Deadline For Ruling On Petitions

After Elections Cameroon, ELECAM would have published the lists of candidates to run for the September 30, 2013 twin municipal and legislative elections towards then end of this week, parties whose lists will be rejected, will certainly file petitions to competent courts.

The courts on their part will have to work within the time limit stated in the Electoral Code to rule on the petitions.

Legislative Election

Section 132 (2) of the Electoral Code states that, "The Constitutional Council shall rule on all petitions filed by any candidate, any political party which took part in the election or any person serving as a representative of the administration for the election, requesting the total or partial cancellation of election operations."

The Electoral Code in Section 133 (1) gives clarifications by stating that, "All petitions filed in pursuant of the provisions of Section 132 must reach the Constitutional Council within no more than 72 hours of the close of the poll.

The Constitutional Council according to Section 131 of the Electoral Code has to rule on the petitions within no more than 10 days of the filing of the petitions.

Municipal Election

Section 194 of the Electoral Code makes it clear that, "Any elector, candidate or person acting in the capacity of a government election officer may petition for the cancellation of elections in the council concerned before the competent administrative courts." It adds in paragraph 2 that, "The disputes shall be a simple petition filed within five days following the proclamation of results by the Council Supervisory Commission." The same rules for petitions after the publication of election results, apply to the publication of the lists of accepted candidates.

As for the deadline to rule on the petitions, Section 194 (3) of the Electoral Code states that, "The competent administrative court shall give a ruling within 40 days from the day the petition was filed."