Finalising Winning Strategies

As campaigns for the Legislative and Municipal elections of 30 September tilt toward the final days, all political parties involved in the race have intensified and diversified methods to convince voters.

Although some political parties continue to hold mass rallies, the speeches and directives being given to those expected to take the relay have been varied. While the meetings have centred on general mobilisation and drawing up of guidelines for the parties, officials have not lost sight of the fact that the elections are first of all local and require specific measures to win over undecided voters.

Both within the opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF), the Cameroon National Salvation Front (CNSF), the National Union for Democracy and Progress (NUDP), the Cameroon Democratic Union (CDU) and others that have fielded candidates in specific localities where they feel strong and the ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) party that has a nationwide representation, those going in for council and parliamentary seats have often come secondary. They leave the floor to party heavy weights who define the vision and galvanise grassroots support before presenting those representing the party at elections.

The general vision is that the parties continue to have an overbearing presence in the elections with those going in for posts being reminded that they cannot go far enough without being bolstered by party hierarchy. Thus, party leaders have taken vigorous campaign messages to the voters, demonstrating how candidates have been meticulously selected to deliver on promises and ensure better living conditions for the people. Such patronising strategy may not be bad in itself, but the candidates who are going to stay behind and manage local councils and Parliamentarians who need to ensure the wellbeing of their constituencies must be seen on the field saying precisely how they intend to manage the localities they will inherit after elections.

May be that is where the door-to-door campaign strategy being encouraged by most party officials will make the difference. By calling for a campaign of proximity, the political party officials are probably aware that the rallies may not be enough to convince the masses who want to know what changes those elected can make in their lives, if they must for once be spared empty promises by politicians that are often abundant during elections.

In addition to the winning strategies preferred by some political parties, there are opportunities that the Information and Communication Technologies offer. Since copy work may not always be a problem, especially in politics, the Social Media and the Short Message Service (S.M.S.) on mobile telephones are timidly being employed to canvass for votes. Such low-tech democratic tactics may yet gain mass support in Cameroon partly because of the context and the high digital divide that the country suffers from at the moment.

Perhaps in subsequent years, such communication strategies may actually have an impact on the democratisation process as the country progresses with the biometric system that is being harnessed. In all, no matter the campaign methods being employed by the over 40 political parties in the council and legislative elections the voters will have the delicate task on Monday 30 September 2013 of choosing their preferred candidates and parties.