By Daniel D.
The Mayor of Yaounde 7 Council, Augustine Tamba, is reported to have stopped Elections officials from registering individuals, most of them CRM sympathizers, for not showing proof of a residence permit.
This move has sparked criticism from the Cameroon Renaissance Movement Party (CRM) led by Prof. Maurice Kamto.
On Thursday, May 2, the CRM heavily mobilized youths in the Municipality for registration on the electoral roll.
In a statement posted on their Facebook page, the party detailed a mass influx of people to register on the electoral roll in response to their call.
“Immediately, we launched on social media that people should come for the massive registration on the electoral list in Yaounde 7, precisely at Nkolbison beside Ola patrol station. Within 30 minutes, there was a mass influx of Cameroonian residents in Yaounde 7, who were coming for registration on the electoral lists,” the CRM wrote.
However, according to the CRM, the registration drive was abruptly interrupted by Mayor Augustin Tamba, who belongs to the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM).
The party alleges that Tamba arrived at the scene and ordered Elecam to cease the registration process, insisting that only individuals with a residence permit could register.
“He came down to the registration site and interrupted the registration exercise as he asked Elecam to stop the registration, telling them, ‘Those who have to register must present a resident permit, and since the registration, no one has presented a resident permit before being registered,'” the CRM stated.
“Knowing fully well that this document is not possessed by normal citizens, the mayor asked Elecam to stop the registration, leaving the masses frustrated at the site,” they added.
Residence permits are primarily obtained by citizens from other countries residing in Cameroon, making it a difficult requirement for many ordinary citizens to fulfill.
With elections due next year, there have been widespread calls for massive voter registration.
The CRM has deployed teams across various locations to encourage youths to register.
This push for registration comes as voter apathy and low registration rates have been evident since the 1992 presidential elections.
The ruling CPDM, led by President Paul Biya, has consistently enjoyed overwhelming support in elections as a result.
However, the opposition, including the CRM, believes that the key to unseating Biya, who has been president since 1982, lies in massive registration for the upcoming elections.
As of January, Elections Cameroon (Elecam) reported that over 7 million people have registered, surpassing the number recorded during the 2018 presidential elections.
Despite this, challenges such as the requirement for a residence permit threaten to disenfranchise many potential voters, raising concerns about the fairness and inclusivity of the electoral process in Cameroon.
