Bill Extends Mandate of MPs, Again Reduces Caution of Municipal Councillors to 50.000 FCFA

Strategy to Avert 2013 Municipal & Parliamentary Elections Organized Separately

By Yussuf SarikiA confused scenario over when elections would effectively be staged in Cameroon has cropped up. This follows the tabling by government last weekend of another bill in parliament, extending for the second time, the mandate of members of parliament, MPs by 3 months. The fear of a legislative vacuum, is what experts say, has forced government to table the bill. Another also reduces the caution fees of prospective municipal councilors from 100.000 to 50.000 FCFA. Yet, what some MPs have confided in Chronicle has been that should both mandate extensions for MPs and councilors are not harmonized, then the upcoming elections might see the municipal and legislative staged separately.
The major reason for the 3 months extension of the mandate of MPs is presented in the preamble of the bill. It speculates that with ELECAM just beginning biometric registration, it would be amiss to meet up their target by February 22, 2013 when the mandate of the present MPs expires. Moreso, even if registration is extended by a month, as stipulated by law, ELECAM might still not meet-up. Reason why the mandate be extended to end on May 22, 2013.
Reacting to the extension, some MPs expressed disgust over the whole issue given that the initial extension talked of 6 months renewable. Implicitly, for it to have been mainted for 6 months means it would end but on August 22, 2013. Yet, with the new 3 months extension, the mandate ends but on May 22, 2013.
This would not be the same period when the mandate of municipal councilors would expire. Worthy to note, that last June, parliament extended the mandate of present municipal councilors, which ends in July 2013.
Analysts are already criticizing the fact that between May 22, 2013 when the mandate of MPs would expire and July 2013 when that of municipal councilors, there would be a vacuum if both elections are not staged. Yet, to counter the vacuum, legislative elections can take place earlier in May or early June, while municipals hold in July or August 2013.
Meanwhile, one of the innovations of the ongoing session of parliament has been the reduction of the caution fees of prospective MPs from 3 million to 1 million FCFA. In yet another concern, President Paul Biya also wants MPs to reduce the caution fees of municipal councilors from 100.000 FCFA to 50.000 FCFA. This would be actualized before the session ends next week.
However, this week, the legal conflict would be at the constitutional laws committee, which is examining the draft bill that extends the mandate of MPs. The bill before being adopted, Chronicle learnt, must pulsate with the election time table, which is in the Head of State’s mind.
The constitution states that the Head of State convenes the electorates not less than 40 days and not more than 60 days after the expiry of the mandate of MPs. Implicitly, elections might hold between June ending and July 22, 2013 when the mandate of municipal councilors too ends. In this case, there would be no legislative vacuum.
It is thus highly probable that with the mandate of MPs to end on May 22, 2013 the Head of State would convene electors before (in April 2013). By this time, it is expected that ELECAM must have completed or met its target in its biometric registration process.