By Kini Nsom
The European Union, EU, reacting for the first time to recent ELECAM appointments, has expressed regret that a majority of its nominees are affiliated to the CPDM party.
The declaration is contained in a press release issued February 6 and distributed by the EU delegation in Cameroon led by Javier Puyol.The release reads in part: "The European Union notes the nominations by the presidential decree to the council of Elections Cameroon, ELECAM, and the appointment of the Director General and Assistant Director General to ELECAM.
Stressing the need for ELECAM to fulfil its role with independence, impartiality and credibility, the European Union regrets the delay that has preceded these nominations and the fact that the overwhelming majority of nominees have affiliations to one and the same party, notwithstanding the consultations with stakeholders that preceded the appointments," the EU statement reads.
In this wise, the EU urges the government of Cameroon to take necessary measures to guarantee the independence of ELECAM (Elections Cameroon). According to the declaration, the EU is calling on government to take all necessary steps to create the necessary legislative and administrative environment for electoral reform, to guarantee the operational independence of ELECAM, to devote sufficient resources to ELECAM to enable it function effectively and to build widespread public confidence in the organisation.
The EU also calls on the Electoral Council and leadership of ELECAM to demonstrate independence and impartiality in all its actions as it plays its critical role in ensuring free and fair elections for the benefit of the people of Cameroon. Meanwhile, ELECAM officials have begun function, following their swearing-in recently.
The officials say they are determined to give a positive and an unprecedented kink to Cameroon's electoral process. Speaking to the press last week, the Director General of ELECAM called on Cameroonians to spit out voter apathy by registering their names in the electoral registers and be ready to vote when the time comes.
Besides the upcoming presidential elections in 2011, ELECAM is expected to organise Regional and Senatorial elections. As the elections management body struggles to install itself in the wake of widespread criticisms, observers hold that ELECAM has to do everything possible to prove to Cameroonians that it can organise free and fair elections.
The statement is so weak and has no impact. It was even better for them to stay quiet.
Nonsense
Posted by: Fon. | Monday, 09 February 2009 at 08:32 AM
Fon,
You see why Europeans don`t really go along well with Americans,it's because Americans like calling their dubiousity the name it deserves.It has not even taken a month for them to succumb to Biya.This is the continent that has kept Africa in the dark for centuries,and sees no reason why we should come out of it.Shame!
Posted by: Watesih | Monday, 09 February 2009 at 08:54 AM
Real nonsense...All the same i think the task of making things right lies now on cameroonians own very shoulders. I wonder why Pa Nii John was bordring asking them not to finance that Rigging commitee. Nonsense gov´t nonsense regime!
Posted by: besong | Monday, 09 February 2009 at 08:59 AM
This is absolute nonsense. The statement has little impact as it tacitly recognises the so-called Elecam.There is no where a fraud of international magnitude like Fokam Azu can organise free and fair elections in Cameroon.Fokam is an unrepentant cheat.
Posted by: knganjo | Monday, 09 February 2009 at 09:18 AM
This is rubbish . They knew about Biya's plan “He cannot be understood by reading scriptures; the deceitful pretenders are deluded by doubt.” who cares about their concern for our election ? If Biya didn't reduces us to beggars these people wouldn't have the guts to come and tell us rubbish. Who are they fooling ? Reading this crab you will intelligently see that they are turning things around. May God Bless Cameroon.
Posted by: rolex | Monday, 09 February 2009 at 11:05 AM
CAMEROON AND THE E.U.
UNDER MY 10 WISE FRIENDS , I LOOK AT PARAMETERS THAT CAN BE USED TO PREDICT EVENTS IN CMAEROON BODY POLITY.
CAMEROON AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS THE HEADING FOR THESE STATEMENTS.
FRANCE IS A MMEMBER OF THE E.U. E. U PROTECTS PRIMARILY MEMBER STATES[GOV,TS].
IT,S STATEMENTS TO CAMEROONIAN POLITICAL AFFAIRS MOST BE SEAM TO BE DIPLOMATIC.
IT,S HAS AKNOWLEDGED THE MASSIVE INVOLVEMENT OF C.P.D.M MEMBERS. WHICH SIDES WITH ILLEGALITY.
CALLING ON THE MEMBERS OF ELELCAM , TO SHOW IMPARTIALITY AND INDEPENDENCE, FALLS WITH THE NOTION THAT THE SUPREME COURT OF CAMEROON, HAS VETTED AND INSTALLED ELECAM.THAT CAME BEFORE THEIR STATEMENTS . THEY ARE TRING TO BE NEUTRAL. SIMILAR NEUTRALITY WAS TAKEN IN STATEMENTS MADE BY THE PRESIDENT BUSH REPRESENTATIVE WHO CAME FOR FACT FINDING MISSION AFTER THE LAST CIVIL UNREST IN CAMERRON.
LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL POLITICS HAVE RULES AND QUIDELINES.
ONLY CAMEROONIANS CAN SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS. AS AT NOW , ALL WE DO IS WRITE. NO, THAT IS NOT THE SOLUTION, THE SOLUTION IS RETURNING TO CAMEROON. WE CAMERRONIANS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SYSYTEM IN PLACE.
WE DO NOT NEED TO BE RECLONISED.
GENERAL LEADERSHIP FAILURE IS THE PROBLEM.
DR THOMPSON AKWO NTUBA MD Ph.D
Posted by: DR TAN OF CAMEROON | Monday, 09 February 2009 at 05:37 PM
Dr. Thompson Akwo Ntuba MD ph.D
Do you really listen to advices? cause i am sure you have been on several occations politely adviced on this forum to be sending your contributions in small and not in BIG or BIGGER words since that makes it difficult to be read through. Hope next time you will try to adjust the situation so we all can find it easer to read through ur beautiful writes up...cheers
Posted by: besong | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 04:42 AM
Dr Akwo Ntuba,
Please,......, please, refrain from using upper case letters throughout your write-up.
Frankly, I don't read your contributions because the upper case letters offend my senses. Just scrolling through to read others' comments one gets irritated coming across your capital letters.
Be a gentle, please.
Posted by: Chief Whip | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 08:23 AM
u people should stop being critical on which letters he deems fit to use.if it makes sense then what.
Posted by: george agbor | Tuesday, 10 February 2009 at 08:13 PM
Comments like from the EU should hard and followed with action.
Biya regime has no clue what real democracy is and i honestly think ELECAM will fail cameroonians, not because the like to but because MR BIYA will put them under pressure.
Posted by: tebo | Wednesday, 11 February 2009 at 09:24 AM