Senatorial ELections: Only Two political parties to be Represented at Cameroon's Upper House of Parliament

Cameroonians now know the 70 of the 100 pioneer senators of the country. Only two political parties will have elected representatives in the Upper House of parliament in Cameroon; the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) and the main opposition party, Social Democratic Front (SDF).

Cameroon’s Supreme Court sitting in lieu of the Constitutional Council announced the results of the first ever election of senators in Cameroon on Monday April 29 in Yaounde.

As expected, the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) won 56 seats of in eight regions: the Centre, East, Far North, Littoral, North, Northwest, South and Southwest while the opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF) won 14 seats in the West and Adamawa regions.

Four political parties; the ruling Cameroon People Democratic Party, CPDM, the main opposition party, the Social Democratic Front SDF, the National Union for Democracy and Progress, NUDP and the Cameroon Democratic Union, CDU took part in the elections.

While the CPDM and the SDF have won all the 70 seats, the CDU that only contested in the West region and the NUDP that contested in four regions got no seats.

The proclamation of the results has paved the way for the President of the Republic to appoint the remaining 30 in not more than 10 days from today. The President would appoint three each from the ten regions of Cameroon.

Following Monday’s proclamation of the results, both the 70 elected and 30 appointed senators will meet on Tuesday May 14, 2013 (3^rd Tuesday from the day of proclamation) as of right according to provisions of Cameroon’s electoral code.

Opposition party leaders boycott

This reporter like many others observed the absence of the National President of the National Union for Democracy and Progress (NUDP), Bello Bouba Maigari likewise the National Chairman of the Cameroon Democratic Union, CDU Dr Adamou Ndam Njoya.

Their absence from the proclamation of the election of senators’ results has been described by many political pundits as a mark of disgruntlement with the electoral system.

The opposition parties had petitioned the Supreme Court to cancel the vote in five regions where they alleged fraud. The petitions were thrown out.