Prime Minister Philemon Yang yesterday consulted diplomats and religious leaders.
Cameroon’s Prime Minister, Head of Government, Philemon Yang yesterday, February 27, 2012 started a two-day consultation meetings with religious, political, civil society leaders, heads of diplomatic missions and national institutions in view of improving the country’s electoral law.
In an introductory statement, Philemon Yang said, “The Head of State asked me to seek your views and suggestions on the codification of Cameroon’s electoral law.” The Prime Minister reminded the officials that President Paul Biya took a commitment to correct the malfunctions observed during the October 9, 2011 presidential election. The malfunctions, he acknowledged, did not impede the free choice of Cameroonians in the elections but, “the ambition of perfecting our electoral system warrants that close thought be given thereto.” Government, Philemon Yang said, seeks to review the legal framework on elections. The present legal framework is the fruit of a collection of separate laws passed over the last two decades. The situation poses the problem of accessing the corpus of provisions governing different elections and that of understanding them. The codification approach is aimed at compiling all the elections instruments into a single document.
The desire to get an acceptable and credible electoral law explains the consultations at the Star Building. The President of the Cameroon Democratic Union, Adamou Ndam Njoya and the party delegation were the first to be received. The second delegation was made up of religious leaders. They included the Secretary General of the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon, Sebastien Mongo Behon, Secretary General of the Council of Protestant Churches of Cameroon, Philippe Nguete and the President of the Islamic Cultural Association of Cameroon, Bello Amadou.
The Ambassadors of France, United States of America, Germany, the British High Commissioner to Cameroon and the Chargé d’Affaires at the Canadian High Commission were received as a group. The Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) and National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms delegations were to give their suggestions on improving the electoral law yesterday in the evening. Other political party leaders represented at the National Assembly and civil society leaders will be consulted today.
