Forthcoming Elections : Disabled People Seek Greater Role

The Platform of Cameroonians with Disability, the umbrella body of associations of disabled people in the country, on Friday, June 20, 2025 in Yaounde held a press conference to put forth its demands and expectations. Especially their involvement in forthcoming elections and to strengthen their participation in decision-making. Cameroon looks forward to presidential elections this year and parliamentary and senate elections in 2026. The event was organized jointly with the Non-governmental Organisation, Sightsavers.

Their Demands
In summary, the Platform of Cameroonians with Disability put forth these demands at the press conference. That at least 10 per cent of public service recruitments be set aside for people with disability; deserving disabled people be promoted and appointed; the policy on inclusive education be vigorously implemented. 
Others demands were the strengthening of the policy of tuition-free education for the disabled in public schools; the extension of the policy of complete or partial exemption for some professional courses to enable the disabled to study them. And the creation of a fund to support the disabled.

Greater Role For The Disabled   
“We focused on the 2025 presidential elections by presenting the current state of affairs and the non-participation of people with disability in Cameroon. Despite the efforts made by government, disabled people are virtually absent in elected positions. We therefore urge candidates for the 2025 presidential elections to include the concerns of people with disability in their manifestoes. These include the creation by the Head of State of a special electoral college for people with disability,” said Jean Pierre Fopa, President of the Platform of People with Disability.
“This arrangement, if accepted by government, should see the election of at least 10 Members of Parliament being people with disability – three of whom must be women. We also demanded that out of the 30 senators appointed by the Head of State, four should be disabled people – two men and two women,” Fopa made it clear. 
“For council elections, at least one disabled person should head a list. It is unthinkable that people with disability get nothing in return. Yet they make up 15 per cent of the population (4 million people), and have registered 40,000 on the electoral roll. Added to their family members and other people close to them, disabled people in Cameroon make up an extended electorate of at least 200,000 voters,” he disclosed. 
“We therefore appeal to the media to raise our voice so that people living with disability are represented in decision-making. This is more so as Cameroon has ratified international treaties and conventions to protect the rights of people with disability,” Jean Pierre Fopa concluded.

Awareness On Their Rights 
“We took the opportunity to advocate and raise awareness on access to the political rights of people with disability. For now, the situation does not permit these people to contribute their utmost to the development of the country. We believe if people with disability are in positions of leadership, it will hasten up change,” explained Thierry Nguetia, Sightsavers Cameroon Programme Manager for Education and Social Programme.

Make Your Free Choice 
“People with disability are asking of political stakeholders to take into account their concerns and implement all laws and decisions promoting the rights of the disabled. And that the disabled are not relegated to the background of decision-making. Cameroon can count on the disabled as voters, candidates for elections and partners in decision-making,” Nguetia emphasized. “We are not instructing our members to vote for particular candidates and parties, but to go for candidates who best represent their interests,&rdqu...