Opposition Presidential Candidates Cry Over CRTV Bias, CRTV Reacts

Opposition candidates for the October 7 presidential elections have slammed the state-run media, the Cameroon Radio and Television (CRTV), for biased distribution of reporters to cover the campaigns of the various presidential aspirants.

They echoed their grievances in a 3-page letter dated September 18, 2018 and signed by the spokespersons and communication officers of 5 presidential aspirants. The spokespersons and communication officers spoke for Maurice KAMTO, AKERE MUNA Joshua OSIH, Cabral LIBII, and Serge Espoir MATOMBA.

According to the letter, the opposition parties indicted CRTV for allocating twice as many reporters to the incumbent, Paul Biya, as it did for the other presidential aspirants. They added that such actions are ploys to give the CPDM party more coverage during campaigns, hence, limiting the visibility of the other presidential candidates.

They wondered aloud, why CRTV would allocate reporters to state dignitaries, such as the Speaker of the National House of Assembly, the President of the Senate, and the Director of the Civil Cabinet, whom to them, are de facto CPDM militants.

The presidential candidates indicated that if the Director General of CRTV, Charles Ndongo, does not regularise the situation, they shall be boycotting CRTV.

CRTV’s Reaction

Reacting to the petition, the Director General of CRTV, Charles Ndongo, said he was baffled by the dissenting voices cropping in after they had all agreed on that. He said he had held a meeting with all spokespersons and communication officers of the nine presidential contenders.

According to him, they had unanimously agreed on the allocation of reporters, with additional information that other reporters will be on standby in the different regions to relay any news from the campaign trail of the presidential candidates.