Revision of Voters' rolls begins timidly

The annual revision of the electoral register in Cameroon is underway across the country in accordance to the provision of Article 74 (2) of the Electoral Code which states that “the annual revision of the electoral register shall commence on 1 January and end on 31 August of every year”. Given that Monday 4 January 2016, was the first working day of the year, officials of Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) Council branches in Yaounde and elsewhere in the country opened the registers for a fresh revision for this year.

The exercise in the nation’s capital however started off very timidly in some local ELECAM branches CT visited. At the Yaounde III Council Branch, no case of revision, registration, deletion or modification was registered by mid-day on Monday. The Council Branch Head, Sylvesre Désiré Mvondo acknowledged the timid start but added that they are ready to receive users of their services.

He stated that they will as usual adopt a proximity approach where they move closer to the electors because to him, Cameroonians are still very reluctant to come to ELECAM offices for registration. By the time Cameroon Tribune visited the Council Branch in the Effoulan neighbourhood in Yaounde, the staff were in a strategic planning meeting. The mixed commission members for the revision exercise have also been designated by stakeholders, he stated. Voter’s cards are also ready for owners to collect.

At the Yaounde VI Council Branch, it was a ready staff that this reporter met at the office. One of them told CT that they are set and are just waiting for the instructions of hierarchy to start combing various neighbourhoods of their jurisdiction. By 10 am, only one case of change of residence was recorded at the branch. It should be noted that the revision exercise is open for Cameroonians who have never registered and are 20 years old and above, those who changed residence as well as deletion of names of dead persons and those who have lost their voting right.