Yaounde – On January 21, 2025, a critical legal showdown unfolded in Yaoundé as lawyers from the Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon (MRC), led by Maurice Kamto, faced off against legal representatives from Elections Cameroon (Elecam) before the Constitutional Council. The dispute centered on Elecam’s alleged failure to meet its legal obligation to publish the national electoral roll, a cornerstone of electoral transparency.
In a surprising move, the Constitutional Council declared itself incompetent to rule on the matter, a decision that has sparked debate about the effectiveness of Cameroon’s legal and electoral systems. MRC lawyer Ntimbane Bomo criticized the ruling, stating it undermines the authority of the Yaoundé government and reveals glaring weaknesses in the nation’s electoral framework.
The controversy is not without precedent. On August 2, 2023, an attempt to annul the existing electoral roll to allow for a comprehensive overhaul was brought before the Constitutional Council. Under the leadership of the late Professor Joseph Owona, the Council dismissed the case, asserting that disputes over pre-electoral operations, including the electoral roll, fell outside its mandate. According to the Council’s interpretation, its oversight authority begins only after Elecam publishes candidate lists for elections, leaving earlier processes immune to judicial review.
The issue also reached the High Court of Yaoundé in 2023, when Abdhouramane Baba sought to compel Elecam’s Director General to publish the national electoral roll. Despite legal provisions enabling courts to compel authorities to fulfill non-administrative obligations, the High Court also declared itself incompetent, further deepening the legal vacuum surrounding electoral roll disputes.
This series of rulings created what many observers have called a “legal no man’s land,” effectively shielding the electoral roll from any form of judicial scrutiny and fostering skepticism about the credibility of Cameroon’s electoral processes.
The Constitutional Council’s latest decision on the MRC’s appeal marks a turning point. While the Council once again declared itself incompetent to rule on the case, it provided critical clarification on the procedure and jurisdiction for handling disputes related to the electoral roll.
The ruling established that all initial grievances regarding the electoral roll must be directed to the Electoral Council, with any appeals to be handled by the Court of Appeal. This represents a significant step forward in addressing the oversight gaps that have plagued Cameroon’s electoral system.
As Cameroon prepares for upcoming elections, the spotlight will remain on Elecam and the judicial institutions tasked with ensuring a fair and transparent process.
