Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Mimi Mefo Info
Published on 2024-04-10 19:59:44
In a letter addressed to the CEO of Elecam, the treasurer of the Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon indicates that prisoners who still benefit from the presumption of innocence should be able to participate in voting.
Professor Alain Fogue, treasurer of the Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon and detained in connection with the marches of his party, has just submitted a request for the organization of special voter registration campaigns within Cameroon’s prisons from January 2 to August 31, 2025, as well as for the opening of special polling stations, to the attention of the Director General of Elecam.
According to Alain Fogue, the prison population in Cameroon is made up of detainees and non-incapacitated convicts as provided by law. These citizens, although incarcerated, still for some enjoy their right to vote and be eligible. In fact, Alain Fogue states, “80% of detainees in Cameroonian prisons are detainees. Unfortunately, they are not taken into account during voter registration campaigns organized by Elecam.”
The treasurer of the MRC thus calls on Eric Essousse to “organize special voter registration campaigns in all the country’s prisons before the end of the current campaign. Also, to include prisons in the planning of the next campaign that will begin in January 2025.” Furthermore, he adds, “it would be desirable that in your operational planning for the conduct of the municipal, legislative and presidential elections of 2025, you include the opening of special polling stations within the country’s penitentiaries,” proposes the political science lecturer at the University of Yaoundé II.
A proposal that makes sense because the electoral law in Cameroon states in article 47 that: “the following persons shall not be registered on the electoral roll: persons convicted of a crime, even in absentia; persons sentenced to a non-suspended custodial sentence exceeding three (3) months; persons sentenced to a custodial sentence with simple suspension or with probation exceeding six (6) months; persons subject to an arrest warrant.” Several detainees who do not fall under any of these incapacities are nevertheless in prisons in Cameroon.
According to the International Federation of ACAT, the FIACAT, a Christian and non-governmental international organization for the defense of human rights, prisons have 17,915 available places. However, in 2017, there were 30,701 prisoners, representing a overcrowding rate of over 171%. The same source indicates that over 70% of persons deprived of liberty in Cameroon are in pretrial detention throughout the national territory.
Joseph Essama
Read the original article(French) on Mimi Mefo Info
