By
Mbom Sixtus in Yaounde
The electoral board of Elections Cameroon, ELECAM,
has in a statement made public in Yaounde yesterday indicted the director
general of elections, Sani Tanimou of insubordination and disrespect for
hierarchy. The indictment was made at the Yaounde Mont Febe Hotel during the
organ’s fourth ordinary session.
The president of the electoral board of ELECAM,
Fonkam Azu’u Samuel pointed out in a press declaration that what has been
reported in the media as an internal conflict between members of the electoral
board of ELECAM and the director general was rather an issue of disrespect for
hierarchy; “…given that the director general has still not commissioned the
regional delegates and divisional officials appointed by a unanimous decision
of the electoral board in its resolution number 0159/ELECAM/of the 9th
of July 2014...” He said the board had in two sessions held last year, October
25 and December 31 examined the necessity to replace officials of its branches
who were going on retirement and requested that the director general should
make a list, proposing replacements for these positions.
Meanwhile the director general managed to be calm
while Fonkam was speaking, fidgeting as the ELECAM boss read the declaration.
He kept flipping through pages of a document he had in front of him. While
Fonkam Azu’u was halfway through, the director general of elections lowered his
head which he held in both hands, took off his somewhat purple cap which he
wore to match his white gandura and then wore it back almost immediately. Every
now and then, he picked up his pen, uncorked it and then corked it again.
“This matter was again on the agenda of three
successive sessions of the board meeting,” the board president continued. He
stated that the February 26, April 25 and July 9 sessions that were held this
year before yesterday’s session also focused on the replacement of the retired
officials. Going by the Fonkam Azu’u, it was in total respect of the rights of
the director general of elections that the board waited for more than six
months for him to submit the proposals which he never did. The regional
delegates went on retirement on October 25, 2013 at the age of 60 following the
statutes of ELECAM, he stated.
Fonkam Azu’u used the fourth ordinary session which
had on the agenda, the examination and adoption of the 2015 budget of ELECAM,
to express his resentment for the on-going internal conflict. He stated that
the texts state clearly that the director general shall be under the authority
of the board and can only act under the authorisation of the board which is
headed by a president of the electoral board.
He also gave to understanding that the decisions of
the board of directors are supposed to be implemented by the subordinates,
including the director general unless declared illegal by a competent court of
law. He buttressed his arguments with provisions of the law creating ELECAM and
the texts empowering its director general. He said the decision is made in
accordance with authority entrusted on the board by section 9 of the electoral
code and by no means should be regarded as illegal. The law gives the board the
right to take decisions in case of dysfunctions or inertia while its decisions
are administrative, Fonkam pointed out.
He however stated that the issue is being handled
internally; stressing that Tanimou has not only disrespected the board of
directors, but questioned the authority of the state. See full text of the
ELECAM electoral board’s press statement elsewhere in this issue.
The agenda of the meeting meanwhile equally included
a presentation of the 2014 activity report by the director general of
elections.
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