April 14 Senatorial Elections: Here are the Results/ National Statistics

 By Fai Cassian Ndi

The Supreme Court sitting in place of the Constitutional Council has proclaimed the results of the April 14, 2013 first senatorial elections in Cameroon. Out of the four political parties that contested for the 70 seats, the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement-CPDM won 56 seats, the leading opposition Social Democratic Front-SDF won 14 seats while the Cameroon Democratic Union-CDU and the National Union for Democracy and Progress could not win a single seat. The CPDM WON IN THE Littoral, East, South West, North West, Far North and  North regions respectively while the SDF won in the West and Adamawa regions.

Here below are the national statics by proclaimed by the Chief Judge of the Supreme Court Alexis Depanda Mouelle.

Final Results
Region	No of Registered voters	Voted	No of votes for CPDM	No of votes for SDF	No of votes for NUDP	No of votes for CDU	VOID	ABSENT
Adamawa	530	526	-	219 53.84% (7 seats)	197 46.06	-	120	4
Center	1817	1804	1774 88% (7 seats)	19 1.00%	-	-	12	13
Littoral	957	942	857 92.66% (7 seats)	-	68 7.35%	-	19	15
East	784	771	764 100% 7 seats	-	-	-	25	13
Far North	1453	1440	1253 91.79% 7 seats	-	73 8.1%	-	64	13
North	634	633	415 65.66% 7 seats	2 0.32%	215 34.07%	-	1	1
North West	1000	998	516 52.02% 7 seats	486 47.98%	-	-		2
West	1136	1121	-	875 78.89% 7 seats	-	235 21.17%	11	15
South	721	711	704 99.29% 7 seats	5 0.61%	-	-	2	12
South West	855	839	644 71.59% 7 seats	89 10.70%	-	-	7	16
Total			7018 93.2% 56 seats	1644 17.59 14 seats	583 6.12% 0 seat	235 2.47% 0 seat

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Pedigree of Two Women President Biya Could Appoint Senator from North West

 

As the Supreme Court is expected to declare the results of the April 14 senatorial elections today April 29, 2013, Cameroonians are more interested in the 30 senators President Biya would appoint in the coming days. The Head of state has the prerogative to appoint three senators from each region. In the North West Region, public opinion is abound on the idea that the person who should be appointed senator should be dragged kicking and screaming as is the case with the enthronement of traditional rulers abound high and not he who wants it by all cost.

Public opinion holds that two women and a traditional ruler should be appointed from the North West Region. The two women on every lip is Patience Tamfu and Madame Regina Mundi.

Patience Tamfu 

Patience Tamfu is a devoted militant of the CPDM. She is the President of the Women Wing of the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement in the United States of America. Besides, she is also a Member of the National Bureau of the CPDM in Cameroon. Considering the fact that she is a woman in active politics, she is also a sure bet for appointment. There is no gainsaying that if there is any woman in Donga Mantung whose abilities to act, construct and contribute towards nation building after the Beijing Conference, it would certainly on what she has done and has been doing. Patience Tamfu is a household name in Cameroon not because she is the daughter of former Statesman late HON. SN Tamfu but because she has proven beyond reasonable doubts that she can die and fight for the truth especially for the interest of the common man. The fact that she is based in the Diasporas is also an added advantage. If she could not be appointed from Donga Mantung, she could equally be appointed to represent the Diasporas in the Senate giving that the Diasporas have been clamouring for the creation of a Ministry that can serve their interest. In the Diasporas, her leadership qualities outmatch that of her peers and contemporaries. She practices th politics of inclusion, meaning that she makes sure that everyone is closer to her. She is therefore a sure bet. 

Regina Mundi

She is a member of the politbureau of the CPDM. During the campaigns of the April 14, 2013, Madame Regina Mundi was the Vice President of the North West campaign team. As lone female of the region in the political bureau her appointment will also mean giving the woman a voice. She has a good mastery of the rural world and would defend the interest of the woman. She hails from Mezam in the North West Region.

