Joe Dinga Pefok (Uncle Joe)
The CPDM Regime Has Been Strongly Opposed To Important Proposals Made By The Opposition And Others, For The Modification Of The Electoral Code, Because, They Knows Well, That They Cannot Win A Match On A Level Playground. Troops Were Deployed To Block A Ceremony At Hilton Hotel Yaounde, When Opposition Leaders Wanted To Present A Package Of Proposals For Electoral Reform.
The CPDM regime has over the years been strongly opposed to all proposals made by opposition parties and civil society organizations, to modify the controversial 2012 Electoral Code. The CPDM knows that the lapses in the 2012 Electoral Code, which are being pointed out by opposition parties and civil society organizations, are what the ruling party, with the complicity of the election organizing body, Elections Cameroon ( ELECAM), exploit, to ‘win’ elections, as regard the official results of the presidential elections.
After the 2018 presidential election, and the 2020 Legislative and Municipal Elections, even ELECAM at one point admitted that there was need to carry out some reforms in the Electoral Code, and said that the institution was opened to proposals. But it would appear that the reaction of the CPDM regime to ELECAM’s suggestion was negative, as the institution went silent on the idea of reforming the Electoral Code.
There have been some media reports that after the October 12, 2025, ELECAM has again muted the need for some reforms or modifications to be done in the current Electoral Code. But in fact ELECAM which is more like a CPDM organ, apparently, seems to be playing games. When ELECAM sees that it has lost much credibility in the eyes of the public, the election organizing body talks about possible reforms or modifications in the Electoral Code, in a bid to to raise some hope, and after that, they go silent. ELECAM knows so well, that in Cameroon it is only the CPDM Government, that has the power to decide whether or not, there should be electoral reforms, or modifications, in the Electoral Code.
Meanwhile, the CPDM regime that has brought down this once rapidly developing country to a heavily indebted poor country, as a result of over four decades of bad governance, knows so well that the party and its natural presidential candidate, cannot win a presidential election in this country, if the election is free, fair and transparent. That is why the regime is so strongly opposed to electoral reforms that can ensure the organization of free, fair and transparent elections. In other words, the CPDM regime or party knows that it cannot win a match on a level playground.
Major Opposition Parties Worked On Draft Electoral Code
Meanwhile, following the silence of ELECAM after raising hopes over a much welcomed suggestion for electoral reforms, leaders of opposition parties represented in the National Assembly, that included Joshua Osih of SDF, Cabral Libii Ngue of the PCRN, Patricia Tomaino Ndam Njoya of CDU, Pierre Kwemo of UMS, as well as Maurice Kamto of MRC, whose party is not represented in the National Assembly because the party boycotted the last legislative elections, came together with some of their collaborators, and a few others, in a group that was coordinated by Mrs Tomaino Ndam Noya of CDU. The group that also had important inputs from some civil society organizations, met a number of times and put together a package of important proposals for reforms needed to be made in the Cameroon Electoral Code, in a way that the Code can guarantee the organization of free, fair, transparent, and thus credible elections in the country, for the interest of the country’s democracy and credibility.
At the end, the opposition leaders scheduled a ceremony at Hilton Hotel Yaounde, to present their proposed reforms to interested members of the public, who included several foreign diplomats in Yaounde. But scandalously and shamefully enough, the CPDM regime, deployed security forces to block the event from holding. Why?
Biya Denies Seeing Copy Of Opposition Proposal
Meanwhile, the group of major opposition parties in the country, decided to still go ahead with the plan to send a copy of the document containing their proposals for electoral reforms, to President Biya. The opposition group addressed the copy of the document to the President of the Republic, and sent it through the official channel. But then there was no reaction from the President.
Fast forward to last May. The CDU leader and Mayor of Foumban, Patricia Tomaino Ndam Njoya, surprised many by showing up at the traditional reception at the Unity Palace (Presidency) in Yaounde, in the evening of the last ‘national day’ (May 20, 2025) celebration. But she was there on mission. When President Biya was moving around to greet guests in the banquet hall, Madam Ndam Noya smartly seized the opportunity to remind the President, about the document that the group of opposition parties addressed to him, containing proposals for electoral reforms. President Biya in reaction said he did not see the document. If the President was honest in his response, it meant that some of his collaborators at the Presidency, decided to block the document from getting to him.
Whatever the case, the agreement reached at the end of the brief discussion between President Biya, and the CDU leader, was that the opposition group would send another copy of the document to the President of the Republic. The opposition group rapidly did that. But again, there was no response or reaction by President Biya. It is not known whether he saw it or not.
No Sense For Opposition To Participate In Presidential Election, With The Bad Electoral Code
In the face of such a situation of a blockade of the democratic process in Cameroon by the CPDM Regime, some opposition figures and parties in the country, had come to the conclusion that it is irrational for the opposition to participate, especially in presidential elections, with the Electoral Code that cannot ensure the holding of a free, fair, transparent, and thus credible elections. They think that for an opposition candidate or party to participate in the presidential election in Cameroon with such a bad Electoral Code, is, waste of time and resources.
This school of thought thinks, and perhaps rightly too, that the focus of the fight for change in Cameroon, should first be on the reform of the Electoral Code, in a way that the Code can guarantee the organization of free, fair, transparent, and thus credible elections. A candidate at the 2011 presidential election, Edith Kah Walla, and her Cameroon People’s Party, CPP, are for example of this school of thought.
Participation In Election Is However A Matter Of Choice
However, participation in an election is a matter of choice. So if an opposition figure or party accepts to, go in for a presidential election in Cameroon, with the current bad Electoral Code, it is ok. Again, it is a matter of choice. But just that when the candidate or party makes such a choice, the person or party should also be prepared to accept the outcome of the election. An opposition party cannot accept to go in for an election with bad Electoral Code, that is, an Electoral Code that is clearly designed to favour the incumbent, or better still, the presidential candidate of the ruling party; an Electoral Code that cannot ensure the organization of free, fair and transparent election, and after the election start s complaining all over the place that the election was rigged in favour of the candidate of the ruling party. The rigging was to be expected.
As is often seen, when an opposition candidate during or after the presidential election criticizes or bash the controversial Electoral Code, the CPDM calls him a bad loser. When an opposition candidate or his party, argues that the authentic results that come from the polling stations, should be compiled to get the official result of the election as happen in Senegal, the CPDM will try to ‘lecture’ the candidate or party, on the fact that the rules of a game cannot be changed or modified during a match . Also, the opposition candidate or party is told that Cameroon is not Senegal.
Suffice to say what Cameroonians, that want change through the ballot box should consider as the first major battle, that they have to effectively join serious opposition parties to fight, should be the fight for important electoral reforms, so that the Electoral Code should be such that can ensure the organization of free, fair, transparent and thus credible and acceptable elections.
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