Militants of the CPDM are being encouraged to register massively and endeavour to collect their cards.
Elections are not won over night. This has been understood by the ruling party and this explains why the party is constantly at work, preparing its militants in every way possible to consolidate its position. During meetings that bring militants together, be they section conferences or anniversaries celebrated by the party, it is always an occasion for the grass root executives as well as other party elite to school militants on their role in making the party assert its position. Since the opening of the voters’ registers in January, militants have been encouraged to get registered because the party’s victory at any point in time will not depend on the number of militants, in the party but the number of registered voters in possession of their cards. The CPDM has and wants to continue to preach by example and not act like other parties that instead of doing the right thing at the right time sit back and seek avenues to point accusing fingers.
There are always challenges especially on the field and the grass root authorities are not lying on their laurels but working tooth and nail to seek lasting solutions while they have time. For instance, section presidents like Akwa Stephen Tambu of the Momo Southwest section Widikum has not ceased to call the attention of grassroots of the party and the elite of the various setbacks encountered on the field as far as registering militants in his section is concerned. According to him, “While some eligible voters complain of the prevailing crisis and ghost towns that have grounded activities in our region, others say the absence of identification units in their areas are an uphill task.”, he said. Still on the field, concerns about the new and lengthy procedures for the acquisition of national identity cards abound. These and more are a hindrance to registering voters who have come of age. It is worth recalling that some elite have very often opted to foot bills for the militants to acquire ID cards and thereby facilitate their registration on voters’ rolls. Given the difficulties faced, militants are still encouraged to make the effort while waiting for solutions to the pending problems. All said, voter registers are open in Cameroon every year from January until August and it is the responsibility of every citizen to get registered so as to participate in the decision making process of the country by voting.
Irene AWENEG
