General Enthusiasm in Yaounde

Party representatives, observers and voters expressed general satisfaction.

"Voting has been going on in a calm atmosphere, with no major problems, polling stations well organized and with voting material available", Marie-Claire Essong, Observer of the Mouvement Citoyen group, said yesterday, September 30, 2013 at Ecole Public Nkolbission in Yaounde VII Subdivision that harboured five polling stations. Her observations were re-echoed by other observers such as Blaise Maurey Elong of the Ecumenical Service for Peace as well as the physically disabled voter Kebeyeng Thérèse who benefitted from special facilitation measures as she voted in Efoulan.

These remarks translate the calm and serene manner in which electors in Yaounde voted for Cameroon People's Democratic Movement, CPDM, Union des populations du Cameroun, UPC and the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, CRM lists competing for the seven seats in the National Assembly in Mfoundi constituency and the varied parties running for the different councils in Yaounde. The general observation in polling stations in the Yaounde II, III, VI and VII Subdivisions visited in the afternoon was that UPC representative were not very present. Despite the few abnormalities, voting went on smoothly with some members of the Local Polling Commissions helping voters trace their names on the voting rolls put up at the entrance to polling stations and also guiding them vote, considering the twin nature of the elections.

At the Bastos Government Primary School where the Head of State, Paul Biya and wife Chantal Biya voted, other senior government officials equally cast their votes in some of the polling stations in the voting centre. Some of them included the Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, Defence Minister Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo'o , Chairperson of the CPDM Mfoundi Divisional Campaign Commission, Minister Laurent Serge Etoundi Ngoa, Director General of Elections, Mohaman Sani Tanimou and Aminatou Ahidjo.