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Civil society should engage with the ELECAM teams

Civil society should engage with the ELECAM teams on the field

Dear colleagues of the civil society

As you may  already know, ELECAM teams are on the field with a mission to inform/educate, voters and stakeholders on the new electoral code as well as sensitize and mobilize them to get ready to register massively in the electoral list when the process starts in 2 months.  I sincerely think it’s an excellent thing for them to do. Based on their availability on the field, we the civil society should also mobilize to make significant contribution in the process at all levels and arranging for meetings with the teams through  our regional networks. 

Please consider the following urgent actions and points during your meetings with the ELECAM team:

Action point: All the ten regional civil society networks as well as thematic networks should mobilize their members and take appointments to meet and discus with the ELECAM team when they are in your respective regions:

Things to consider during such meetings or appointments:

1. The civil society should seeks meaningful dialogue and collaboration with ELECAM beyond mere words by concretely discussing join action plans and strategies of implementation and participation of the civil society in civic education and monitoring before, during and after the voters registration extending to the periods before, during and after the twin elections.

2. All civil society members should ask ELECAM to make public the comprehensive list of all polling stations and to update such a list whenever new polling stations are created or modified
3. Ask ELECAM to seriously and sincerely collaborate with the civil society during the training of registration agents and further towards the grassroots mobilizations to encourage voters to register.

4. ELECAM and the civil society should agree on a working plan for early accreditation of all interested civil society organizations to participate in the electoral processes right from the start of the registration process which we consider fundamental to any free, fair and transparent elections

5. The Civil society should ask ELECAM to recommit to their promise of using  the SMS voters verification system which they agreed to use during the twin elections especially now that voters’ cards will not be delivered on the spot to avoid the same situation observed with millions of uncollected cards during the presidential elections

6. We should ask ELECAM to improve the performance of their communication unit by integrating vital information in their website which till date is holding outdated information about the presidential elections.

7. Once done, I pray that all of us should also commit to help ELECAM in their mission towards meaningful democracy in Cameroon

8. The civil society should indicate through the national civil society observation poll their geographical areas of interest to mobilize voters towards the registration process, monitoring of the processes extending from the registration to the voting in 2013 or whenever the electorates are convened.

Note: when you refuse to be part of the success story, you will inevitably be part of the failure

I am on standby for further details

Christian Tanyi

CEO, LUKMEF-Cameroon

La société civile doit s'engager avec les équipes de ELECAM sur le terrain


Chers collègues de la société civile

Comme vous le savez sans doute déjà, les équipes de ELECAM sont sur le terrain avec pour mission d'informer / éduquer, les électeurs et les intervenants sur le nouveau code électoral ainsi que les sensibiliser et les mobiliser pour se préparer à s'inscrire massivement dans la liste électorale lorsque le processus démarre en 2 mois. Je pense sincèrement que c'est une excellente chose pour eux de faire. Sur la base de leur disponibilité sur le terrain, nous la société civile devraient aussi se mobiliser pour apporter une contribution significative dans le processus à tous les niveaux et l'organisation de réunions avec les équipes est nos réseaux régionaux.

S'il vous plaît envisager les mesures urgentes suivantes et les points lors de vos réunions avec l'équipe ELECAM:

Point d'action: Tous les dix réseaux régionaux de la société civile ainsi que des réseaux thématiques devraient mobiliser leurs membres et de prendre rendez-vous de rencontrer et de discussions avec l'équipe de ELECAM quand ils sont dans vos régions respectives:

Les choses à considérer lors de ces réunions ou rendez-vous:
1. La société civile devrait cherche un dialogue constructif et de collaboration avec ELECAM-delà des mots par concrètement discuter rejoindre les plans d'action et des stratégies de mise en œuvre et la participation de la société civile dans l'éducation civique et de suivi avant, pendant et après l'enregistrement des électeurs qui s'étend aux périodes avant, pendant et après les élections.

2. Tous les membres de la société civile devrait demander ELECAM à rendre publique la liste complète de tous les bureaux de vote et de mettre à jour une telle liste à chaque fois de nouveaux bureaux de vote sont créés ou modifiés
3. Demandez à ELECAM sérieusement et sincèrement collaborer avec la société civile au cours de la formation des agents d'inscription et d'autres vers les mobilisations populaires pour encourager les électeurs à s'inscrire.

