In view of the legislative and municipal elections slated for this year, the Minister of State, Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization hereby informs all citizens of voting age, duly registered in the electoral registers since 2004, that the temporary computerized electoral registers have been posted at the sub-divisional and district offices throughout the national territory. They are, therefore, requested to consult the said lists and forward all necessary observations or claims to the competent commissions.

The Minister of State, Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, counts on the civic responsibility of each and everyone, for the protection of these lists against acts of vandalism.

He finally reminds the public that the revision of the electoral register is going on normally on the field, and shall be automatically suspended as soon as the electorate is convened. /-

(Signed) MARAFA HAMIDOU YAYA
THE MINISTER OF STATE,
MINISTER OF TERRITORIAL ADMINISTRATION AND DECENTRALIZATION

In its editions, No. 2342 of Friday, 30 March and No. 2343 of Monday, 2 April 2007, the private daily, ‘Le Messager’, disclosed that it found, in the temporary computerized electoral register published on the Website of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, the presumed registration of minors, which it quickly considered, without any methodical spirit, to be acts of rigging.

In this respect, the Minister of State, Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, once more, wishes to inform the national and international community that the computerized electoral register, which is now available, is essentially temporary. It has imperfections, notably on cases of multiple registrations and the supposed registration of minors and persons who are said to be dead.

This temporary computerized electoral register has, through publication on the Internet and postings at the Sub-divisional and District Offices, been placed at the disposal of citizen - electors for consultation.

The objective of this measure is two fold. On the one hand, the idea is to help citizen - voters to verify whether they have been registered on the said register or not and to act accordingly. On the other hand, it will enable Cameroonians to make necessary observations and claims to competent commissions with a view to streamlining the said register which, in fact, has to be considered as a collective task.

The Minister of State, Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization informs the general public that four million seven hundred thousand one hundred and thirteen (4,700,113) persons are presently registered on the voter’s register. In this provisional register, he noted, the registration of fourteen thousand, seven hundred and seventeen (14,717) persons below the required voting age, that is 0.31%; and one thousand one hundred and three (1,103) persons, aged one hundred and above, that is 0.02%. Analyses show that this is a residual phenomenon due mainly to typographical errors.

However, the Minister of State, Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization hereby informs the general public that the lists relating to these cases of irregularities haven been printed and forwarded to the competent authorities for verification and necessary corrections.

He also reiterates the desire for transparency by the administration within the framework of the ongoing electoral process. To achieve this, he is calling on all Cameroonians, in the same spirit of transparency, to consult these lists and forward to drawing up of a reliable and consensual electoral register.

 Finally, the Minister of State, Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization once more reminds potential voters that registration on the electoral register is continuing, and shall be automatically suspended as soon as the electorate is convened. He therefore invites the public to immediately contact the commissions charged with the revision of the electoral registers in their area of residence, and get registered.

MARAFA HAMIDOU YAYA
Minister of State,
Minister of Territorial
Administration and Decentralization.

Within the purview of the 2007 legislative and municipal elections, the Minister of State, Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization hereby calls on all citizens of voting age whose names appear more than once on the temporary electoral register that they still have until the date the electorate shall be convened to choose, definitely, their unique relevant polling station. Should they fail to do so within the prescribed time-limit, the mixed commissions charged with registration shall have to authoritatively assign them a polling station.

The Minister of State, Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization counts on the civic responsibility of each and everyone for this operation to be promptly carried out.

MARAFA HAMIDOU YAYA
Minister of State, Minister of Territorial
Administration and Decentralization

The Minister of State, Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization hereby wishes to inform the general public that in view of the 2007 legislative and municipal elections , his ministry is organizing a series of provincial seminars for the capacity building of administrative authorities.

At each stage, the seminar will focus on presentations and discussions on the smooth-management of these important upcoming elections. They will be conducted by officials of the central services of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, with the participation of Provincial Secretaries-General, Senior Divisional Officers, Sub-divisional Officers and District Heads.

These seminars will start at the Yaounde City Hall, on Wednesday, 4 April 2007 at 9 am prompt. /-

MARAFA HAMIDOU YAYA
Minister of State, Minister of Territorial
Administration and Decentralization