Elecam Spurs Voter Card Collection In Douala

Proposals were made to eliminate obstacles so far encountered.

The Regional Delegation of Elections Cameroon (Elecam) for the Littoral on August 13, 2013, sensitised and educated electoral stakeholders on the importance of collecting voter's cards after registration.

While the collection is going on, officials of the election management body in Douala say they thought it necessary to speed up the process. The aim is to ensure all registered voters be in possession of the card before September 30, 2013, when the country will go to the polls to choose local councillors and legislators. To achieve set objectives, the election management body convened senators, MPs, mayors, political party representatives, business people, traditional leaders, associations, bike riders, among others, to get their own proposals on how best to speed up the collection exercise.

Difficulties like flaws in the electoral law; failure to punish fraudsters in the last election and registration for the forthcoming twin elections; differing registration and collection venues; lukewarm attitude of some political party officials towards encouraging the collection of the cards were blamed for the apathy rocking the exercise.

Thomas Ejake Mbonda, Electoral Board member for the Littoral, disclosed that a mode for the distribution of the cards is underway. "We want the coming election to be free, fair and transparent," he said, "so that everyone will feel good." Voters were called upon to note that they will have to present their card, then identity card before allowed to vote. Trade unionist, Alice Maguedjo expressed the idea that the Wouri Retailers' Trade Union, if permitted by Elecam, will collect photocopies of identity cards from traders, hand them to Elecam which will then select their voter's cards and hand them over to the rightful owners.