4. ELECAM et la société civile devraient s'entendre sur un plan de travail pour l'accréditation  de toutes les organisations intéressées de la société civile à participer dans les processus électoraux dès le début du processus d'enregistrement que nous considérons comme fondamental pour toutes les élections libres, justes et transparentes

5. La société civile devrait demander à ELECAM pour renouveler leur promesse d'utiliser le système de vérification SMS électeurs dont ils ont convenu d'utiliser lors des élections conjoindre surtout maintenant que les cartes d'électeurs ne seront pas livrés sur place pour éviter la même situation observée avec des millions de non perçus cartes lors des élections présidentielles

6. Nous devrions demander à ELECAM afin d'améliorer la performance de leur unité de communication en intégrant des informations vitales sur leur site web qui jusqu'à ce jour est la tenue des informations périmées sur les élections présidentielles.

7. Une fois cela fait, je prie pour que chacun d'entre nous doivent également s'engager à aider ELECAM dans leur mission vers une véritable démocratie au Cameroun

8. La société civile doit indiquer dans le sondage national de la société civile d'observation de leurs zones géographiques d'intérêt pour mobiliser les électeurs vers le processus d'inscription, le suivi des processus s'étendant à partir de l'enregistrement au vote en 2013 ou lorsque les électeurs sont convoqués.

Remarque: Lorsque vous refusez de faire partie de l'histoire à succès, vous serez inévitablement faire partie de l'échec

Je suis en attente pour plus de détails
Christian Tanyi
Chef de la direction, LUKMEF-Cameroun

Obama et Sarkozy ne voulaient pas de Kadhafi vivant

Obama et Sarkozy ne voulaient pas de Kadhafi vivant, de crainte qu’il ne parle trop lors de son procès devant la Cour pénale internationale.

Le 19 octobre en fin d’après-midi, un colonel du Pentagone téléphone à l’un de ses correspondants au sein des services secrets français. Chargé du dossier Kadhafi, l’une des priorités actuelles des généraux de l’équipe Obama, l’ Américain annonce que le chef libyen, suivi à la trace par des drones Predator US, est pris au piège dans un quartier de la ville de Syrte et qu’il est désormais impossible de le « manquer« . Puis il ajoute que laisser Kadhafi en vie le transformerait en véritable « bombe atomique« . Son interlocuteur comprend ainsi que la Maison-Blanche a rendu son verdict, et qu’il faut éviter à Kadhafi la tribune internationale que représenterait son éventuel procès.

Depuis quelques jours d’ailleurs, des commandos des forces spéciales américaines et françaises participaient ensemble à cette chasse au Kadhafi. A Paris, au Centre de planification et de conduite des opérations ( CPCO), à la Direction du renseignement militaire ( DRM) et au Service action de la DGSE, plusieurs officiers évaluaient à une cinquantaine de membres du COS ( Commandement des opérations spéciales) les militaires français présents à Syrte.

Leur mission: porter assistance aux unités du CNT qui investissaient la ville, quartier par quartier, et, selon le jargon utilisé par un officier du CPCO, « traiter le guide libyen et les membres de sa famille« . Une autre formule avait cours à la DGSE : « livrer le colis à Renard« , et agir en sorte que Kadhafi n’échappe pas à ses poursuivants ( une unité du CNT baptisée « Renard » ?).

A l’ Elysée, on savait depuis la mi-octobre que Kadhafi et l’un de ses fils s’étaient réfugiés à Syrte, avec gardes du corps et mercenaires. Et Sarkozy avait chargé le général Benoît Puga, son chef d’état-major particulier, de superviser la chasse à Kadhafi. Ce qu’il a fait en relation avec la « Cuve », le bunker souterrain où des officiers du CPCO sont en contact permanent avec tous les militaires français engagés à l’étranger et les différents services barbouzards. A la DGSE comme à la DRM, on ne se gêne d’ailleurs pas pour évoquer l’ « élimination physique » de Kadhafi, à la différence des formules bien plus convenables employées à l’ Elysée, s’il faut en croire un conseiller de Sarkozy.

