorities and banks.

However, PNG lawmakers say it’s just not enough. They recently grilled Administration Minister Richard Masere, accusing his ministry of failing the country in its quest for digital identity.

In particular, they pinpointed the delayed rollout as a potential obstacle to the country’s upcoming general election. PNG’s polls are set to be held on or before 2027—the official date is yet to be set—to elect members of parliament, who then vote for a new Prime Minister to head the government. The local-level government elections are much sooner, and after a series of delays, are scheduled for September 27 this year.

Minister Masere defended the government’s rollout, claiming that the delay was due to an unforeseen setback that is now being solved. He pledged to publish a report on the same in the coming weeks.

On digital ID for elections, the minister says there are more critical issues to address. One is the country’s official voter register, known locally as the Common Roll.

“To make sure that our Common Roll is accurate, we need to have reliable data. There have been queries and questions, and based on the recommendation of a parliamentary committee, there have been concerns about the electoral roll being inflated,” he stated, as reported by local paper Post Courier.

Masere said the ministry intends to spearhead a national census to provide “the basis for us knowing where the numbers are.”

Its last poll in 2022 was described by the director of a local think tank as the “worst election ever.” Local outlets reported widespread hijacking of ballot boxes, with some destroyed while others were allegedly stuffed with illegal votes. The election before that, in 2017, was described in a study by the Australian National University as being plagued by brazen fraud and violence.

Switzerland to vote on digital ID

Elsewhere, Switzerland is set to hold a referendum later this month on the fate of its proposed digital ID draft law.

The Swiss will vote on the Federal Act on Electronic Identification (e-ID Act) in a referendum on September 28. If it passes, the new ID will be introduced in Q3 next year at the earliest.

It will be the second time the Central European nation votes on the e-ID; in 2021, 64% of the Swiss electorate voted against the Act due to privacy and security concerns. As it was drafted back then, the Act assigned the responsibility of issuing and managing the e-IDs to private companies. It has since been amended, with the government now solely responsible for the entire process.

Under the new Act, the digital ID is also optional for citizens and free of charge.

To obtain the e-ID, Swiss citizens can apply online by scanning their identity documents and submitting video verification. Alternatively, they can apply in person at any cantonal identity documents office.

Opposition to the new e-ID remains in some quarters. After both houses of parliament overwhelmingly voted for the Act, a group dubbed “No to the e-ID Law” came in with over 55,000 votes against the bill, which triggered the referendum. They claim a digital ID would undermine citizens’ privacy.

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