CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background To The Study

An election can be defined as the exercise of a choice; especially, the act of choosing from several possible rights or remedies in a way that precludes the use of other rights or remedies or it is the process of selecting a person to occupy an office (usually a public office), membership, award, or other title or status.

Cameroon achieved its independence from France and Great Britain more than 57 years ago.  Since then it has organized numerous elections at both national and local levels. The outcome of each of these elections has elicited various reactions both at home and abroad. What is, however, clear to the people of Cameroon and to most observers is that election management in the country needs to be improved.

When Cameroon acceded to independence in the early 1960s the country had a form of multiparty democracy that allowed for the existence of political parties which took part in elections to choose members of state assemblies and of a federal parliament through universal suffrage. But this situation did not last for long.

Within six years of independence and of the unification of the English- and French-speaking sections of the country the then President, Ahmadou Ahidjo, who was at the helm of the Union Camerounaise, invited leaders of the other authorized political parties to join him in forming a single “unified” party for the purposes of nation-building.

The leaders of the other political parties entered into an agreement with him and the Cameroon National Union (CNU) was formed. The CNU existed as a single party until 1985 when it was replaced during the Bamenda CNU congress by the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), with the new President. Mr. Paul Biya, a former prime minister who had taken office after President Ahmadou Ahidjo’s resignation in November 1982, was at the helm.

The CPDM remained Cameroon’s only political party until December 1990 when a law was passed by the National Assembly and enacted by President Biya authorizing the return to multiparty politics.

Election management in Cameroon was not entrusted to a single body although at every stage in the electoral process the shadow of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization (MINATD) loomed large over the various other bodies entrusted by the law with specific tasks.

The bodies involved in the management of elections in Cameroon fell into four broad categories: joint commissions, the MINATD, the courts and the National Election Observatory (NEO). Before 2001, elections in Cameroon were exclusively managed by the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization (MINADT).

Due to the fact that the MINADT was highly biased and manipulated election results in favor of the ruling party, the National Elections Observatory (NEO) was created to remedy this problem.  This means that prior to the setting up of the National Election Observatory (NEO), the Ministry of Territorial Administration had the responsibility of organizing the elections.

Before its adoption by the National Assembly, this Law was subject to intense debate on the functions that were to be assigned and the criteria for appointing its members. The constitution in force had been adapted and implemented before the establishment of NEO, only the president, and parliament possessed the powers of implementing required changes related to electoral reforms, and thus there was a need for better management and supervision of elections in Cameroon, thus the establishment of ELECAM (Elections Cameroon).

Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) is the neutral body appointed to oversee all elections matters in Cameroon. It is responsible for organizing and supervising elections in Cameroon. The body was officially made functional only in January 2010 with the signing and transfer of all electoral documents and materials to ELECAM from the Ministry of Territorial Administration and decentralization (MINATD).

The head office of ELECAM is Bastos, Yaoundé and by 2010, they already had accommodations and office spaces for their operations in 30 of the 58 Divisions of Cameroon and 220 of the 360 municipal councils of Cameroon. ELECAM has 18 members appointed by the Head of state and President of the Republic headed by a Director-General.

Their term of mandate is four years renewable. The first Director General, Sani Tanimu was replaced by Dr. Samuel Fonkam Azu and the current Director General is Essouse Erik and the current President of ELECAM is Enow Abrams Egbe former Governor and Inspector at the Ministry of sports and Physical education. The independence of electoral bodies charges with the task of conducting elections in Cameroon is the subject matter of our work.

1.2 Statement Of The Research Problem

Election management is a very complex activity and requires specialist skills for effective management of the electoral process. This makes the establishment of specialized institutions responsible for election management very necessary.

Many of such institutions exist around the world in various forms, shapes, and sizes and are variously referred to as ‘Election Commission”, Department of Elections”, Electoral Council, Electoral Unity or ‘Electoral Board’.

ELECAM has organized two presidential elections; the 2011 presidential election and the 2018 presidential election whose results are still contested by Maurice Kamto, chairman of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC), and two Senatorial elections (2013 and 2018) and two municipal elections are the 2013 and 2019 legislative elections.

The problem with all these elections organized by ELECAM is that they are believed to be marred by irregularities and serious vote-rigging. This is because Elections in Cameroon have lost their relevance as a weapon in the hands of the people to hold their government accountable and as a vehicle for democratization.

Instead, elections have been used to stall the democratization process and perpetuate the stay of leaders in power even against the will of the people. It is against this background that this research project examines the independence of electoral bodies in Cameroon.

1.3 Research Questions

The integrity of the management of an election process is one of the most crucial factors that determine its overall legitimacy and acceptability.

The main questions that this work seeks to answer are the following:

1.3.1 Main Research Question

How independent are electoral bodies in Cameroon?

1.3.2 Specific Research Questions

1. What are the various electoral bodies in Cameroon?
2. How independent and effective are ELECAM and other electoral bodies in the management of elections in Cameroon?
3. What are the problems and challenges faced by ELECAM and other electoral bodies in managing elections in Cameroon?
4. What needs to be done to improve the electoral process in Cameroon?