Senatorial vote & results same day avoids Rigging!

By Teche Nyamusa (Parliamentary Aspirant for Mbengwi Central)
Elections rigging and manipulation of the April 14, 2013 senatorial elections of the Republic of Cameroon will be reduced if the results are declared same day as voting.

Cameroon has a record of elections manipulations by the ruling CPDM party which record is as old as the existence of the state. Cameroon National Union (CNU) is the former name of the ruling Cameroon People Democratic Movement (CPDM). From independence more than 50years ago, only two head of states have ruled - the tyrannical reigns of Ahmadou Ahidjo and incumbent Biya Paul. Ahidjo ruled during the one party (CNU) era. In 1984, he hand picked Biya his Prime minister and made president of Cameroon. Biya continued the one party reign till the early 1990s when he was forced to accept multiparty practice. His vehement arguments against multiparty democracy were overcome by the Cameroon people and global quest for effective democracy. From 1990s till date, many elections have been organized and nearly all rigged by the Biya government in favor of CPDM. Biya is both president of Cameroon and national president of the CPDM. Cameroonians in their great majority and international elections observers have condemned Biya’s endemic electoral fraud. But like typical dictators, President Biya /CPDM are surviving by guns and the illegal use of the state treasury – this weapon history tells us, however, is not permanent!

In Cameroon election results are ridiculously over delayed (for weeks if not months) after the Polls - to ensure doctoring - the powers that be here maliciously point to a large sized country with a huge population. Meanwhile this small triangle-shaped state has only a population of circa 20 millions

In democracies with population counting several tens or hundreds of millions, (for example France, Nigeria, USA) elections results are given same day even as voting is in progress. In Cameroon, the press is forbidden from giving any results before government’s say. Political debates on radio and TV are curiously banned during campaigns - what a country, democracy!

Here, the Electoral College now for the upper house of the parliament (the senate) is local councillors.  This group of people is not on any salary like obtained in well meaning states -all councillors irrespective of party are expected to sanction such inconsequential inconsiderate regime. In Cameroon, election results are delayed to facilitate doctoring. During the proclamation of the controversial 2011 presidential elections delayed-results, the Supreme Court Judge Alexis Mouelle took about one full day to read the bare results. The final proclamation was tailored and delivered only about midnight when most anxious Cameroonians had been over taken by sleep. And of course Biya won! The mal governance and injustice here put the country in regular turmoil with consequent uprising and or destruction which include the struggle for Cameroon independence by UPC party, the early 1990s SDF revolt, the February 2008 hunger and fuel strike. Cameroonians have long lost trust in the CPDM.

            Could Biya attempt to reduce the annoyance in Cameroonians by ensuring a level play ground in all competitions? Can these senatorial polls results be published same day as voting? After all it is voting only by councillors and the exercise is in divisional capitals which are accessible to the regional capitals! Above all, communication gadgets like phones and internet computers are available every where to give instant results!

            The CPDM has many councillors from the pro regime fraud of the 2007 municipal elections yet she is afraid of possible sanctions from them (councillors) because of the system jungle administration.

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