Elections : Materialisation Of Power To The People

The over 6,851,128 eligible voters in Cameroon will on February 9, 2020 use the opportunity of the twin legislative and municipal elections to elect Members of the National Assembly and municipal councillors who will represent them and champion their development for the coming five years.
The Head of State, President Paul Biya in his New Year message to the nation on December 31, 2019 acknowledged the importance of the two polls in which the population will, through direct universal suffrage, use their powers to select their leaders at the local level. President Biya  said, “Therefore, I urge all Cameroonians who are registered on the electoral roll to go and vote, bearing in mind that they will be electing the men and women  who will translate into reality the reforms desired by the Cameroonian people, notably fast-tracking the implementation of decentralization.”
The twin elections are being organised at the time in which social media networks and some news outlets have gone viral with influence-peddling intended to thwart the democratic rules and pervert the culture of power belonging to the people in relation to choosing leaders. President Biya taking the morose political atmosphere into consideration put things right, “Neither the social media nor news outlets can change the outcome of an election, talk less of illegal protests, violence and personal or hate-filled attacks.” He further stated, “Needless to recall that the sole arbiter in a democracy is the sovereign people. When the sovereign people make a choice through free and fair elections and the results are proclaimed after review of petitions, such results must be recognized and accepted by all.” 
As political party officials and candidates in the upcoming twin elections brace up for the polls, they must bear in mind that, “Participation in the democratic life of one’s country requires compliance with its rules and joining political par...