Presidential Election: Political, Civil Society Leaders Against Violation Of Laws

Cameroon’s political and civil society organisation leaders are unanimous that Cameroon is a State of law and that in matters of relations, the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Code are clear and must be respected by all. T

he leaders have joined their voices to those of other candidates in the October 7, 2018 presi dential election and the entire political class to express their indignation and condemnation following Maurice Kamto’s declaration on October 8, 2018 that he was the winner of the presidential election.

Professor Maurice Kamto was the candidate of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) in the presidential election and proclaimed himself winner on the morrow of the polling day. Kamto’s declaration came on the eve of the meeting of the National Commission for the Final Counting of Votes in which according to Section 68 (1) of the Electoral Code, he has to send a representative.

The Electoral Code has provisions for the counting of votes as its Section 69 (1) states that, “The National Commission for the Final Counting of Votes shall carry out the final counting of votes, on the basis of reports and appended documents submitted by Divisional Supervisory Commissions. It shall correct any clerical errors in the counting of votes.” After the counting of the votes which is public at the seat of the Constitutional Council, the Commission draws up a report on its operations. Copies of the report are signed by the Chairperson of the Commission and Commissioners present and a copy given to each signatory member.

Maurice Kamto would have waited for the vote counting procedure and operation to go to an end and the copy of the report and the appended documents forwarded within five days to the Constitutional Council which the Constitution and the Electoral Code spell out clearly that it is the only institution in Cameroon with the jurisdict...