A Member of Elections Cameroon, ELECAM, for the Northwest Region, Dr. Namgou Issafor, has expressed disappointment with the reluctancy of Donga-Mantung inhabitants towards the re-registration.
This happened on Thursday, August 28, 2014 during his administrative visit in the Division to assess the level of re-registration at the backdrop of the closure of Electoral Register on August 31, 2014.
Dr. Nsamgou said he was disillusioned with the over-all figures Donga-Mantung Division has so far re-registered, given that, the figure before the September 30, 2013, twin elections did not reflect the population of Donga-Mantung; and many other complains as various categories of people who did not register were from here. He cited that, if Bamenda II could register over 2,277 and the entire Donga-Mantung, only about 2,000 voters registered; then all was not well in the Division.
On what ELECAM had done to ensure massive re-registration, Dr. Nsamgou blamed it on political parties for their low-keyed sensitisation. He said it was the responsibility of political parties to sensitise their militants in particular and the population at large for the re-registration.
He remarked that if they stay till around election period, then a lot of pressure especially from the very political parties especially on registration matters, would soil electoral kits. At this juncture, the very political parties will start accusing ELECAM of electoral malpractices.
The Member of ELECAM informed that the present cards they are going to establish shall have ten-year duration. He said electoral cards shall not be established every year they are to run an election.
In effect, he advised that citizens shall therefore preserve their cards reluctantly after each election until after ten years. He said in the case of a lost card especially during transfer of civil servants, the owner would have to produce a certificate of lost document which will be taken to ELECAM for a process to establish a new card.
He hinted that the members of staff of ELECAM Donga-Mantung had been instructed on what to do before re-registration is officially closed on the August 31, 2014, and before the re-opening of the Registers for the very exercise on January 1, 2015.
