Maurice Kamto, leader of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement party, has said he will be a candidate in the upcoming presidential elections.
Kamto maintains that he meets all eligibility criteria to contest, despite suggestions that his candidacy might be impossible since his party has no parliamentary or municipal representation.
“My candidacy meets all the conditions laid down by the Constitution and the Electoral Code, and everyone should take note of that, because that is the law…,” Maurice Kamto said.
Before his declaration, there had been debates about the eligibility of his party to send a candidate for the elections.
The CRM neither has a representation in parliament not controls any municipal council. The party boycotted the 2020 legislative and municipal elections.
Some political analysts have argued that Kamto can only run as an independent candidate or another political party could invest him as its candidate.
What the Law Says
Section 120 of the Cameroon Electoral Code states that any candidate wishing to stand for presidential elections shall declare their candidature through a declaration bearing their authenticated signature.
Section 121 of the code states that a political party may put forward a candidate, or an individual may run as an independent candidate, provided they secure the support of at least 300 dignitaries from all regions, including 30 signatures from each region.
The law adds: “These persons who qualify to append such signatures shall be either members of Parliament or of trade chambers or regional councillors, municipal councillors, or first-class chiefs.”
Unfortunately for Kamto, parliament amended section 121 of the electoral code and supplemented it with law N° 2012/017 of December 21, 2012.
The paragraph added to section 121 stipulates that “(2) The candidate nominated by a political party not represented in the National Assembly, the Senate, a Regional Council, or a Municipal Council must also meet the conditions provided for in paragraph (1) above applicable to independent candidates.”
Kamto’s CRM Lacks Representations
During the 2020 municipal and legislative elections, Maurice Kamto’s CRM boycotted.
That could have been the opportunity for the party to have its militants in parliament or run councils.
As it stands now, the only option for him is to run as an independent.
However, Kamto remains determined to participate in the elections.
“The year 2025 is, it should be remembered, a decisive election year for our country. I will be a candidate in the forthcoming presidential election,” he said.
“This is certainly bad news for those who dreamed that they could hold on to power or gain access to it without facing up to the People of Change and Alternation, in other words, the forces in favour of democracy in our country,” he added.
Kamto to Turn Magic Wand
Despite saying he meets the eligibility criteria, the electoral code is clear. But Kamto appears to have another plan. He states that he is “the candidate put forward by the CRM and the other members of the PAC; the candidate of the People for the Break with a neo-colonial dictatorship.”
It is yet uncertain how Kamto intends to dribble the electoral code.
The PAC, which he mentioned, is the political alliance for change in Cameroon.
It is not a registered political party.
Unless another party invests in Kamto or he goes independent, it will be very difficult for the elections management body, Elecam, to attend his candidacy.
Mimi Mefo Info
