By Atia Tilarious Azohnwi
Members of Parliament of the 9th legislature of the National Assembly are split over a presidential intention to extend their mandates by one year in line with Section 15(4) of the constitution. An extension of the mandate of councillors in line with Section 170(2) of the electoral code is also previewed.
A draft government text, extending the mandate of the MPs and that of municipal councilors until October 29, 2019, was tabled on Thursday to the bureau of the National Assembly that is currently meeting for the June ordinary session.
Twin elections – legislative and municipal elections were expected to hold in September 2018 following the expiry of the current mandate of MPs and councillors who were elected for a five-year mandate on September 29, 2013.
Government is opting for a postponement of the twin elections on grounds that organizing the legislative, municipal and presidential elections that fall in the same year will be very costly for the state.
The legislative and municipal elections would thus be postponed because of financial problems resulting from the drop in oil prices on the international market, the heavy investments linked to the organisation of the African Cup of Nations – 2019 AFCON, the cost of the war against Boko Haram in the Far North, as well as the unrests in the North West and South West Regions.
Members of Parliament were expected to unanimously opt to extend their mandates at the National Assembly by a year as proposed but the reverse is true. Many MPs say extending their mandate by up to a year is a gross exaggeration. They say a six-month extension would just be fine given that many of them were already making preparations for the election.
Most of those who are celebrating the extension are some MPs of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) in the South West and North West Regions who may not have their mandates renewed under the present socio-political context.
Those who are against the one-year extension are so sure that they will easily renew their mandates.
Presidential elections expected to be held by October this year is not affected by the postponement.
PM Yang summons Anglophone elite
In a related development, Prime Minister, Head of Government Philemon Yang summoned Anglophone elites last week to discuss the feasibility of upcoming elections.
The Prime Minister told the Anglophone elite to go down to their respective constituencies to preach the gospel of peace in the crisis-hit North West and South West Regions. He also wants them to mobilize their populace to come out from the bushes and register for upcoming elections.
Many are those who are opposed to the call for them to go down to the crisis-hit regions. They fear they may not be able to come out free from the war-torn zones.
