The Minister ofTerritorial Administration Atanga Nji Paul says any political party or actors will“face the law” if they “disrupt public order”in an attempt to stop regional polls from holding.
In a televised statement on Monday, Atanga Nji said marchers would be joking with a beehive and will not escape, adding: “ I want to sound a stern warning to unscrupulous politicians, looking for cheap popularity , with a hidden agenda aimed at disrupting the electoral process, that they will face the law.” On Monday, President Paul Biya convened the maiden regional elections for Sunday December 6, 2020. Before the decree from the President, the leader of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, CRM, an opposition party had called for unending street protest until Paul Biya is removed from power, if the President convened regional elections. Maurice Kamto and his party could not field candidates at the 2019 legislative and municipal elections, and boycotted the polls; saying the party’s decision was to press for electoral reforms. Only councilors make up the electoral college of the regional elections. Without the councilors, CRM picked the streets as their ballot box for regional elections. Atanga Nji said: “Refusing to participate in elections and claiming to defend the interests of Cameroonians, without any elective mandate, is a scheme that cannot work in Cameroon. We will not allow it happen.” He dangled a life sentence option citing pieces of laws opposed to unauthorized or outlawed protests. Maurice Kamto and his supporters could find themselves back in the jail. In 2019, after the presidential election, they were sent to jail on waiting trail for staging an illegal protest in Douala. President Biya ordered the discontinuance of proceedings against the CRM leader and his followers. The Minister of Territorial Administration says the decision of the Head of State “does not imply that the charges have been dropped.” He added: “Any further act of public disorder will take them (Maurice Kamto and followers) back to square one,” as administrative authorities “have been instructed to take necessary measures to maintain law and order,” he added.
Jude Viban
