Officials of Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) have made available 2014 voters' cards in all their Council branches. The cards which are being distributed nationwide belong to voters who either registered or applied for the modification of their cards during the 2014 revision of the voters' list. The distribution exercise kicked off on the 2nd of January, 2015 alongside other operations of the 2015 revision campaign.
Cameroon Tribune gathered on Monday 2nd February, 2015 that the cards are available in all the council branches in Mfoundi Division. At the Yaounde III Council Branch, the cards have been on distribution since the 2nd January, 2015 when this year's revision exercise began.
The Head of the Yaounde III Council Branch, Mvondo Sylvestre Désiré, disclosed that between 400 to 500 cards have already been distributed in the council area within the month of January 2015.
The timidity in the distribution exercise so far, he added, is mainly because potential voters are reluctant to come to their offices for their cards.
Mvondo however stated that his team will proceed to the various quarters and major roundabouts within his area of jurisdiction from 4th February not only to distribute the cards to those already registered but also to carry on with the current revision of the voters list.
At the Yaounde VI Council Branch, Aboubakar Garba said the distribution of 2014 cards is on-going alongside those of 2013 which were never collected. According to the Branch Head, a total of 2,026 cards were recorded in the branch with more than 200 cards already collected.
We use this opportunity to urge Cameroonians who registered during the 2014 revision to collect their cards from our branch office", Aboubakar reiterated. The same strategy used during the last election, is still being followed, he added.
Apart from going to the quarters, the ELECAM branch heads also noted that the regular working hours have been extended to 5pm every working day while their offices are also opened on Saturdays from 8am to midday. This, he said, is a special measure to enable workers find time to collect their cards.
ELECAM officials are not only using the media for sensitisation of the population on the need to collect their cards but also making use of quarter heads and chiefs as relays between them and the population.
So far, no major problems have been recorded but for the lukewarm attitude of registered voters to collect their cards.