MRC calls for disruption of all elections until Anglophone crisis is solved, electoral code reformed

Cameroon’s opposition leader, Maurice Kamto has once more raised concerns over the country’s political situation.

The MRC leader has made a call for the government to stop organizing elections until the Anglophone crisis is resolved.

Criticizing the 2012 electoral code, Kamto says “ instead of establishing serenity and confidence in the electoral process, this Code has, on the contrary, reinforced mistrust of national electoral system within the political class and the public opinion, because of the lack of consensus in its preparation and vote”.

Acknowledging that the code has some improvements as compared to previous texts, Kamto says it, however “ revealed numerous gaps and shortcomings as well as some inconsistencies and dysfunctions in its provisions which favored irregularities along the entire electoral process”. Some of these irregularities he adds were clearly visible in the 2018 presidential elections.

“In the light of this situation, numerous friendly countries of Cameroon and international organizations as the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU), including all domestic observers, have recommended the reform of the electoral system to avoid upheavals caused by the protests to election results affecting by critical irregularities.”

One of these bodies Kamto cites is the AU Election Observation Mission.

He quotes the post-2018 election recommendation stating that “all political and electoral actors to initiate an inclusive political dialogue for promoting political, legal and electoral reforms to consolidate democracy, governance, peace, and stability.”

The politician adds: The European Parliament Resolution of 2019/2691(RSP) on Cameroon (Session No. 9), adopted on 18 April 2019, “urges the Cameroonian regime to build a genuine representative and living democracy; and to this end, calls on it to convene all political actors to carry out a consensual review of the electoral system to make it a free, transparent and credible process; and also calls for this review to be carried out before any new elections, in order to promote peace and avoid post-electoral crises; invite the European Union to step up its technical assistance to Cameroon in support of its efforts to strengthen electoral procedures in the interests of democracy.”

“The CRM calls on its militants and supporters, the People of the Renaissance and Cameroonians who cherish democracy and peace, in Cameroon and abroad to move to impede by all pacific ways, the holding of any new elections, starting with the regional elections” urged the MRC.

Kamto adds that the party holds President Biya responsible for all the incidents and violence that may occur if the regime forces to hold any election without meeting their demands.

The move he adds should not be mistaken for an armed insurrection. “I want to make it perfectly clear that the CRM is not calling for a coup d’état or an armed insurrection because it is not asking people to give it power. But rather for the conscious political struggle of Cameroonians to free our people” he explains.
However, “if, as usual, this regime chooses confrontation and convenes the electorate, even for regional elections, without first having created the conditions for a return to peace in the NOSO and carried out a consensual reform of the electoral system, it will have the people’s response” he adds.

Maurice Kamto and his MRC party have been a thorn in the side of the Cameroon Government since the 2018 election, during which he emerged second with 14.23%.

The politician was jailed alongside several members of his party but was later released.