Admission Requirements: Who Can Belong!

T he success of activities of political parties is directly linked to its human resource. Admission of new members is the core process of finding, selec- ting and training persons who can meet the aspirations of the party during electoral operations. With the legislative and municipal elections in view in no distance time, political parties are exploring every option to have a strong party backed by the quantity and quality of its mem- bers. To this effect, each political party has its admission rules and a job description. For the Cameroon People’s Demo- cratic Movement (CPDM), the person must be a Cameroonian, of voting age (at least 20 years according to Article 45 of the Electoral Code), express the interest to join the party (willingly), purchase a party card, be willing to work and ready to hold positions within the party from the cells to the national level, and accept to abide by the principles and regu- lations of the party. In the case of elections, the eligibility criteria for the nomination of candidates varies accordingly. Firstly, you must be a holder of a membership card, up-to- date with your annual financial dues, have no criminal record and show proof that you are working for the party, usually through a report pre- sented by the Section President. For the Social Democratic Front (SDF), the party carries out its activities and those interested in joining the party do so through the wards. As explained by a member of the Na- tional Executive Committee (NEC), adhesion is at the grassroots and it is opened to those of voting age. No moral background check is really done when admitting someone into the party, but this is considered when constituting lists of candidates for elections. In his explanation, he said the doors of the party are open to everyone as the SDF needs more people on board. The Cameroon Democratic Union (CDU), prior to now, admission of new members was through the Na- tional Secretariat for Implantation when they go canvassing on the field. As well as gr...