Atanga Nji votes in March 22, 2020 election rerun Ndi Tsembom
Polls have timidly opened in 10 parliamentary constituencies in Cameroon’s North West Region in Sunday’s parliamentary election rerun amidst calls for boycott by armed separatists as well as a scare occasioned by the Coronavirus Outbreak.
Although government banned gatherings of more than 50 persons as part of measures to contain the Coronavirus that has seen 40 positive cases, scores of voters were spotted in some polling stations in Bamenda Sunday, March 22, 2020.
Atanga Nji Paul, Minister of Territorial Administration and Permanent Secretary of the National Security Council voted at the Regional Delegation of Mines at Up-Station Bamenda, alongside Governor Lele Lafrique Tchoffo Deben Adolphe and Ex-Governor Fai Yengo Francis who heads the National Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission for ex-separatist fighters and repentant Boko Haram militants.
The Commander of the 5th Joint Military Region, Brigadier General Nka Valère and the Commander of the 5th Gendarmerie Region, Brigadier General Ekongwese Divine Nnoko also voted in Bamenda.
While Mbayu Felix, Minister Delegate to the Minister of External Relations in charge of Relations with the Commonwealth voted at Old Town Bamenda, Fongod Edwin, the Director General of Customs voted in Bali.
After casting his vote, Minister Atanga Nji called on all registered voters to do same and to accept the verdict of the polls.
His words: “Everything is going on smoothly. The governor of the region has given me a report of what is going on. So far, so good, you can see the local population struggling to go and vote because it is a legitimate exercise. Any proud Cameroonian should go and vote for their parliamentarians who will go and debate laws in parliament. The Head of State who convened the electorate just respected the constitution. As for now, the electoral agenda is being respected. We had an evaluation of what ELECAM has done around the region. Everything is in place. As early as 8 o’clock, the polls were opened. At the end of the day we’ll get feedback.
“So far, so good, you can see that the region is calm and people are voting. I think this is the best way to exercise democracy. Those who are going to vote are voting for the construction of the nation. And I think it is important that we all remain republicans and at the end of the day the ballot boxes will decide the future of the elections and we should all stand by the verdict.”
Sunday’s election rerun follows Constitutional Council decision no. 29/SRCER/G/20 of February 25, 2020 to cancel the election of Members of Parliament in the following eleven constituencies: North West Region – Menchum North, Bui West, Mezam South, Bui Centre, Bui South, Mezam Centre, Momo East, Menchum South, Momo West and Mezam North – and South West Region – Lebialem.
The partial annulment of the outcome of the February 9, 2020 legislative elections came after the opposition Social Democratic Front, SDF, seized the Constitutional Council citing irregularities that breached laws relating to elections in the country.
SDF lawyers and candidates had prayed the Constitutional Council to partially annul the elections on grounds of insecurity, and the creation of polling centres which disenfranchised their voters.
At press time, there were reports of gunshots in Batibo (Momo West) and Mbengwi (Momo East) as polls timidly opened. Armed separatists in these areas are said to have engaged defence and security forces in desperate efforts to frustrate the election.
Auteur:
