In accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Code, this year’s voter registration got underway on January 1 and is due to end on August 31, 2015. Registration is also going on in designated Cameroonian diplomatic missions abroad where ELECAM has deployed staff for the purpose.
Last year’s voter registration produced a figure of 5,597,735 voters after the rolls were cleaned up of ineligible voters. Of the number, 2,921,061 are men while 2,676,674 are women. Talking to Cameroon Tribune in Yaounde yesterday, Dr Marie Rose Nzie née Mezanga, the Head of Division for Communication and Public Relations at Elections Cameroon, ELECAM headquarters, said that one of the priorities was to see the Electoral Code revised. According to her, the Electoral Code needs some polishing to be in tune with biometric voter registration; unlike when the process was manual.
“There is need for this process to be undertaken in a consensual manner by all stakeholders like political parties, civil society groups, youth, physically challenged people and ELECAM. It is only on the basis of such a revised, consensual code that ELECAM can be more effective,” Dr Marie Rose Nzie pointed out. The biometric voter registration exercise entails reviewing the existing voters’ roll by including changes in names and residence, and deleting the names of convicted or dead people. Those who have attained the voting age of 20 years are eligible to register.
ELECAM management has taken steps to sensitise the public on the process, with major targets being the young, women and physically challenged people. Sensitisation posters will be out next week as ELECAM intensifies the awareness campaign, the head of Communication and Public Relations assured. ELECAM is therefore appealing to intending voters and stakeholders to ensure the massive registration of eligible voters. Its objective is to see people massively register and has put in place measures to facilitate the exercise both within the country and abroad.
Cameroon Tribune
