The constitutional council has held its first hearings since its eleven members took the oath of office.
The council that has the responsibility of verifying the constitutionality of laws and hear cases on election quarries crossed examined six partitions filed-in by candidates and political parties against the lists published by ELECAM for the March 25, Senatorial elections.
In a court session that lasted four hours the Constitutional Council President Clement Atangana and members listen to each of the plaintiff and their lawyers present their case.
Prior to each case, the Council’s present gave the floor to the rapporteur, who is the persecutor for the specific case, reads out the case files and makes recommendations whether it could be deemed admissible or not. In four of the cases the rapporteur deems the petitions non admissible. However the President of the council gave the plaintiff and the defendants an opportunity to defend their course.
The court observed that four of the litigants did not respect the law as the complaints were filed by people who were neither candidate nor political party taking part in the election or any person serving as a Government representative in the said election. The cases had to do with internal wrangling with political parties in choosing candidates for the different list.
Consequently, the Constitutional Council declared the petitions non admissible because they did not respect Section 129 of the Electoral Code which states that objections or petitions relating to the rejection or acceptance of candidates, as well as those relating to the colour, initials or emblem adopted by a candidate may be brought before the Constitutional Council by any candidate or political party taking part in the election or any person serving as a Government representative in the said election, within a maximum period of 2 (two) days following the publication of the list of candidates.
The President of the Constitutional Council, Clement Atangana announced the withdrawal of the NUDP petition against the CPDM in the Adamawa region.
The case between the SDF and the CPDM in the west regions was adjourned to the later date after in camera deliberations amongst council members.
The council after deliberations in conformity with the law, ordered the appearance of Teingnidetio Joseph Candidate number 7 on the CPDM list in the west region to appear before the jurisdiction on 19th March 2018 at 12:00 pm for the continuation of hearings.
The case had however been marked by heated debates as a college of lawyers from sides tried tirelessly to prove the existence or not of the candidate number 7 filed in the CPDM list in the west region.
Different parties have saluted the Constitutional council for working in strict respect of the law.
Elvis Teke
