The Board Chairman of Elections Cameroon gave a press briefing in Yaounde on Thursday, August 1, 2013.
The Board Chairman of Elections Cameroon, ELECAM, Dr Fonkam Azu’u Samuel, accompanied by the other board members and senior officials of the Directorate General of Elections, yesterday, August 1, 2013 presented the list of political parties and candidates to run for the September 30, 2013 twin legislative and municipal elections. This was during a press briefing at the Yaounde Multi-purpose Sports Complex after the board members scrutinized the candidature files submitted by the parties.
For the legislative election, 38 political parties submitted 250 candidature lists. After scrutiny, ELECAM board retained 202 lists from 28 political parties. 48 candidature lists were rejected. Dr Fonkam Azu’u presented the accepted and rejected lists per Region and constituency. For municipal election, 35 political parties submitted 787 candidature lists to run for the country’s 360 municipal councils. ELECAM board retained 724 lists and rejected 63 lists. The ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM lists for legislative election were accepted in all the constituencies. For the party’s lists for the election of municipal councilors, the lone list rejected was that of the Tiko Council in the South West Region.
Dr Fonkam Azu’u disclosed that the lists of accepted political parties to run for the municipal election included those of Hon. Kwemo’s Union of Socialists Movement, UMS party. The Administrative Bench of the Supreme Court, during a ruling on Wednesday, July 31, 2013 called on ELECAM to accept the party’s council lists in Bana, Bakou and Banwa Councils in the Upper Nkam Division of the West Region. The lists, ELECAM Board Chairman specified were presented on reserve as the institution’s board members will scrutinize the files today.
It is now time for political parties whose lists have been rejected, to file petitions in competent courts. For legislative election, Dr Fonkam Azu’u cited Section 129 of the Electoral Code which states that, “Objections or petitions relating to the rejection or acceptance of candidacies, as well as those relating to colour, initials or emblem adopted by a candidate may be brought before the Constitutional Council by any candidate or political party taking part in the election or any person serving as a government representative in the said election, within a maximum period of two days following the publication of the list of candidates.” This means that the latest date for filing the petitions is Saturday, August 3, 2013. For council elections, the deadline for filing petitions at the competent administrative courts is five days from the day of the publication of the lists, meaning August 6, 2013.
