A Presidential decree signed on Wednesday convened the Electoral College for April 14, 2013.
Senatorial elections in Cameroon will take place for the first time on April 14, 2013. The Head of State, Paul Biya, yesterday February 27, 2013 signed a decree convening the Electoral College. According to the Presidential decree, polling stations open on Sunday April 14 between 8 am to 6 pm.
Yesterday's decree was a fulfillment of a promise made on December 31, 2012 during his address to Cameroonians when President Biya said, "The recent adoption of a single electoral code is also geared towards modernising our democratic process. It was also necessary to harmonize some provisions relating to the Constitutional Council with the Constitution in order to set up this superior court, after the senatorial elections slated for 2013."
The ball has thus been set rolling for potential senators to start lobbying and campaigning for positions to this prestigious upper House of the legislature. According to Chapter Two of Law N° 96-06 of 18 January 1996 revising the Constitution of June 1972, the Senate represents decentralised local government with each region represented by 10 senators-seven elected through indirect universal suffrage and three, appointed by the Head of State. Intending senators must be 40 years old on the day of their election. Their mandate is five years and that of those appointed by the President is renewable. Candidates to this prestigious House of lawmakers are however, as per the country's Electoral Code that was promulgated on April 19, 2012 and later revised in the November Parliamentary session are expected to deposit a FCFA one million caution fee.
The Electoral College, according to the code, will be councilors (regional and municipal). Voting however, takes place in headquarters of each division and the law specifies that all charges related to participation in voting by members of the Electoral College are taken care of by the State.
