The Director General of Elections in Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), Mohaman Sani Tanimou is currently verifying electoral material in Germany to ensure that they meet the specifications in the contract. The German Company, Giesecke und Devrient G&D won the FCFA 7.8 billion contract to do the biometric recompilation of the electoral register in Cameroon.
The Electoral Board Chairman of ELECAM, Dr Fonkam Azu'u Samuel made the declaration in Yaounde, yesterday, June 19, 2012 in a statement with journalists after separate audiences with the Canadian High Commissioner to Cameroon and the Ambassador of the People's Republic of China. He said when the material will be ready, the Director General of Elections will issue a decision giving the calendar and all the necessary information.
The Canadian Higher Commissioner, Benoit- Pierre Lamarée and the Chinese Ambassador, Xue Jinwei both declared that their countries were keenly following-up Cameroon's electoral process and ready to support the process to ensure transparent elections, the bedrock of peace and stability in the country. Benoit- Pierre Lamarée told the press that his discussions with ELECAM Electoral Board Chairman concerned the needs of the institution in terms of training elections stakeholders. He said Canada was ready to support the process either through the Francophonie International Organisation or the Commonwealth, two organisations to which Cameroon and Canada are members. The High Commissioner said Cameroon's independent electoral body, ELECAM, was inspired from that of his country, Elections Canada. He expressed optimism that the meeting of the heads of elections institutions in Commonwealth countries in Canada in the coming week in which Fonkam Azu'u will be participating, will enrich and strengthen ELECAM.
The Chinese Ambassador, Xue Jinwei on his part, said they shared ideas and experiences in enhancing democracy through elections. He stated that China supported government's efforts in practising democracy that conforms with national realities and urged ELECAM to keep on improving the electoral process. The Chinese diplomat lauded the peaceful conduct of the October 9, 2011 presidential election, the first to be organised by ELECAM.
