Opposition political parties and civil society groups have launched a manifesto with a dozen claims considered as prerequisites for any “free and fair elections in Cameroon.”
These political parties include the Social Democratic Front (SDF), currently the leading opposition party in parliament with fifteen MPs, the oldest political group in the country, the Union of People of Cameroon (UPC), the New African nationalist dynamic (NODYNA) and associations such as “Cameroon o Bosso”, the New Human Rights (NDH)…
These claims revolve around the publication of the results of the last general population census, a two-round majority vote and the registration of at least ten million Cameroonians, the single ballot paper, changing the configuration of ELECAM, the body in charge of organizing and monitoring elections, setting the voting age at 18 years.
Failure to comply with these preconditions are a danger to democracy in Cameroon, they said.
This stance comes at a time when the country is experiencing an “uncertain political climate” marked by incessant calls of the presidential party, the Democratic Rally of the Cameroon People (RDPC), for head of state Paul Biya to run for the next presidential election.
This is an invitation to hold anticipated presidential polls in 2010 when the presidential term runs until October 2011, they said.
On 6 November, President Biya wrote to “Cameroonians and RDPC supporters” on his twenty-seventh year in power to express his willingness not only to seek another term, but “to organize the presidential elections at any time,” the opposition said.
Since then, his followers increase meetings and statements across the country like the big meeting the RDPC central committee secretary general hosted a few days ago in Sangmelima (south), hometown of President Biya.
They officially asked Paul Biya, 66, to call for elections and run for another term as president.
Source African Press Agency
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