EODE Press Office / 24 April 2013 /
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The first senatorial elections in the history of Cameroon took place Sunday, April 14, 2013 across the country. A process that aims to elect 70 of the 100 members of the upper house of parliament (the other 30 are appointed by the President of the Republic).
On the occasion of these senatorial elections, EODE ZONE AFRICA, the Africa department of the NGO EODE, organizes an independent electoral monitoring Mission under the direction of Gilbert NKAMTO, administrator of EODE Zone Africa, and the logistic supervision of Luc MICHEL , Administrator-General of EODE.
EODE is an independent and non-aligned NGO, partisan of a multipolar world, which is in compliance with the states where it operates. Unrelated to Western international organizations – NATO, EU, OSCE, etc. – EODE intends to contribute to the development of democratic life and not just giving lessons or trying to impose a Western model. Led by an international team of experts, organized transnationally, EODE includes Africans in its leadership and it Pan African branch is an African NGO organized by Africans in defense of African interests.
Accredited by the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, the EODE observers were deployed in the ten provinces of Cameroon.
The mission will of course publish a report.
DATAS OF CAMEROONIAN SENATORIAL ELECTIONS
According to the Cameroonian Constitution, candidates for the office of senator, and the personalities appointed to the function must be forty (40) years of age on the date of election or appointment.
They must be Cameroonian citizens of origin and prove of actual residence in the territory of the region.
Each region – there are ten – is a constituency. The election of senators is held by ballot, without preferential vote or splitting.
The ballot for the election of senators is a mixed-ballot, with a majority system and a proportional representation system. Each political party participating in the election presents a list of seven candidates from among its members. For each seat, there is a candidate and an alternate candidate. The holder and the alternate are present at the same time before the electoral college. The constitution of each list must take into account: the different sociological components in the Region. When a list obtains an absolute majority of valid votes, it is declared elected and wins all seven seats in competition.
If no list obtains an absolute majority of the votes cast, it is assigned to the list with the relative majority the half of the seats rounded to integer greater, so four seats. In case of equality of ballots between the lists arriving first , these four seats are divided equally between those lists. If necessary, the additional seat shall be awarded to the list whose candidates have the highest average age.
Senators are elected in each region by an electoral college composed of regional and municipal councilors. Regional councilors and municipal councilors whose election is challenged exercise their right to vote as long as the competent court has not made a final decision.
The vote takes place in the capital of each department.
The members of the electoral college are required, under pain of forfeiture, to take part in the election. However, a member of the electoral college prevented to attend may give a proxy to another member. No member of the electoral college may hold more than one proxy.
The distribution of councilors by party / Total:
10632 namely RDPC : 9022 ; SDF : 801 ; UNDP : 364 ; UDC : 242; MDR : 126; UPC : 56; ANDP : 7; ADD : 6.
The Number of municipal councilors by region is as follows:
Total 10626: Adamawa 597; Centre 1946; East 857; Far North 1537; Coast 1026; North 699; North-West 1088; West 1216; South 769; South-West 891.
The polls will be open at 8 am and closed at 18 hours.
EODE Press Office (Brussels)
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Photos: Gilbert NKAMTO, administrator EODE Zone Africa, Luc MICHEL, Administrator-general of EODE (at an international Symposium in Tripoli).