As 2018 presidential elections is approaching, next October 7, in Cameroon, there is a controversy about polling stations that will be set up in troop headquarters. Some said this is a breach of the law.

During a press interview Aug 13, Abdoul karimou, Deputy MD of Elections Cameroon (Elecam), the elections’ management body, shed light on the matter. “The relevant law provides that polling stations must be located in public places and must be publicly accessible. Are military compounds public places and open to the public according to the law? I say yes. No argument, according to the law, can justify otherwise,”  he said.

“Let me mention that in these headquarters, there are soldiers who are also citizens, thus voters, and there are military families who are also citizens. Every citizen votes near their place of residence. The presence of polling stations in headquarters is not specific to Cameroon. This is done everywhere,”  he added to explain further.

Elecam said the impending vote covers about 25,000 polling stations across the country and 56 in diplomatic and consular posts abroad.

S.A