By DOH JAMES SONKEY
The African Union Election Observation Mission to Cameroon for the October 7 presidential election has urged all political and electoral stakeholders in Cameroon to engage in an-all-inclusive political dialogue aimed at promoting political, legal and electoral reforms in order to consolidate democracy, governance, peace and stability.
AU Election Mission Head, H.E Artheme Kwesi flanked by ECCAS, IPAIL observers Heads
The recommendation was made last October 9, 2018 during a press conference granted at the Yaounde Hilton Hotel by members of the Mission comprised of 11 long-term observers deployed since September 4, 2018 and 22 short term election observers who later joined their colleagues last October 3, 2018 made up of Ambassadors accredited to the African Union, Election Management Boards members and the civil society.
After visiting 176 polling stations in 7 regions excluding security threatened North West, South West and Far North regions, the AU election observers led by H.E Artheme Kwesi Ahoomey Zunu, former Prime Minister of Togolese Republic while deploring violence which occurred in certain areas on polling day, noted that the October 7 polls took place “in a context of operational, security and political challenges.”
To Parliamentarians, the AU recommended that they should consider strengthening the legal framework for elections in order to drop voting age from 20 to 18 years, allow ELECAM to give accreditations to election observers and empower them legally to publish provisional results.
To ELECAM officials, it was recommended that they should explore ways of reviewing the process of voters’ registration in order to include on-the-spot issuance of voters’ cards
Noting that a candidate had already proclaimed himself winner, the AU urged the different stakeholders to exercise restraint and respect the existing legal framework.
The AU Election Observation Mission to Cameroon noted with dismay that CRTV and Cameroon Tribune did not balance media coverage of candidates’ campaigns as they accorded 3 times more coverage to the incumbent President.