According to Cameroon’s electoral calendar, the year 2018 is expected to be an electoral year marked by four major elections. Cameroonians of voting age (20 years and above) will take part in the Presidential polls, elections into both the Lower and Upper House including municipals. In a build up to the charged electoral year, a delegation from the United Nations Head Quarters has been on a working visit to Cameroon to assist the electoral body in organizing credible elections.

The team from General Secretariat of the UN headquarters was invited to Cameroon by officials of Elections Cameroon, ELECAM. Upon arrival they received at the National Assemble by the Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament, Honorable Cavaye Yeguié Djibril exchanged with the President of the National Assembly on Monday evening.

The electoral and political adviser in the electoral assistance division in the Department of Political Affairs of the United Nations, Akinyemi Adegbola who headed the four man delegation from the UN said they are accompanied by other field-based colleagues for an exploratory mission in the country, following a request by the President of Elections Cameroon (ELECAM).

The interim Resident Representative of the UN System in Cameroon, Jean Victor Bouri, who led to delegation to the National Assembly, indicated that the mission felt it was necessary to meet the Cameroonian personalities and even the political parties, during this visit to Cameroon. The delegation held talks with officials and members of the electoral board of ELECAM and discussed issues related to technical and logistical support to enhance the output of the election governing body in the face of the huge task of organizing several elections.

The President of board of Elections Cameroon, Enow Abrahams Egbe, revealed some of the needs of ELECAM in view of the 2018 elections. The U N experts held talks with leaders of political parties represented in Parliament and the Senate. They also discussed crisis in the South West and North West regions of Cameroon and met with election stakeholders in the country. The visit by the UN delegation is a continuation of long standing relations between Elections Cameroon and the UN.

In 2010, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) developed and transferred an elections and referendum management and processing software for Electoral data (SIGCE-Mapping Information and Cartographic Management System) to ELECAM. The software computerized the entry of data in the registration phase, control of the electoral register, screening and publication of the provisional electoral rolls.

Source: CRTV