The copies will serve as reference documents in case of petitions.

Candidates for the September 30, 2013 legislative election or their representatives are streaming into the Supreme Court acting as the Constitutional Council to submit copies of their nomination papers. The papers are submitted to the Registrar-in-Chief of the Supreme Court, Koe Amougou Appolinaire who has put in place an appropriate mechanisms for their reception.

The submission of copies of nomination papers to the Constitutional Council is in respect of Section 164 (2) of the Electoral Code. “Such nomination papers shall be submitted and registered, against a receipt, at the General Directorate of Elections or at the divisional branch of Elections Cameroon of the constituency concerned. A copy thereof shall immediately be sent to the Constitutional Council by the candidate or his representative, against acknowledgement of receipt,” the Code specifies.

The Registrar-in-Chief of the Supreme Court, Koe Amougou Appolinaire on Friday, July 19, 2013 said candidates were submitting copies of their nomination papers in conformity with the law. He stated that the law provided no deadline for the exercise but re-echoed Section 164 (2) of the Electoral Code which states that the papers have to be sent to the Constitutional Council immediately they are submitted at ELECAM.  When Cameroon Tribune visited the Supreme Court at 2:00 p.m. on July 19, there were no candidates  but  Mr Koe Amougou said they had been trickling in  with copies of the papers.  He said it was difficult to give an exact number of copies already received.

Talking on the importance of submitting copies of the nomination papers at the Constitutional Council, Koe Amougou said they usually serve as reference documents in case candidatures are rejected by Elections Cameroon and the candidate or political party files a petition at the Council. He said the Constitutional Council does not have to go to ELECAM in search of copies of the nomination papers but would merely compare the copies at its level with documents furnished by ELECAM.