Commissioning of Mayors Stepped Up

The council executives were voted in the sessions as of right after the September 30, 2013 election.

Senior Divisional Officers who in conformity with Section 67 (2) of the Law of 22 July 2004 on the Orientation of Decentralisation, "shall exercise supervisory authority of the State over councils", are currently performing the ritual of commissioning the new council executives into their functions.

After the Council Supervisory Commissions proclaimed the results of the September 30, 2013 municipal election, the Senior Divisional Officers in council sessions held as of right chaired the election of mayors and deputy mayors of the various councils. Section 193 (3) of the Electoral Code provides that "A copy of the said report (on the results) shall be forwarded to the Senior Divisional Officer of the jurisdiction for on-ward transmission to the Minister in charge of local and regional authorities." All the procedures having been followed the time for commissioning the new council executives is ripe.

Reports say the Senior Divisional Officer for Mfoundi Division, Jean Claude Tsila will today, November 12, commission the executive of Yaounde III Council. Tomorrow, November 13, he is expected to commission the executives of the Yaounde VI and IV Councils. Reports from the West Region say the Mayor and Deputy Mayors of Dschang Council have already been commissioned into their functions and the executive of Bafoussam I Council will be commissioned on Friday, November 15, 2013.

It will only be in the Nkongsamba III, Mombo and Bonaléa Councils all in Mungo Division of the Littoral Region that the election of council executives will be repeated. This follows the ruling of the Administrative Bench of the Supreme Court on November 7, 2013 cancelling the results of the election of the council executives in three councils. The commissioning of the executive of the other 357 councils in the country will go on smoothly.