Commonwealth Expert Team issues Final Report on 2011 Presidential Election in Cameroon

Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma on 22 December 2011 released the Final Report of the Commonwealth Expert Team which observed the 9 October 2011 Presidential Election in Cameroon.

He said: "The Commonwealth Expert Team found that overall, the election was credible and some of the benchmarks for democratic elections were met. The Team noted that, though more could have been done to level the playing field, the election represented further progress for Cameroon in strengthening its democratic processes. The Team noted the establishment of Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) as a laudable first step and commended its efforts in the overall management of the process, when compared to previous elections. The Team also noted that ELECAM could have done more to affirm its independence and to address the legal, administrative and logistical constraints it faced in managing the campaigning and electoral environment. The Team also offered a number of recommendations for upgrading electoral procedures in Cameroon, particularly with regard to voter registration.”

The Secretary-General stressed that: “The Commonwealth stands ready to assist Cameroon in further strengthening its democratic process.”

Note to Editors:

The Report was completed and signed by all members of the Commonwealth Expert Team prior to their departure from Cameroon. It was presented to the Commonwealth Secretary-General by the Chair of the Team, Frederick Mitchell MP, former Foreign Minister of The Bahamas. It has subsequently been distributed to the Government of Cameroon, political parties, Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) and all other Commonwealth governments.