After a period of interruption, officials of the National Union for Democracy and Progress, NUDP, party of Bello Bouba Maigari, on September 8, 2014, started organising holding grassroots elections. Officials say the local polls will also be used to carry out a massive membership drive to give more life to the party.

In the Briqueterie neighbourhood of Yaounde, a young man in his thirties was busy on September 20, 2014, rallying a group of young people to his party’s cause. His aim is to get 80 new members needed to create a UNDP ward.

“As soon as I get the required number, we will proceed with elections and invite the local supervisory team to come and install us,” explained Sadou Baba. Elsewhere in Yaounde, just like in the rest of the country, existing NUDP cells are busy choosing their new leadership.

According to the party’s Communication Secretary, Kuma Peter, the restructuring of local structures, which lasts until November 30, 2014, is sequel to a process that was interrupted last year to prepare for parliamentary and senate elections. Party restructuring, Kuma explained, usually takes place after party congresses; the last having held in January 2012.

A release signed by the party’s National Chairman, Maigari Bello Bouba, says commissions have been designated to oversee the grassroots elections. The NUDP Constitution states that “The executive of all basic organs of the party and its ancillary organisations shall be renewed in the course of the year following the Congress, in conformity with modalities defined by the National Chairman” (Article 23 Sub-section 2).

On the other hand, the bye-laws say, “The mandate of elected officials shall be five years. Vacancy shall be open the day after the close of the Congress” (Article 56).

The new organization structure of the NUDP, adopted at the Yaounde Congress of February 19, 2012, comprises branches, sub-sections, sections and divisional federations. On the other hand, the ancillary structures are the WMDP for women and YMDP for party youth. However, ancillary structures are under NUDP Divisional Federations.

NUDP is one of the seven parties in the National Assembly with five parliamentarians. It also has a senator and runs 15 councils in the three northern regions of Adamawa, North and Far North.

Elsewhere in the country, it jointly manages 27 local councils with other political parties. Party youth were kept busy during last summer holidays with sport competitions in the South West, North West, West and Far North Regions.