Kamto Accuses ELECAM of Fraud in Electoral List Publication, Questions Disappearance of 120,000 Voters

Professor Maurice Kamto, the leader of Cameroon’s opposition party, the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM), has accused the country’s electoral body, Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), of fraud in the publication of the revised electoral list. In a press release on Tuesday, October 22, Kamto demanded explanations for the disappearance of over 120,000 voters from the electoral list.

Missed Deadline Raises Concerns

Kamto’s statement follows ELECAM’s failure to publish the revised list on October 21, as mandated by law.The Director General of Elections announced that the provisional list would become public starting October 20.

“As of the evening of October 21, 2024, after cross-checking with our party’s basic organs, several ELECAM Council branches have not published provisional electoral lists. This is a violation of electoral law which seriously affects the protected rights of registered voters and directly influences the exercise of their right to vote,” Kamto declared.

Violation of Electoral Code

The CRM leader further accused ELECAM of breaking the law by forwarding provisional lists to council branches for publication, citing a breach of the Electoral Code.

“Article 78 of the Electoral Code, cited in the communiqué of October 16, 2024, stipulates in paragraph (2) that ‘after the data entry, technical verifications, and establishment of the provisional electoral roll of the division, the Divisional head of Elections Cameroon shall transmit the corresponding provisional electoral rolls to the council branches concerned for posting no later than October 20,’” Kamto explained.

Disappearance of 120,000 Voters

According to Kamto, there were about 120,000 voters mysteriously removed from the list that ELECAM’s Director General had forwarded. He argued that the justification of missing biometric fingerprints was dubious, claiming that no divisional branch had certified these missing details.

“In yet another manoeuvre that violates the law, the Director General of ELECAM has cut nearly 120,000 voters from the electoral rolls held by the Council branches on the pretext of ‘missing biometric fingerprints,’ which no Divisional branch has certified,” Kamto stated. He went on to criticize the decision, adding, “Even if there had been some citizens whose registration had been problematic because of alleged fingerprint issues, it would have been sufficient to draw up a list of the people concerned, by district, and invite them to come and regularize their registration within the legal deadlines, instead of automatically and arbitrarily excluding them from the electoral roll.”

Accusations of Foreign Involvement

Kamto further alleged that the overall figures produced by ELECAM likely originated from a so-called “black laboratory” operated by the Director General of ELECAM in collaboration with German technical partners Giesecke & Devrient and Veridos.

Regional Disparities and Ongoing Concerns

He highlighted two particularly affected regions: the West Region, with nearly 15% of voter rejections, and the Centre Region, with about 10%. Kamto warned that more names could be removed from the list before the final substantive list is expected to be published by December 10.

Warning to ELECAM and Government

Warning ELECAM against infringing on the rights of the electorate, Kamto declared, “Times have changed for dangerous games. ELECAM must stop playing with the rights and patience of Cameroonians.”

He demanded a swift explanation from ELECAM regarding the manipulation of voter rolls, cautioning that the elimination of many Cameroonians from the electoral list could escalate tensions in the lead-up to the crucial presidential election.

“ELECAM must explain as soon as possible the manipulations that led to the elimination of many Cameroonians from the electoral rolls, even if provisional, at the risk of putting the country under tension on the eve of a decisive presidential election,” Kamto said.

Call for Government Action

Accusing ELECAM of rigging the electoral process in favor of a political party, Kamto called on the government to consider the potential impact of ELECAM’s alleged actions on the peace and security of Cameroon.

“Let all interested actors and observers of the electoral process and the functioning of elective democracy in Cameroon not wait for a violent post-electoral crisis to erupt before taking an interest in the fate of our country,” he concluded in a stark warning.

Mimi Mefo Info