ELECAM Members Swear To Defy CPDM Election Riggers

By Kini Nsom

The 12 members of Elections Cameroon, ELECAM, have pledged to ignore any eventual pressure from people who would want to rig elections for the ruling CPDM party or any other party in the country.

 

Fonkam Azu'u ELECAM Chairman Taking Oath of Office

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They vowed to give Cameroonians free, fair and transparent elections during a solemn ceremony at the Supreme Court in Yaounde on January 29.The pledge, in essence, was the letter and the spirit of the oath the members took.

Speaking to The Post shortly after taking the oath of office, most of the ELECAM members said the law gives them the latitude to do their job in all independence. They told their critics and sceptics that they have completely divorced themselves from their past and have taken the pledge before history and would even bite the proverbial finger that feeds them in order to give Cameroonians credible elections.

"We will first ensure that the process of registration of voters is credible, regular and verifiable," said one of the members, Dr. Dorothy Njeuma. For his part, ELECAM Chair, Dr. Samuel Fonkam Azu'u, said they owe allegiance only to the presidential decree that appointed them, the law creating ELECAM and the Constitution.

He appealed to Cameroonians to give them a chance and avoid judging them with prejudice. While presiding over the ceremony, the President of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Alexis Dipanda Mouelle, said the ELECAM members took the oath to be organising elections and referenda that would marshal the aspirations of all Cameroonians.

He traced the evolution of the country's electoral process, stating that ELECAM is now in charge from start to finish.  That is why the members took the following oath: "I …, swear to fully and faithfully discharge my duties and to exercise my office without fear or favour in accordance with the constitution and the laws in force, to ensure confidentiality of proceedings and votes, to abstain from taking public positions and to decline any consultation to matters falling under the purview of Elections Cameroon."

This means, the Supreme Court boss explained, that the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation that called the shots in the organisation of elections will, henceforth, have nothing to do with elections. He said administrative officials will only have anything to do with elections if ELECAM needs help from them in one way or the other.

Justice Dipanda Mouelle urged the ELECAM members to exercise their functions with total independence, responsibility and a rigorous sense of appreciation so as to give the electoral board its due credibility and consolidate democracy.

Going by the law creating ELECAM, the outfit enjoys financial independence. It provides that the Minister of Finance is obliged to disburse the ELECAM budget to its managers as soon as Parliament adopts the state budget.

After the Registrar-in Chief read the decree appointing members of the ELECAM Council last December 30, the Advocate General of the Supreme Court, Justice Martin Amoulong, emphasized that their job is incompatible with any other functions.

He urged them to take note that "ELECAM members shall under no circumstances, seek or receive instructions or orders from a public or private authority during the performance of their duties."

But the Chairman of the Progressive Movement Party, Hon. Jean Jacques Ekindi, who attended the occasion, said he was still sceptical as to whether ELECAM will fully deliver the goods given that most of its members are from the CPDM.

He said he was giving them the benefit of doubt, remarking that it will be a pleasant surprise if they respect only the laws in the discharge of their duties.

ELECAM Law

Law No. 2006/011 of December 29, 2006, creating ELECAM, states that its members are bound to declare their property and assets. The members are appointed for a mandate of four years.

According to Section 14 of the same law, "the Electoral Board shall hold 4 (four) ordinary sessions each year when convened by its chairperson". However, when need arises or at the request of 2/3 (two-thirds) of its members, the board shall meet in extraordinary session.

Meanwhile, during an election period, the Electoral Board shall meet at least every fortnight upon the convening of the electorate.Besides, the Electoral Board that shall ensure compliance with the electoral law of all stakeholders for the purpose of guaranteeing regular, impartial, free, fair, transparent and credible polls, there is the General Directorate of Elections.

It is responsible for the organisation and management of the polls under the supervision of the Electoral Board. This Directorate is headed by the Director General, Mohaman Sani Tanimou, and his deputy, Erik Essousse, appointed last December 31 for a mandate of five years, renewable.

For one thing, the law further provides protection of ELECAM members by stating in its section 3 that "Members of ELECAM may not be prosecuted, investigated, arrested, detained or tried for their views and actions in the performance of their duties…
"Save in cases of flagrante delicto or violations of the constitution and law, members of ELECAM shall not be prosecuted during their tenure," further reads the law.

Diplomats Boycott Swearing-in

The US Ambassador, H.E. Janet Garvey, the British High Commissioner, Syd Maddicott, the Canadian High Commissioner, Jean-Pierre Lavoie, the European Union Delegate, Javier Puyol and a host of other members of the diplomatic corps in Yaounde were absent at the swearing-in ceremony.

While talking to journalists that same day, the Press Officer at the US Embassy, Mathew Miller, said they boycotted the event because they didn't believe the calibre of persons appointed could deliver the goods.He said they would want to cooperate with Cameroon in aspects that can advance the democratic process.

Also, a source at the British High Commissioner told The Post that Syd Maddicott was out of the country.It was also hinted that the boss of the European Union and the Canadian High Commissioner were not also available. Curiously, they did not send any representatives.

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Cavaye Yeguie Djibril, the Prime Minister, Chief Ephraim Inoni, among other national dignitaries, attended the occasion.A combined squad of police and military elements cordoned off all the entrances to the Supreme Court giving the impression that the place was under siege.

