Dr Fonkam Azu’u Samuel, Electoral Board Chairman of Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) talks on the conduct of the October 9 presidential election.

What is the main focus of the Electoral Board meeting coming shortly after the proclamation of the presidential election results?

This is the fourth ordinary meeting of the Electoral Board of Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) for the year 2011. It will enable us examine and adopt the budget for 2012. It will be the recurrent budget and also that for elections. We will also evaluate the conduct of the October 9 presidential election. Yesterday (Monday, October 24, 2011), the Electoral Board of ELECAM had an enlarged meeting to start assessing the conduct of the election. I thank the press for its role in the election.

How do you intend to correct the lapses noticed in the organization of the October 9 presidential election?

I have had occasion to address this issue a lot of times. I have pointed out that the major achievement of ELECAM is that as a new body, we succeeded to organize the election on schedule. International and national observers agree on the fact that we were able to conduct this election in peace, calm and serenity. I ask the rhetorical question. If for instance, we had not done even the minimum that was required, could the election have gone on smoothly without people protesting?

I also indicated that we are conscious. We have started carrying out an autopsy of the whole election. We do not think we did the best we could, but I have pointed out also that nowhere in the world are elections organized without some hitches. We have carried out the autopsy and are going to take the necessary measures to correct some of the hitches which occurred such as double registration and cleaning up the electoral list. We will ensure that the list is cleaned up. For cases of deaths, we do not have a civil status registry that can enable us identify dead people. We will do what is possible in cleaning up electoral lists and look for a more effective method of distributing voters’ cards, especially in urban centres.

When will the sacked ELECAM Electoral Board member be replaced?

There was a communiqué that said everything that needed to be said. The Electoral Board did its job. The replacement is not done by the board. At the appropriate moment, the authority in charge will proceed with the replacement. We are 17 members left and we are continuing work.