Over one hundred petitions have been filed with the Supreme Court, which is currently acting as the temporary Constitutional Court, with the goal of annulling Cameroon’s recent elections (held July 22). The elections were swept by the ruling party, President Paul Biya’s Democratic Rally of the Cameroonian People (Rassemblement Démocratique du Peuple Camerounais – RDPC) [1].

Many of the petitions were filed by the Social Democratic Front (SDF), the main opposition party led by John Fru Ndi. The petitions oppose the miscounting of votes, the casting of multiple votes by individuals, and the banning of opposition representatives at polling stations. Ndi was quoted as saying that the elections “disgrace Cameroon” and only prove that “Cameroon is an extremely corrupt country” [2]. The SDF is calling for a rerun of all electoral processes in Cameroon [3].

The Court had twenty days to declare the official election results, and when it did, it announced the RDPC won 140 of 180 parliamentary seats. The SDF received fourteen seats. A fifteenth seat would have allowed the SDF to create a parliamentary group [4]. There are still seventeen seats up for dispute, since the Supreme Court annulled results in five constituencies [5]. Of the 360 municipal councils up for election, the RDPC swept 310. The SDF won twenty-one [6].

The opposition fears that President Biya might use the 2011 presidential elections to amend the Cameroonian constitution, permitting a third term [7]. According to Ndi, the judicial system is “put in place by the government”. This allows the government, and namely the president, a say in the judicial processes [8]. Because the judges are appointed by the president and depend on him for political and economical favors, they are prone to “proclaim the same thing”. In fact, the judicial branch in Cameroon is subordinate to the executive branch, and as such a system of “checks and balances” does not exist.

Some of the positive aspects of this election include the election of more women to municipal councils. In the municipalities of Menji, Bamenda, Douala, Yaounde, and Bangangte, women have been elected as mayors or assistant mayors. Many also headed council lists, and in the national territory there are over 20 female representatives [9].

Cameroon is currently dealing not only with issues of widespread corruption and election mismanagement but also of growing poverty and economic distress. The country, while rich in natural resources and the primary economy in the Communauté économique et monétaire de l'Afrique centrale (CEMAC), has been trying to handle an overemployed civil service sector, a poor climate for investments, a meager tourism sector, and over 10.9 billion USD in foreign debt. It is currently the leading aid recipient from the Agence Française de Dévelopment (AFD) [10]. While there may not be evidence of a direct link between corruption and poverty, corruption has direct consequences on economic and governance factors, factors that in turn create poverty [11]. This indicates that the establishment of free and fair elections brings benefits beyond the advantages of having a legitimate government.

The establishment of free and fair elections in Cameroon is possible, but not in an atmosphere of corruption and fear. The IIJD believes that the control of the executive branch over judicial and legislative affairs is a large source of the problems Cameroonian citizens are experiencing with their government. There must be separation of three distinct branches of government – an executive, a judicial, and a legislative branch. Each of these must have control over its own internal affairs, and stand independently in order to exercise influence within a system of checks and balances. If the executive branch maintains its hold on the judicial branch, not only will it prohibit the judicial branch from operating effectively and promoting free and fair elections, but this consolidation of power prevents the legislative branch from exercising its influence, which should be equal to that of each of the other branches.

President Biya, should he attempt to amend the Constitution to run for a third term, would be flaunting international norms and spurning many of the countries who are currently offering Cameroon aid and asking for a democratization of the election process. The establishment of an Independent Electoral Commission will be meaningless unless that body has powers separate from the executive branch and adequate access to resources. A Commission such as this would have the resources and authority necessary to defend free and fair elections, ensuring that all parties have access to media outlets and protecting the right of candidates to campaign freely. Without a sound, legitimate electoral process, the IIJD believes it is not possible to move forward towards democracy.

It is to this end that the IIJD reminds the government of Cameroon that there are many parties and a plethora of innovative politicians in Cameroon, and it is fully possible for Cameroon to rectify its current state of electoral corruption. The leadership needs to commit willingly and honestly to the separation of powers within the government. President Biya and the RDPC have no authority to behave as independent actors during the electoral process; they must stand back and allow citizens to vote without interference. It is in this way that Cameroon will be able to not only establish a working democracy, but also pull itself out of the crippling poverty it is currently experiencing. The IIJD stands by the Cameroonian people and supports international initiatives that strengthen democratic institutions as they work to attain these goals.