» La peine de mort n’était pas prévue par les résolutions de l’ ONU qui ont permis à l’ Otan d’intervenir, ironise un diplomate français. Mais il ne faut pas jouer les hypocrites. A plusieurs reprises, des avions français et britanniques avaient déjà tenté de liquider Kadhafi en bombardant certains de ses repaires, à Tripoli, ou en détruisant notamment l’un de ses bureaux. » Et le même de signaler que, lors d’un procès devant la Cour pénale internationale, » ce nouvel ami de l’ Occident aurait pu rappeler ses excellentes relations avec la CIA ou les services français, l’aide qu’il apportait aux amis africains de la France, et les contrats qu’il offrait aux uns et aux autres. Voire plus grave, sait-on jamais ? »

Le 20 octobre à 8h30 du matin, l’objectif allait être atteint. 3 avions de l’ Otan s’approchent de Syrte. Rien à voir avec une mission effectuée par hasard : une colonne de 75 véhicules fuit la ville à vive allure. Un drone américain Predator tire des roquettes. Un Mirage F1CR français de reconnaissance suit un Mirage 2000-D qui largue 2 bombes GBU-12 de 225 kilos guidées par laser. Bilan : 21 véhicules détruits et Kadhafi seulement blessé.

Des membres des forces spéciales françaises sont alors présents sur les lieux. L’histoire ne dit pas à quelle distance de ce qui va survenir, et que raconte avec une abondance de détails un officier des services de renseignement militaires : « Kadhafi est capturé vivant par des combattants surexcités. La foule scande Allah Akbar à pleins poumons, le menace de ses armes et se met à le tabasser pendant que d’autres combattants, qui peinent à prendre le dessus, crient de le maintenir en vie. »

On connait la suite, et quelques images de ce lynchage suivi d’une exécution par balles sont apparues sur les écrans de télévision et dans la presse écrite. Mais la mort de Kadhafi n’est pas la fin de l’histoire car, à en croire une analyse barbouzarde, « la Libye est entrée dans un no man’s land politique, une zone de turbulences imprévisibles« . Voilà qui devrait inquiéter ceux qui, dans plusieurs capitales occidentales et arabes, ont poussé des soupirs de satisfaction à l’idée que Kadhafi ne serait jamais la vedette d’un procès international.

Letter to ELECAM President

Dear Dr. Fonkam;

Once more I congratulate you and your team for the steps towards improving our young democracy. During our last meeting on the need to implement the voters verification system we proposed last year, following your strong and firm recommendation for its immediate implementation, mindful of the fact that the implementation was later halted because of your agency’s excellent decision to recompile the electoral list;

We will like to come back to you to restate the following points and action points as we soon get into the full registration process:

There will be the need for the civil society to engage with ELECAM at multiple levels with focus on grassroots mobilization and civic education before, during and after the registration processes leading to and including the election day activities

Mr. President, you may agree with me that voters apathy is still high, citizenship trust and confidence in the processes still questionable and so together as Cameroonians we must find robust and innovative ways of reversing such positions towards a more citizen driven democratic process. 

Now that the biometric registration is soon going to start, with voters’ card not going to be delivered on the spot as hoped for, the voters’ verification system becomes even more relevant as an add-on layer of confidence building measures in our electoral system. As of now, we only hope that the card distribution will go hitch free, but there are always unforeseen circumstances, human or technical errors as well as carefully planed systems of sabotage.  

With the contract awarded, we are once again asking that we continue to work towards the implementation of the proposed system so that in the worst case, voters will know their polling stations, get their full voters information delivered directly to their mobile phones by them sending a simple SMS with their National identity card number to the short code 8001 which will be linked to the database in your office.

Based on the fact that this system will NOT require any financial engagement from ELECAM, it remain therefore an excellent opportunity to build voters confidence both in the electoral process and in your institution.

It will there be required that we work with any of your staffs to set-up and test the system pending the full registration process.

How to rig an election with Biometric voters List

Biometric voters list is one of the sure quick fixes in the endless list of preconditions for a free, fair and transparent election. Biometrics will almost eliminate double voters’ registrations as well as fake/nonliving registered voters.  I completely agree it will contribute to a small percentage to an election performance.  If you think you got the magic solution to your electoral fraud, put on your reading lenses and read on.

THE only poll that counts, supposedly, is Election Day. But for the sophisticated vote-rigger that is terrible advice. Election day is too late. If you go around beating up your opponents’ voters, stuffing ballot boxes and making up results, someone somewhere is bound to complain. All those foreign busybodies will take you to task. It enrages the crowd and it dents your reputation.

It is also unnecessary. If you set about rigging the vote well in advance, you can have an election that looks all right on the outside but guarantees the result you want. And nobody will be able to object. The secret is to obey the rules—having first written them yourself.

It all starts with television, where most voters (especially the poorer and less-educated) get most of their news. Don’t clamp down completely—it makes you look weak. Tolerate small, ill-funded opposition outlets (not least so that you have an idea yourself of what is going on). But make sure that you or your allies control all the main television channels. Television news should trumpet your successes, portraying you as statesmanlike, and perhaps also enjoying manly sports and cuddly charity work.

