ELECAM’s Methodical Forward March

Efforts of Cameroon’s elections managing institution to organise free, fair and credible elections have so far been considered coherent, persistent and methodical.

The major stakeholders of the electoral process in Cameroon that include political parties, administration, judiciary and civil society, now better understand their respective roles in enhancing the country’s democratic culture. Since September 29, 2010, they equally know the steps so far taken by Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), in ensuring that future elections and referenda are transparent, free, fair, credible and the results accepted by all.

Elections Cameroon in application of the powers conferred on it by law, last September 29 organised a first-ever consultation meeting in Yaounde with the major stakeholders of the electoral process. Speaking after the meeting, the Board Chairman, Dr Fonkam Azu’u Samuel said, “he is convinced participants have reduced or in some cases, “cleared the incomprehension, suspicion and fear” that had hitherto prevented them from looking fraternally at one another in the face. September 29 consultation meeting was the hallmark of diverse meetings ELECAM has been having with individual elections stakeholders to discuss ways of ensuring credible and acceptable future elections. The Fonkam Azu’u led ELECAM electoral board members had already met and discussed with the leaders of the country’s five political parties represented at the National Assembly.

Voter registration

Consultations with elections stakeholders are taking place simultaneously with ELECAM –organised revision of the electoral register in preparation for the 2011 presidential election. The institution’s officials through reports and press interviews say the revision of the electoral register has been meticulously prepared; first through the training of 585 ELECAM staff, 77 of whom are in support structures at the head office in Yaounde and 508 in field branches nationwide. The institution has been effectively implanted and is working in the 360 Council areas of Cameroon and civic education sessions are being carried out. The revision of the electoral register is conducted by a Mixed Commission comprising the ELECAM Council branch heads, representatives of the administration, councils and political parties operating in the municipality. Voters enrolling their names for the first time are issued receipts while the others merely consult the register handed to ELECAM by the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation (MINATD) to confirm their names and do necessary corrections. For the start, the revision exercise is only at Council branch offices but the Vice Chairman of ELECAM, Barrister, Ebanga Ewodo assured stakeholders in a report that the Mixed Commissions will soon comb all parts of the municipalities to ensure that a maximum number of people register.

Since April 2010, ELECAM is in full possession of all the electoral material. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) also handed to ELECAM an adapted elections managing information system and a cartographic software that the Director General of ELECAM, Mohaman Sani Tanimou, in a recent press statement, said will check all cases of multiple registration. He also personally commissioned the institution’s field officials into their functions and organised seminars to train them on the missions of the ELECAM, the electoral process and their code of conduct. Last September, Mohaman Sani Tanimou visited the National Printing Press and the Cameroon News and Publishing Corporation (SOPECAM) that usually print the elections materials, as well as the Yaounde Military Airbase where some transparent ballot boxes are stored.

ELECAM is putting in every effort to surmount the voter registration challenge before facing other electoral processes such as the publication of voters’ lists, issuing and distributing voters’ cards before the conduct of elections proper.

Emmanuel KENDEMEH