Youth Participation In Politics: Possible Obstructions To Effective Presence

According to the demographic statistics of Cameroon, the youthful population constitute more than 60 per cent of the total population. However, despite their numerical strength, they are few who participate in political activities in the country. Institutions such as the Senate, National Assembly, Regional, City and Municipal Councils have older people outnumbering youths. Despite measures put in place by the government, and other political stakeholders, the youthful quota in the political life of the country is still very timid. The Electoral Code in Section 156 on the qualification of candidates into Parliament states that any Cameroonian citizen, of either sex, who enjoys the right to vote and is entered on electoral registers, is aged 23 years at the date of the election and can read and write English or French can be nominated as a candidate for election to the National Assembly. The same age is stated in Section 175 for candidates for the election of Municipal Councillors. For the Senate, Section 220 stipulates that candidates for the office of Senator as well as the personalities appointed to the said office must have reached the age of 40 by the date of the election. Notwithstanding these legal dispositions, youths are the least represented in such positions. The provisional bureau of the Senate and National Assembly that chairs the March opening usually has the youngest legislators as members. Why then can youths not use those in top-ranking political positions as their role models and actively engage in political affairs. Some of the reasons advanced is limited finances on the part of the youths. They argue that youths are not financially capable to finance political activities like rallies. To this effect, they are mobilising fund...