This makes you the dominant brand in voters’ minds. Your propaganda machine should also highlight the opposition’s foreign links, making them look disloyal and alien. It should play up splits and divisions and any personal foibles (your own vices, meanwhile, must remain state secrets).

This makes the next stages easier. Gerrymandering is an excellent tactic. In a parliamentary election, corral your opponents’ votes into places where they pile up uselessly, while making sure that yours are spread across plenty of marginal constituencies. Then sort out the electoral registers: you need tough registration requirements for the voters who dislike you. You can count on votes from prisoners, army conscripts and others, so make sure they are registered en masse.

With little funding and inability to send representative in all polling stations, it makes your work even easier. Where some poor opposition representative show up at the polling stations, just buy them over and move on with the process. After all what is the mount they will get from the opposition compared to what you give them from state funds?  

The laws governing political parties are in your hands too: make them burdensome. That will sap the opposition’s energies—and if they make a single slip-up, you can always have their candidates struck from the ballot. Your own party will control a mighty bureaucratic machine and will meet the requirements easily. A sophisticated twist on this is to create your own tame opposition parties, in several flavours. They will distract attention from your real rivals.

You will have to allow some foreigners into your country on polling day. So make it easy for the right ones (your ideological soul mates and those from other autocratic countries). Nosy nit-pickers from the West can come too, but only at the last moment, so they have little time to get organised. Discredit local election-monitoring outfits as foreign-funded and partisan. Trumpet your fans’ verdict at home: it will offset the complaints from those foreigners who, your television channel can argue, are secretly bent on doing your country down.

Stuff and nonsense

Do not waste much time campaigning. Anything beyond the odd triumphant rally makes you seem like a mere politician. Instead say you are too busy minding the affairs of state—and make sure you are shown on television doing so.

On polling day hand out free food and booze in poor areas. In places that will not vote for you, have the polling stations open late and close early. If necessary, they can run out of ballot papers. Long queues are a deterrent to busy people.

As insurance, you need to be able to fiddle the results. A computerised system which is apparently secure but actually accessible is ideal. If ballot-boxes are used, make sure they can be stored overnight in a discreet location where, if all else fails, you can add and subtract votes as necessary. If you get caught, say provocateurs are trying to discredit you.

None of this helps you run the country when you win. But who said politics was easy?

Compiled and complemented from Economist

Christian Tanyi

LUKMEF

The tides could be turning on the Cameroon leadership

The tides could be turning on the Cameroon leadership following a senate hearing that took place on April 18, 2012, at the US Senate/Subcommittee on Africa that was dominated by discussions on the Biya one-man-leadership that has been in power for over three decades.

A Tsunami on Biya and Cameroon was unleashed in opening remarks by the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs at the US State Department; Johnnie Carson, in which he revealed that, following the conclusions of the 2011 Presidential election in Cameroon, he wrote to President Biya, urging the re-establishment, as soon as possible, of the term limit and the implementation of constitutional reforms and a more transparent and an independent electoral commission.

In his remarks to the committee on Cameroon, Hon. Carson accused the Cameroon political leaders of the ruling party of having taken advantage of the country's relative stability, prosperity and system of patronage to entrench their leadership.

He added that the little oil that Cameroon has got has helped to provide a cushion to Paul Biya and encourage a patronage system as well as fuelled corruption in the country. In his words:
"Oil has been behind some of the corruption and patronage that has helped to keep Paul Biya in power."

Hon. Carson further declared, before the committee, that the 2011 Presidential election in Cameroon was seriously flawed: polling stations opened late, citizens were allowed to vote multiple times in some cases, ballot box stuffing and voter intimidations were observed in various parts of the country. He lamented the fact that the Supreme Court received credible complaints of fraud from opposition parties, but, unfortunately, the Court unjustly dismissed all the cases.

Hon. Carson’s testimony could explain why, until this day, the US has not sent any form of congratulatory message to President Biya, following the October 2011 Presidential election.
On comparing the US policy response between Cameroon and Senegal where both Wade and Biya had "tinkered" their constitutions by removing term limits, Carson explained that the US acted differently in Cameroon because the threat of violence and wide spread instability was not as great or as serious as it appeared to be in Senegal on the eve of the Presidential election. This is clear confirmation of the role the people's power played in stopping Wade from another term in office. In contrast to the passive civil society in Cameroon, Carson considered the Senegalese civil society to be active, saying it played a key role in organising the grass-roots support that quickly turned into an anti-Wade movement.

