2007 Legislative Elections - Some Facts and Figures

"...we did our job to make sure that things move on smoothly before, during and after the elections... What shocks me is the fact that many of those who are involved in fraud andelection malpractices are senior elders and Christians in our Churches. Barrister Nico Halle, Coordinator of the National Elections Observatory(NEO) for the Northwest Province

• The official voter participation rate for the 2007 legislative election was 62%
• The highest participation rate was in the Upper Sanaga with 94,63%, and the lowest, Wouri-East with 28.24%.
• The new parliament will be composed of at least 5 political parties will (while waiting for election reruns) - the CPDM, SDF, UDC, UNDP, and MP.
• The CPDM is the leading political force with at least 140 MPs against 149 in 2002, followed by the SDF with 14 against 22 in 2002; the UDC 4 against 5 in 2002; the UNDP 4 against 1 in 2002; and the MP which is making its maiden entrance into parliament (pending reruns).

• The SDF is the only opposition party with enough seats (14) to form a parliamentary group
• The CPDM is the only political party with MPs from every single province of the country
  CPDM won all available seats in 3 provinces - East, Adamaoua and South provinces.
• The CPDM won 9 out of the available 20 seats in the SDF stronghold of the Northwest province against 1 in 2002 - the result of a redistricting exercise which led to the creation of special constituencies and the break up of the province into 16 electoral districts.
• The new Parliament will have 22 female MPs - 19 of them from the CPDM, 1 SDF, 1 UDC. This number will likely increase because 11 of the 17 candidates in the reruns are women.
• 98 MPs will be going to parliament for the first time.
• The UPC lost all 3 seats that it won in 2002 (pending reruns).
• 17 seats will be up for grabs in 5 constituencies in the election reruns, (Wouri-East, Mayo. Tsanaga, Upper Nkam, Mungo South and Nyong and Kellé). In 2002, reruns were organized in 9 electoral districts and 17 seats were also up for grabs.
• Of the 45 parties which took part in the twin elections, only 9 will participate in the election reruns.

Comments

[Tayong]

Hahahaaha, Dibussi, so whats new you've said that haven't been said or heard yet?

Dibussi you started well by digging into raw archives and that set you originally apart , now you seem to go for the junkies.Come on Dibs, get real!

Feed us with crytalizing mind bogling insides.I remember the vivid information about the Messi Messi affair you brought up here, I bet you that was a piece, the Yondo Black affair ,Mugabe whahala(though your own opinion ) all were great pieces, etc etc.Go investigative Dibs! That's what'll set you apart.

"Camerounese" politics is for the post and the gallery.Take this as a pad on the your back not a wag of the finger Bros!
Cheers, Tayong.

[Noupa]

Hey Tayong. I beg to differ! These raw stats are a researcher's goldmine. Information archiving is so poor that in 4 years, even the Ministry of Territorial administration will not be able to produce these facts, so we are happy to have them outlined here.

Many of us who do not have the time or ability to dig up this information love and look forward to this blog's occasional foray into "hard news" particularly during key events such as the elections.

I can already see five phd dissertations buried in this one posting; from gender and politics in Cameroon to parliamentary representativity of political parties in Cameroon...

I guess it is different strokes for different people

[akamembulle solomon]

My respectable classmate and mentor Mr Tande, I am always very happy to read your articles on the post.May you please permit me write some few lines.
When Democracy was introduced in early 90s most Cameroonians thought the introduction of Democracy is an automatic collapse of the rulling party and a swift victory for the opposition.Unfortunately or fortunately today we all have come to realise that in a democratic game "he who plays well wins".The loser has no choice but to wait for his /her turn.Cameroon is a country where the rule of law prevails and as such any decision taken by the law governing body like the one taken by SUPREME COURT must be respected.No amount of criticism or blasphamy will waive that decision.The opposition always cry foul play in any elections since the institution of democracy,the question to be asked is that "why is it that only the CPDM knows how to rig the elections"? If you read at the above statistics you will discover that even those constituencies that the opposition won in the past Parliamentary elections have all been won by the rulling party this time.Why are Cameroonians migrating back to the CPDM.That is the question opposition parties have find an answer.They should regroup and do their home work effectively for future victories otherwise they will keep perishing until they are no more.The opposition should also know that in a democratic society there need not be a 50%-50% representation in parliament for democracy to prevail.A parliament with 95% as to 5% opposition is still a democratic parliament.The opposition parties are therefore advised to work hard for more seats in the next elections and stop criticising.
God bless my friend Tande and also my beloved country Cameroon
From akamembulle(Cape Town)

[Tayong]

Noupa
Of course gentleman, you've got the right to differ with me but as the saying goes open rebuke is better than secret love(dont get me wrong),I would rather throw him a snow ball from time to time than spoon feed him.

You could as well got these stories and statistics from anywhere, the Post, Mutations,Le Messager etc, you didnt need Dubussi to get them but you would hardly get any critical investigative piece from any of the aforementioned. That's what had set him(Dibussi) apart for this short while of existence.

Would you advice him to go for the gallery? Definitely not.That's what I meant.