THE ROLE CATHOLIC CLERGY AND LAITY PLAYED IN ANNOUNCED NATIONAL DIALOGUE

• HOPE SUSTSAINS IN LOW KEY ELECTION RERUN

BY MILDRED NDUM WUNG KUM

The polls were opened March 22 to redo election of Cameroon’s legislators.

Election reruns took place in eleven constituencies in the Anglophone regions as programmed.

Parliamentary aspirants together with their apologists contested in a scenario short of political frenzy however holding out hope in the race to secure seats in the country’s lower house of parliament.

The rerun pitted six political parties contesting thirteen seats viz-  UDP, BRIC, OPDC, RDPC, CPDM and SDF. 

It was an activity to correct February 9th parliamentary elections noted to have been marred by electoral mal practices

After visiting a number of polling centers in the northwest region, Info Trends observed a cross section of determined electorates braving the responsibility to vote amidst calls by separatists not to partake in elections. 

When Info Trends caught up with some stakeholders in the electoral process to gauge their take, they expressed mixed feelings.

Nestus Fru Manju, CPDM parliamentary candidate for Banenda/Bali Constituency

"The last time we won and due to no fault of ours, some irregularities in were observed by the constitutional council so we were called back to come over and perform this task again. We did mobilise and this time is going to be better off, the performance is going to be better off and we are going to come out very much victorious than the last time. You can observe for yourself  that everywhere is hustling and bustling. People are moving. People go to the polls and I think it is far better off than it was on the 9th of February 2020. Such confidence is the fact that I know I'm the people's choice. The people opted that I represent them and I'm going to represent them validly. So I'm very confident that they wouldn't fail me. They didn't fail me on the 9th, they wouldn't fail on the 22nd".

Polling Agent of CPDM party

"Concerning the turnout of the last election people were coming but this one we are not seeing people but we know majority will carry the day. I'm just saying that at the end we will know who has won but the turnout is very poor because I'm afraid that there might be another election rerun because the turnout is very poor".

Fobi Nchinda Simon, SDF parliamentary candidate Bamenda/Bali Constituency

"I went round the polling centers in bamenda first I was scandalized that the government is still using polling centers inspite the petitions to the constitutional council because the polling centers violate certain private rights. The right of a voter when you are 20km away from a voting center and on the day of voting, administrative decisions stop movement actually telling you not to vote there by depriving you of your right to vote. So the notion of polling centers we find is wrong. It's even worst because the polling centers play into the hands of those who will benefit from from violence. The SDF stronghold will win by massive voting when the masses come out to vote for us that is how the SDF Representatives get elected"

Paul Atanga Nji, Minister of Territorial Administration

I think that everything is going on smoothly. The governor of the region has given me a report of what is going on. As at now so far so good. I think that considering the local population they are all struggling to go and vote because it is a legitimate exercise and any proud cameroonian should go and vote because we are voting parliamentarians who will go and discuss, debate laws in parliament. So I think that the head of States His Excellency President Paul Biya who convened the electorate just respected the constitution. As for now the electoral agenda is being respected. We had an evaluation of what ELECAM has done around the region. Everything is in place and as earlier as 8o'clock the polls were open. At the end of the day the governor and his collaborators will give us an accessment of what is going on and  so far so good we can see that the region is calm and people are going to vote. And I think that is the best way to exercise democracy. Those who are going to vote are voting for the construction of the nation and I think it is important for us all to remain republicans. And at the end of the day the ballot boxes will decide the future of the elections and we should all stand by the verdict".

Polling Agent of the SDF Party

"Though we have observed that the situation is more calm than what happened on the 9th of February, the voters are not coming but the security situation is better than what we had on the 9th. But we are still at 12 O'clock we don't know if the situation might change but as you can see we have so many polling boxes that are still empty, more than 90% is still empty. We are still waiting on the voters to come, hopefully they will come before it is 6 O' clock"

Northwest Governor Adolph Lele Lafrique

"We mobilised all stakeholders involved in  elections throughout the process to mobilse behind the head of States and the government to rebuild this nation and to bring back long lasting peace to this nation"

Mbayu Felix, CPDM Coordinator Mezam Division

"We came back because every Cameroonian has the right to respect the laws and the Institutions of the Republic. We are ready to come back as many times as possible. I just conducted my civil responsibility with alot of joy and satisfaction, this is the second time we are coming for a re-run and I believe victory is ours. You can't be expecting change and want someone else to bring it. You cannot lock yourself home and expect change. I wish to congratulate the security forces that have been impartial so far, such that they have even transported , which is also a way of inviting all those who have locked themselves at home to come out and defend their voting rights"

Political parties contested in different constituencies thus

North West Region
– Menchum-Nord: CPDM, SDF, UDP,
– Menchum-Sud: CPDM, SDF,
– Bui West: CPDM, SDF,
– Bui Centre: RDPC, SDF,
– Bui South: CPDM, SDF, UDP,
– Mezam Centre: OPDC, UDP, CPDM, SDF,
– Mezam-North: CPDM, UDP, BRIC, SDF,
– Mezam-South: CPDM, SDF,
-Momo-West: CPDM, SDF
– Momo-East: CPDM, SDF.

South West Region
-Lebialem: CDP, CPDM and SDF