In his closing remarks, the Assistant Secretary of State remained optimistic about the future of Cameroon. He reiterated the popular belief that a democratic change is irreversible in Cameroon, especially with President Biya getting close to 80 years old. This implied that if the awaited change doesn't come from Cameroonians themselves, time will catch up with Biya eventually.

He called upon the Senate/subcommittee on Africa to write to President Biya in the same way it wrote to President Wade of Senegal, calling on him to respect the democratic norms so as to enable a smooth and peaceful transition of power in Cameroon.

He also urged the Senate to remind Biya that the international community is focused on what is happening in Cameroon and the need to put stronger institutions which will ensure a stable transition when the time comes.

Meanwhile, on the second panel of the hearing, Dr. Christopher Fomunyoh, Senior Director for Africa at the National Democratic Institute (NDI) reminded the committee that, for the past 50 years, Cameroon has failed to conduct national elections that were not overshadowed by controversy.

Fomunyoh further stressed that, in Cameroon, the opaque handling of electoral processes and government-imposed hurdles impede the ability of the civil society and the independent media to monitor and report on elections. He decried the fact that, the Cameroonian youth, prompted by restrictive laws and a lack of confidence in the country's political system and institutions, are becoming apathetic and apprehensive of their future.

Fomunyoh, who is widely expected to play a key role in the transition process in Cameroon, raised legitimate concerns to the committee on the fact that the lack of political will to create the appropriate framework for credible democratic elections, while preserving an entrenched regime in power, may push the country to the brink of violence and instability.

He equally insisted on the need for the Cameroonian civil society to be strengthened given the importance of their role in the democratisation process in Cameroon. Other panellists at the hearing included Dr. Mo Ibrahim of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation and Hon. Earl Gast, Assistant Administrator for Africa, US Agency for International Development. Senior Senators like John Kerry and Isakson were also present at the hearings.

IS the wealthy world turning its back on the world's poor?

Recent figures on aid spending released by the OECD show global aid spending has been cut for the first time in 14 years, down in real terms by 2.7 per cent (or $3.27 billion) to $130bn.
This means wealthy countries are spending just 0.31 per cent of their collective national income - or 31 cents in every $100 - on aid.
And it means hundreds of thousands of people living in poverty will go without life-saving medicines, and many more children will continue to live without access to clean water or adequate sanitation.
The biggest cuts, not surprisingly, were made by Greece and Spain with Austria and Belgium also slashing budgets.
Rich countries are now even further off-track from meeting their promise to invest 0.7 per cent of their national income in the world's poorest people.

Oxfam's analysis shows that at the current rate, donor countries as a group will not hit the UN's target of 0.7 per cent for 50 years.
It's not all doom and gloom. Norway, Denmark and Luxembourg still meet their pledge to give more than 0.7 per cent of their national income in aid, and Germany and Sweden have increased their aid budgets.
Importantly, just recently the British government reaffirmed its determination to enshrine in law the commitment to 0.7 per cent of its national income to overseas aid.
Despite the dire economic situation in Britain leading to massive cuts in government spending, the aid budget has been quarantined from the razor gang.
This act has the support of all three major parties.
British PM David Cameron has said: "There is a strong moral case for keeping our promises to the world's poorest and helping them even when we face challenges at home."
Australia has been another bright spot.
While this country ranks only 13th on the aid spending league table up from our previous position at No 15 our aid budget is increasing.
And the government - backed by the Coalition - has a clear trajectory for increasing aid spending.
If the reported delays to Australia's foreign aid budget become a reality, it will be a cruel blow to the world's poor.
Australia devotes just 0.35 per cent of its national income to overseas aid - well below the OECD's average of 0.46 per cent. The bipartisan target is 0.5 per cent by 2015-16.
All the signs are that Wayne Swan's budget next month will be a tough one.
Hard choices are being made
as the government strives to meet its pledge to deliver a budget surplus.
Australia's finances are not in the same condition as those in Europe. Times are tough but, as the Treasurer is fond of saying, Australia has less government debt and smaller budget deficits than any of the major advanced economies.
In this context, and with the knowledge that each day 4000 children die because of preventable diarrhoea, a delay to aid increases would be difficult to justify.
Every minute counts in our efforts to save lives.
This budget will test the strength of Australia's convictions - and commitment - to help the world's poorest.
Aid supporters are not asking for anything more than that Julia Gillard delivers on her promise.