People without invitation cards to the occasion, including some prominent personalities, were turned away by fierce-looking gendarmes and protocol officers.

Comments

[Dr A A Agbormbai]

No amount of justification of something that is clearly biased will make it unbiased. Bias is removed by taking corrective action not by formulating logical justifications.

You cannot appoint CPDM members to what is supposed to be an impartial body and then expect them to suddenly throw away their bias because their new job requires them to do so. They will have to be gods to do so.

Their long track record of open and strong bias towards the CPDM CANNOT be erased!

Just answer this question...

If the vote counts show that a party, other than the CPDM, has won a presidential election, do you truly believe that this CPDM-biased ELECAM body will announce that result? Clearly not!

Won't they rig the figures to make the CPDM win? Certainly so! Now, that's the point we are trying to make.

This ELECAM team CANNOT BE TRUSTED! And, no oath that they take can make them trustworthy. Neither will logical justifications remove their bias.

Bias is not always a voluntary action; in most cases, it is involuntary... i.e. most people who are biased don't even know that they are biased! Promising to be unbiased does not necessarily translate to acting unbiased. Even working hard to remove one's bias does not necessarily mean that one will make unbiased decisions or take unbiased actions.

Paul Biya understands what he is doing. His appointment of these members, in contravention of the law, is a blatant attempt to cheat. And the supreme court (which was supposed to be independent and people-oriented) has become a tool of abuse for Biya. His appointed puppets in this court throw away the law as soon as Biya asks them to. To them Biya has become the law.

If Biya wanted an unbiased ELECAM he would not have appointed his CPDM cronies as members of this body, in spite of all the independent personalities that he received from various contributors as possible members.

[Ferdinand]

"Justice Dipanda Mouelle urged the ELECAM members to exercise their functions with total INDEPENDENCE,responsibility and ..."

Yes the kind of independence he had in 1992 while proclaiming the results of the presidential elections. Is he not the same person who sweating profusely declared "My hands are tied"?

Oh! what has gone wrong in Cameroon that our people are so shameless?

Is it a spell?

[simo k. the stranger]

lets leave all this talk on ELECAM.how do you tell a palestinian to become a jew overnight?its clear the blame comes back to us because we are contented with the chants of cameroon being a peaceful nation.cameroonians have resigned theie destiny to fate hoping for tghe miracle to happen.the miracle if at all it will be a miracle(for those who don't know)would be for Biya to be replaced by his Son whom he has sent to study international politics.
"a nation without a conscience is a nation withput a soul,and a nation without a soul cannot live".

[7512wilson]

Every one is fed up. Even the International community is fed up. The question is 'why'. Why, why, why. But i trust in my God and i know Cameroon will soon be free under all means possible. May Jesus be our helper.

[Ted]

These appointed ELECAM members are nothing more than appointed ministers of a government. The same decree that appointed them will be the same decree to terminate their duties if need arises, so these sworn in members could actually be "honest" to discharge their duties but might be replaced somewhere along the line when the critical momemt arrives. The key to ELECAM lies in the hands of the person who appoints its members; he opens and closes its doors to whomever he pleases.

[arnoldo]

I strongly agree with Agbor, this is ridiculous.Some of this folks who have ate,breath and tattooed their political affiliations everywhere will not act otherwise with all the bloody benefits.
Getting ELECAM members could be a challenge with the fact any criterion could be lead to some representative-bias but this is where we might need some diplomatic assistance.
It is a shame and I really do help God help us in this land.

Good on you Mr president!

[hills]

Dear President Biya and fellow Elecam foes,
I write to you all in good faith and hope you digest my opinions like wise.
Professional, technocrats and all have atoned to the testimonies of the "WORD" but still you fools don’t quit

I ask you this: How far can a dog run into the hoods? Get the answer before it becomes to late my pitiful fathers and mothers. Sometimes, I doubt if its out of ignorance, natural, curse or demon directed that you guys do what you do. Still I do not judge you cos even the greatest epidemic has an end....
You are on the bad side of history, no one can ever wish that upon himself.

Elect Cameroon, Cameroon elect.....which ever way you choose, it’s the evil path and you all gonna rot in hell for eternity

[knganjo]

This is lipstick. If you put lipstick on a pig it still remains a pig. Fokam Azu? A fraud of international standard? This is a joke. Biya and his cronies have gone bananas.These guys have taken the country hostage.But let them know this, their days are numbered and they will live to account for the sins they have committed against the people of Cameroon. Charles Taylor thought he was stronger than Liberia.Where is he today? What a system of law? A system where a judge cannot stand for the truth? God forbid.

[DR TAN OF CAMEROON]

CAMEROON.
SAD INDEED. FOR HOW LONG?
DR THOMPSON AKWO NTUBA MD, Ph.D

[Ta Muma]

People have sworn before and shall continue to swear.swearing like democracy and christianity have no meaning these days especially in Cameroon.Swearing will only make sense when the right people must have taken hold of that Country and not when mediocred,quacks and chalatans of the rankest specie are prevailing over meritocracy.The battle is ours but the fighting will be done by God.Where are the Mobutus and the Idi Amins today? I hear his royal highness is the natural leader of the chieftaincy.May he never turn to dust.