The opposition SDF party has urged the Supreme Court, sitting in for the Constitutional Council, to declare that Elections Cameroon, ELECAM, is unfit to organise free, fair and transparent elections in Cameroon.
The SDF request was made by the SDF lawyers to the Supreme Court on the January 13. The SDF claims that since ELECAM is relying on electoral registers established by the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, MINATD, it has proven that it is not competent to organise free and fair elections. According to the SDF, ELECAM can only gain some credibility if it establishes its own electoral registers, instead of simply revising what MINATD left. It is well known that the MINATD electoral register is full of irregularities ranging from selective registration to multiple registration.
The SDF petition is hinged on section 41 of law No. 2006/011 of December 29, 2006, setting up and laying down the organisation and functioning of ELECAM. Section 42 reads: "Where Election is duly established as incompetent by the Constitutional Council, the President of the Republic shall, under article 5 of the constitution, take the requisite corrective measures." The SDF therefore claims that by failing to established its own voters' registers, ELECAM has demonstrated its limitations and cannot organise free and fair elections.
The petition, signed by the SDF Chairman, Ni John Fru Ndi, insists that the right of Cameroonians to have free and fair elections can be guaranteed if and only if ELECAM establishes its own electoral lists and ensures that voter registration is hitch-free. The opposition party takes great exception to the electoral registers drawn up by MINADT, saying t and non-selective. The whole exercise is mired in fraud. Such registers, the SDF maintains, still carry names of dead people.
In the motion, the SDF argues that ELECAM has the competence to establish new voters' registers as provided for by Section 22 of the law creating it. Citing that section of the law, SDF lawyers said: "the Director General of Elections at ELECAM is responsible for all election operations and referenda under the supervision and control of the Electoral Board."
Thus, the responsibilities of the Director General of Elections, Mohaman Sani Tanimou, include: the drawing up, managing, updating and keeping national voters' register as well as election documents. He also procures and distributes election materials and documents; draws up and publishes voters' cards. It is also the responsibility of the Director General of Elections to organise and supervise the training of electoral personnel as well as prepare the annual draft budget of Elections Cameroon and draft elections budgets and implement the budget of ELECAM.
The SDF wants ELECAM to establish new voter registers and voters' cards within the context of a biometric system of elections. The party equally proposes that political parties be involved at all levels of the electoral process. They are calling for the institution of a two-round presidential election and a stop to civil servants and administrative officials carrying out electoral campaigns.
The SDF request was made by the SDF lawyers to the Supreme Court on the January 13. The SDF claims that since ELECAM is relying on electoral registers established by the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, MINATD, it has proven that it is not competent to organise free and fair elections. According to the SDF, ELECAM can only gain some credibility if it establishes its own electoral registers, instead of simply revising what MINATD left. It is well known that the MINATD electoral register is full of irregularities ranging from selective registration to multiple registration.
The SDF petition is hinged on section 41 of law No. 2006/011 of December 29, 2006, setting up and laying down the organisation and functioning of ELECAM. Section 42 reads: "Where Election is duly established as incompetent by the Constitutional Council, the President of the Republic shall, under article 5 of the constitution, take the requisite corrective measures." The SDF therefore claims that by failing to established its own voters' registers, ELECAM has demonstrated its limitations and cannot organise free and fair elections.
The petition, signed by the SDF Chairman, Ni John Fru Ndi, insists that the right of Cameroonians to have free and fair elections can be guaranteed if and only if ELECAM establishes its own electoral lists and ensures that voter registration is hitch-free. The opposition party takes great exception to the electoral registers drawn up by MINADT, saying t and non-selective. The whole exercise is mired in fraud. Such registers, the SDF maintains, still carry names of dead people.
In the motion, the SDF argues that ELECAM has the competence to establish new voters' registers as provided for by Section 22 of the law creating it. Citing that section of the law, SDF lawyers said: "the Director General of Elections at ELECAM is responsible for all election operations and referenda under the supervision and control of the Electoral Board."
Thus, the responsibilities of the Director General of Elections, Mohaman Sani Tanimou, include: the drawing up, managing, updating and keeping national voters' register as well as election documents. He also procures and distributes election materials and documents; draws up and publishes voters' cards. It is also the responsibility of the Director General of Elections to organise and supervise the training of electoral personnel as well as prepare the annual draft budget of Elections Cameroon and draft elections budgets and implement the budget of ELECAM.
The SDF wants ELECAM to establish new voter registers and voters' cards within the context of a biometric system of elections. The party equally proposes that political parties be involved at all levels of the electoral process. They are calling for the institution of a two-round presidential election and a stop to civil servants and administrative officials carrying out electoral campaigns.
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