Cameroon’s recent election is being hotly contested after allegations of widespread fraud and misconduct. Cameroonian citizens were voting on 180 members to the National Assembly and 359 municipal positions. The CPDM ruling party  (created from the CNU party of President Ahidjo established in 1972) has been in power in since its inception. Mr. Ahmadou Ahidjo (the first President of Cameroon) who ruled Cameroon for 22 years, appointed Mr. Paul Biya as Prime Minister of the United Republic of Cameroon on 1972. Ten years later, on November 06, 1982, President Ahmadou Ahidjo transferred the power and the Presidency to Paul Biya.  The regime was forced to reestablish a multiparty system in Cameroon 1990 and there has never been a single election by the CPDM administration where the fairness has not been seriously questioned by local and international observers. The CPDM party and President Paul Biya administration as usual organized recent elections. The government of President Paul Biya has always opposed the establishment of an independent national electoral body in Cameroon with the power to organized free and transparent elections, and while Mr. Paul Biya announced after casting his vote, "What I expect right now is a comfortable majority, which will enable me to build and modernize the country," it is widely doubted that he won the election fairly [1]. 

Biya has been president since 1982, and his success during his presidency has been widely debated by Cameroonians.  Some accuse him of leading a repressive government, one that did not respect human rights or democracy, and many claim that fraud in earlier elections was the only reason that he was able to remain in power [2].  His current term will end in 2011, but there is widespread speculation that Biya will attempt to amend the Cameroonian constitution before then to enable him to continue running for additional terms [3].

The election took place on July 22, and concluded peacefully, with no official reports of violence, but there were small incidents such as that in Magba, north of the capital Yaounde, where an attempt was made by opposition supporters to burn ballot boxes in protest of the election corruption [4].  There were also small scuffles among voters in certain polling locations where ballots ran out [5].  Additionally, Cameroonians reported that electoral cards were distributed to minors and to those who had not picked theirs up, artificially increasing the number of people who voted.  Citizens also reported that certain voters were denied ballot cards, particularly those presumed to support the opposition party [6]. In addition to the ballot fraud, it has been made known that the indelible ink used to mark the hands of those who have already voted was not, in fact, permanent.  Consequently, people could wash their hands and then return to the polls to cast multiple votes. 

Many individuals have openly criticized the problems with the elections.  For example, Joseph Lavoisier Tsapy, leader of Biya’s main opposition party, the Social Democratic Front, said, "These elections were a catastrophe.  On the whole, they were not different from previous elections.  They were marked by massive fraud.  We are going to systematically file challenges in all districts where we have lost" [7].   John Fru Ndi, a failed presidential contender and leader of the main opposition Social Democratic Front, agreed saying, "The elections are a sham…The organization of the elections has not changed. It has even worsened. The elections will be unfair and won't be transparent. And Biya is the architect "[8].  There are still those, however, who believe that the 2002 elections were even more poorly-organized and fraudulent than this year’s.  Marafa Hamidou Yaya, Cameroon’s Minister for Territorial Administration, said on Sunday that "no major malfunctioning likely to distort the results of the vote has been recorded . . . . [The elections were] free and transparent"[9].

Cameroon’s population is close to 18 million and; of that, roughly 5.5 million are registered to vote.  While total statistics on those who voted are not readily available, it is believed that voter turnout was lower than usual.  Some speculate that this is because few Cameroonians believed the election to be of much consequence due to President Biya’s fragmented opposition, while others were simply indifferent to the outcome.  Ebenezer Penda, a bike taxi driver in Douala was quoted as saying, "What do I care about legislative elections or electing a mayor in Cameroon? What have those who were elected during the past 15 years done to change life for us?"[10].

The IIJD believes that transparent elections are necessary for a government to be legitimate.  Therefore, we support the opposition parties’ efforts to challenge the ballots in many of the contested districts.  Additionally, it is unacceptable for President Biya to attempt to alter the constitution of Cameroon for the sole purpose of extending his term as president.  It is the changeover, the exposure to new ideas, and the hope for the future that a new president brings to his or her position that makes democracy stable and flexible. 

The widespread disillusionment among the Cameroonian people indicates that many citizens do not trust the election process.  A judiciary should be accountable to its citizens and independent of the executive branch, so that when there is a contested election such as this one, the people can rely on their judicial system to protect their interests.  This is one of the most significant steps a country can take towards establishing a credible democracy, and the IIJD supports the people of Cameroon as they continue striving for democracy.