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Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Cameroon opposition want poll official to resign over bias

By BISONG ETAHOBEN  

 Cameroon opposition candidates and civil society organisations want one of the 18 members of Cameroon’s elections commission to resign for allegedly campaigning for President Paul Biya.
Ms Pauline Biyong, a civil society leader who was appointed to ELECAM by President Biya, has reportedly won a contract to mount campaign posters and billboards for the incumbent.
An official of the Biya campaign team, who refused to be quoted because he is not allowed to speak on behalf of the team, told the Africa Review on phone yesterday morning that the contract was not awarded to Ms Biyong by the President’s campaign team, but by the Civil Cabinet of the Presidency.
Ms Biyong has refused to answer journalists’ telephone calls since the news of the scandal broke out. Meanwhile, security operatives Saturday blocked Mr Momo Jean de Dieu, a presidential candidate of PADDEC party, from launching his campaign in Mvomeka’a, President Biya’s village of birth.
The Divisional Officer of Meyomessalla under whose jurisdiction President Biya’s village falls, said Mr Jean de Dieu was banned from campaigning because he had neither applied nor received permission to do so. Cameroon law, however, allows all candidates to campaign anywhere around the country without prior authorisation.
Mr Momo said he decided to launch his campaign in President Biya’s village of birth because he strongly believes that to get rid of the lion, one must go to the lion’s den. It should be recalled that during the 2004 presidential election, Biya was branded the “Lion Man” in his campaign posters
In another development, the Taxation Department has ordered ELECAM not to refund $10,000 caution money paid by Pierre Milla Assoute, a former ruling party bigwig and current leader of the RDMC. 
-Daily Monitor

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