ELECAM appointment: A death to democracy in Cameroon

Though in reality Cameroonians never expected much from the appointment of members of the country’s electoral governing body – Election Cameroon (ELECAM), knowing the regime’s inability to guarantee credible, transparent, free and fair elections, they are however disappointed with the December 30 appointment of members of the electoral body.

By Yemti Harry Ndienla

Most disappointing is the fact that the President went to the extent of appointing members of his ruling CPDM Central Committee and Political Bureau, as well as former CPDM Ministers and Governors, sidelining names of those proposed on the ELECAM panel by political parties and civil society groups that met with government (the Prime Minister)

Reacting to the appointment, opposition Member of Parliament, Hon. Jean Jacques Ekindi, underscores the fact that the law creating ELECAM makes it clear that anybody to be appointed into the outfit should not have any attachment to a political party, for the person has to be considered as being independent or neutral. Ekindi, who doubles as National President of “Movement Progressists,” and one of those consulted by government on the ELECAM issue told the press, “Today, it is clear that the consultation which the Prime Minister carried out was in fact useless. The appointments on December 30 were a clear indication that nobody cared about our proposals…”

Though Southern British Cameroon which later became West Cameroon, understood and practiced democracy an other opposition leader S.A. Ngwana, in his reaction made it clear that Cameroon has never practiced democracy or understood what free and fair elections means since 1960 when French Cameroon achieved Independence as the Republic of Cameroon, and 1961 when British Southern Cameroon united with the Republic of Cameroon to form the Federal Republic of Cameroon.

Since the abolition of the Federation in 1972, the United Republic of Cameroon under Ahidjo and later the Republic of Cameroon under Biya , Cameroon has never enjoyed democracy. Under Ahidjo, Cameroon suffered the one-party dictatorship, with all the atrocities of press censorships, BMM, arbitrary arrests, torture and detention among others. No opposition Parties were allowed and the people had limited freedom.

In 1992, Biya was forced by the Cameroon people and the International Community, to allow multi parties in the country despite rejection and protest by militants of his ruling Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement (CPDM) Party, that multi parties cannot operate under the one party rules. However, government continued to handle and conduct flawed elections through the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization with no Independent Electoral Commission thereby giving the ruling CPDM party opportunity to always score over 80 percent of each election.

In a bid to divert national and international attention government created a paper-tiger body, known as the National Election Observatory (NEO) to observe elections, with no powers to conduct. But this was not taken lightly by the people of Cameroon. Backed by the international community they continued to press on the government for an independent electoral commission. A commission which later saw a stillbirth.

With an Independent Electoral Commission, Cameroonians saw a flicker of hope of changing the Government through the democratic process of the ballot box. Reason why sub-paragraph 11 article 13 of the December 29, 2006 law creating ELECAM, made it clear that “the post of chairperson, the vice chair and members of the electoral council are incompatible to functions or quality…of a member belonging to a political party or a group supporting a political party, a candidate or list of candidates”. It states that the appointment of members into the electoral council of ELECAM are chosen from amongst Cameroonian personalities known for their competence, moral integrity, intellectual honesty, sense of patriotism and their spirit of neutrality and impartiality.

These explain why prior to the appointment, the country’s Prime Minister, Ephraim Inoni, under the instructions of the head of states conducted extensive consultations where members of opposition political parties represented in Parliament, civil society, among others made suggestions as to the type of people they wanted to compose ELECAM. Thus ELECAM was to be made of outstanding men and women of high integrity, politically neutral, and transparently honest. Men and women who would inspire confidence in the electoral process.

On the contrary and in what many describe as a violation of the law governing ELECAM, president Biya, has appointed militants of his CPDM party; a party ridden with corruption and embezzlement, a party which has produce the most corrupt government, winning twice the trophy of the world’s most corrupt governments as members of ELECAM. Besides, the appointed men and women are of questionable characters,

“ELECAM is not an Independent Electoral Neutral body to conduct any elections in Cameroon, but an organ of the CPDM, a tool in the hands of Paul Biya, to guarantee his life presidency” says S. A. Ngwana whose party vows never to contest any elections conducted by the present ELECAM. On the other hand he urges all political parties to boycott all elections conducted or organized by the present ELECAM.

Hear him “Let all Cameroonians and the whole world know that Cameroon is a ONE PARTY STATE, and that there is NO DEMOCRACY in Cameroon. Biya has killed Democracy in Cameroon”.