The over 40-man team is verifying results sent in by Regional Vote Counting committees from the September 30, 2013 parliamentary polls.
The National Commission for the Final Counting of Votes has begun crosschecking results of the September 30, legislative elections with a call for commission members to remain meticulous, objective and disciplined. The commission on October 4, 2013, began verifying results from 85 constituencies in the library of the Supreme Court in Yaounde under Justice Clement Atangana, Chairman of the Commission and Supreme Court judge.
Justice Clement Atangana, who is also the President of the Administrative Bench of the Supreme Court, while opening the vote counting exercise in the presence of the Chief Justice Alexis Dipanda Mouelle and some cabinet ministers like the Minister of State, Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Laurent Esso, Ministers of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, René Emmanuel Sadi and Communication, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, reminded Commission members of the daunting task that awaits them, given the five-day deadline.
"With regard to this short timeframe, the commission has to redouble efforts and work towards forwarding results to the Supreme Court which is acting in lieu of the Constitutional Council for official publication within 20 days following polling as per the Electoral Code," he explained.
He also reminded members of the work that awaits them as per Section 69 (1) of the April 19, 2012 Electoral Code, amended and supplemented on December 21, 2012 which states that; "The National Commission for the Final Vote Counting shall carry out the final counting of votes on the basis of reports and appended documents submitted by Divisional Supervisory Commissions." The Commission will correct clerical errors in the counting of votes. However, it shall not cancel the corresponding reports, the Electoral Code notes.
Taking part in the exercise are two representatives from the Supreme Court, five from government, five also from the electoral board, ELECAM, and 27 from political parties that participated in the poll. They shall upon completion, forward the results to the Supreme Court for official publication.
Section 69 (4) of the Electoral Code stresses that; "The National Commission for the Final Counting of Votes shall draw up a report on all its operations. The report, copies of which are established according to the members, shall be signed by the Chairperson and Commissioners present. A copy of this report shall be given to each signatory member. A copy with appended documents shall be forwarded within 5 (five) days to the Constitutional Council."