Speculations are high at that the traditional rulers could be HRH Fon Angwafo III. He is the 1^st National Vice President of the CPDM. If appointed, he would represent the interest of North West fons given that he is also a traditional ruler.

The North West is expecting that two women should be appointed. This is so because President Biya is not only talking of a 10% quota for women but a 30%.  The Northwest woman has been so instrumental in nation building.  This is so because I think a senator should not be that person who wants it the must. Since this is not a joking matter, the last person President Biya should be appointed senator should not be the one who wants it the most. The one who should be appointed should be the person who should be dragged kicking and screaming. If not the Upper House will be a rubber stamp like the Lower House where we observed MPs voting bills depending on how much enter into their pockets and along party lines. Majority of those who were elected into the National Assembly from my judgment are crooks. A senator per se would likely be the person who will be appointed by the Head of state not those who were elected on April 14, 2013. Public opinion holds that money and party discipline rigged the polls.

Everyone is looking at President Biya in the face to appoint senators. Lobbyists are allegedly stationed in Yaounde to influence the appointment of the three senators for North West Region.

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Bokom Haram Got FCFA 30 billion to Free Seven French Hostages?

 

French Government has debunked allegations that President Paul Biya paid FCFA 30 billion for the release of French tourists abducted in Cameroon and taken to Nigeria by members of Boko Haram on April 19, 2013. In an exclusive interview with Jeune Afrique French foreign Minister said no ransom was paid for the release of Moulin-Fournier (seven) who were set free on April 19, after two months in captivity. Laurent Fabius also refuted allegations that Paul Biya had asked for a policy consideration in exchange for the negotiations. "At no time," says Mr. Fabius. "After the kidnapping, I contacted President Goodluck Jonathan (Nigeria) and Paul Biya (Cameroon). They were very attentive and wanted to be involved in finding the resolution to this tragic situation".  Laurent Fabius however added that "We respect the rule laid down by the President of the Republic of France that we do not pay ransom”. Accordingly, he said that if ransom is paid, it will mean “exposing even more of our citizens".

On the other hand, French Prime Minister Jeam Marc Ayraul is also quoted to have denied information of i-TV that a ransom was paid for the release of the seven hostages.
Citing "operational sources in Cameroon and Nigeria, the French news channel said they were released in exchange for a ransom of $ 7 million and the release of 16 inmates of the Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram. According to i-TV, the ransom would be paid through Cameroon’s President Paul Biya" or by GDF-Suez group Moulin-Fournier, employer of one of the hostages, Tanguy. However, Reuters also revealed that Boko Haram were paid N500 million ($3.15 million) to free seven French hostages kidnapped in February, a confidential document from the Nigerian government available to Reuters states.

The document, according to Reuters, did not state who paid the ransom although French and Cameroonian authorities denied that any ransom was paid. Apart from the money the insurgents were paid, the document states, Cameroonian authorities also released some Boko Haram suspects in detention as part of the deal.

The sect had threatened, in a video released on YouTube in March, to kill the hostages unless Nigeria and Cameroon release some of its members in custody.

The report also states that Abubakar Shekau, the sect’s leader had asked for N1 billion to free the hostages but finally accepted half of the money, after agreeing to the release of his members in Cameroonian jails as part of the deal.

French President, Francois Hollande, denied that any ransom was paid when the hostages were released, same as Cameroonian authorities. No one has, however, said what got the insurgents to release the hostages. According to Reuters, the report suggests that the ransom was paid because officials did not want to endanger the lives of the hostages in a rescue attempt; after a rescue attempt last year March to save a Briton and an Italian hostage kidnapped by another Nigerian sect, Ansaru, led to the death of the hostages and in Cameroon rumours say Cameroon disbursed FCFA 30 billion for the release of the seven French nationals after two months in captivity.

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. Minute by Minute Report on Cameroon and Africa