With just two months to go before Cameroonians head to the polls, Elections Cameroon (Elecam) has launched all the necessary operations to ensure the smooth running of the presidential election set for 12 October.
Recent rulings from the Constitutional Council have brought the pre-electoral disputes to a close, clearing the way for Elecam to focus fully on the logistics. Now that the final list of 12 candidates is confirmed, Elecam has already reached out to its usual partners including the Cameroon Printing and Publishing Corporation (Sopecam), to begin producing essential materials such as ballot papers, campaign leaflets, envelopes, tally sheets and official reports.
At the same time, all candidates must visit Elecam’s headquarters to finalise their visual identifiers colours, logos, and party symbols. This step helps prevent confusion at the ballot box. So far, only three parties have submitted the required information: the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), the Union of Socialist Movements (UMS) and the Social Democratic Front (SDF).
Christian Essomba, who heads the commission in charge of electoral materials and oversees operations for the diaspora, confirmed that Elecam is currently gathering data for printing. He stressed the urgency, noting that the process cannot move forward until all candidates submit their elements. Elecam needs this data well in advance to check for any visual similarities that could mislead voters. In cases of resemblance, the Electoral Code gives priority to older parties based on the order in which they filed their nominations.
Alongside document preparation, Elecam has also launched training sessions for electoral agents. These sessions aim to strengthen the capacity of staff who will manage voting operations both nationally and abroad. From logistics to training, Elecam is clearly focused on delivering a well-organised and credible election. The countdown has begun and Elecam isn’t wasting a single day.
Chin Claudette
