Organisation of Elections: UN Mission Consults Political Parties

The Akinyemi Adegbola- led mission had separate consultations with leaders of political parties represented in parliament on July 12, 2017.

The United Nations Organisation Mission that is in Cameroon to evaluate the electoral process in the country since July 10, 2017, on Wednesday, July 12, 2017 had separate consultation sessions with leaders of political parties represented in the National Assembly and Senate that make up the country’s parliament. The mission from the UN Electoral Assistance Division of the UN Department of Political Affairs is led by Akinyemi Adegbola, Senior Political and Electoral Affairs Officer in the Division.
After meeting some government officials, the UN Mission members decided to have discussions with political party leaders in the Bastos-Yaounde office of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The sessions were behind close doors and the mission members said it was premature to for the press to cover their discussions. However, the Secretary General of the Union of the Populations of Cameroon (UPC), Hon. Robert Bapoot Lipot after the consultations told Cameroon Tribune that the UN Mission was out to evaluate the electoral process in Cameroon, find out difficulties and determine where they can support the elections and referenda organising institution, Elections Cameroon (ELECAM). He said that by supporting ELECAM in the electoral process, the UN was directly supporting the government of Cameroon to consolidate and improve the electoral process in the country.
The political party leaders have used the opportunity to paint a picture of the electoral process in the country and what is needed from partners such as the UN for the people to use elections as the only way to get to power. « We told the UN Mission members that ELECAM is doing&...