The second ordinary session of the current legislative year comes up in an environment marked by the existence of a single electoral code and a higher gear in the fight against corruption.
Unlike the first and third ordinary sessions of parliament respectively dedicated to bureau elections and budget adoption, the June session generally centered on the scrutiny of any bill whatsover proposed by government. The ongoing session launched by the speaker of the National assembly, Rt Hon Cavaye Yegue Djibril opens up at a time when the legislative and municipal elections initially expected to take place this year have been postponed. In retrospect, the said code promulgated into law on April 19, 2012 by the Head of State, Paul Biya is a clear indication of the democratic and transparent path taken by government in electoral issues. Being inline with the constitution of Cameroon (religious freedom, public liberties,…), the code contains all possible scenarios in Cameroon’s elections be they presidential, legislative, municipal, senatorial and regional. The much heralded biometric registration clearly fines a place in the code. It gives room for the overall practice of this process and it is now incumbent on Elections Cameroon to put in line with the politico-economic and socio-cultural realities of Cameroon. Taking into account the spirit of this code (democratic progress) as well as the sum of procedures to be fullfilled inorder to ensure free, fair and transparent elections, Members of parliament and municipal councilors currently in office have their mandates extended. To this effect, the President of the Republic signed a decree n°2012/240 on May 30, 2012 extending by one year the mandates of municipal councilors elected on Jully 22, 2007 whose 5 year mandates initially had to expire by July 31, 2012 as per provisions of law n°2012/001 of April 19, 2012 on Cameroon’s single electoral code. Being the last but one session, (the last being dedicated to the adoption of the budget), there is a likelyhood that during this session, in house debates and presidential decree(s) will equally centre on the extension of mandates of Members of parliament. That aside, the present session comes on the hills of the arrest of two former top government officials within the framework of the ongoing fight against corruption. Inoni Ephraim (former Prime minister) and Marafa Hamidou Yaya (former minister of State, minister for Territorial administration and decentralization) were put under pre detension trial on April 17, 2012 at the Kondengui central prison for an alleged embezzlement of state funds. By the time it wraps up, Cpdm MPs would be able to negotiate a new contract with militants at the base, given that efforts and strategies to water down the Cpdm regime and its leader are underway by detainee(s).Another issue which spiced parliamentary recess was the recent election of the election of Hon Nkodo Ndang of the Cpdm parliamentary group to the post of first Vice President of the Pan African Parliament in Mindrand South Africa last May 2012. This position offers Cameroon a wider leverage in current efforts to transform the Pan African parliament from a consultative organ to a legislative one across the continent.
Manyanye Ikome
MANYANYE IKOME
