The Electoral Commission for the 2014 elections of the Moderator and Synod Clerk of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, PCC, has in accordance with Article 117 (II and IV) of the PCC been forwarded to the Synod Committee Executive, results of the first phase of the elections which held at the level of the 27 presbyteries of the PCC.

Meanwhile, the results of the presbyteries of Santa, Akwaya and Ngie were rejected.

According to information gathered by The Post, a total of 11 candidates ran for the post of Moderator. The candidates who all hail from the Southwest Region, included; Rev William Membong Abwenzo (outgoing Synod Clerk), Rev Mbella Lyonga, Rev Samuel Fonki, Rev Johnson Besong, Rev Mary Ekinde, Rev Dr Louis Epie Mendong , among others.

After meticulously scrutinising the results and reports from the various presbyteries in line with the Constitution of the PCC, the Electoral Commission reportedly rejected the results of three of the 27 presbyteries, for gross irregularities.

The nine-man Electoral Commission is made up of Chairman, Rev. Henry Fomuso, while the Secretary is Justice Rose Mbah Acha. The other members are Rev Emmanuel Tembeng, Rev Jane Benoit-Wang, Rev Ndumi Wa-Danji, Mary-Anne Mukete, Dr. Samuel Ngwane, Sally Job and Barrister Harmony Bobga. Members of the 2014 Electoral Commission were appointed by the Synod Committee Executive, in accordance with Article 117 of the Constitution of the PCC.

Meanwhile, The Post further leant that in accordance to the aforementioned Article 117 (II and IV) of the Constitution of the PCC, the Electoral Commission forwarded the names of the candidates who occupied the first three positions in the final results, to the Synod Committee Executive. The first three candidates in order of merit are: Rev Samuel Forba Fonki (498 points); Rev William Membong Abwenzo (411 points); Rev Johnson Tabe Besong (390 points).

For the post of Synod Clerk, there were a total of 10 candidates, all from the Northwest Region. Some of the candidates included Rev Ignatius Jum, Rev Denis Chi, Rev Raphel Najela, Rev Dr Michael Verye Fai, Rev George Forchang Babila, Rev Mathias Njei, Rev Christian Nganji, Rev Dr Joshua Muyo.

According to the results reportedly adopted by the Electoral Commission, the candidates who occupied the first three positions in the elections are Rev George Forchang Babaila, Rev Michael Verye Fai and Rev Christian Nganji.

Next Phase Of Elections The next phase in the electoral process will be that the first three candidates for the posts of Moderator, as well as the first three candidates for the post of Synod Clerk, will be convened to individually present their letters of faith to the Synod Committee Executive. The committee will, among other things, examine certain personal issues about the candidates, to see if they can honourably handle the posts they are vying for.

At this stage, one candidate will be eliminated from the race for the post of Moderator, and one from the race for the post of Synod Clerk, leaving two candidates to vie for the post of Moderator and Synod Clerk each, in the elections in November 2014.

The current Moderator of the PCC, Rt Rev Festus Ambe Asana, whose first mandate will end in December 2014, has indicated that he will not run for a second mandate. The Post has also learnt that Moderator Asana has so far avoided the temptation to endorse any candidate in the race to succeed him, thereby maintaining his neutrality.

Independent Electoral Commission The Post also garnered that the Electoral Commission for the 2014 elections has strongly recommended that, as part of efforts to ensure a level playing field for all candidates in future elections, the sitting Moderator and Synod Clerk should, henceforth, neither participate nor interfere with the organisation and conduct of the elections.

The demand is the first on a list of recommendations that the 2014 Electoral Commission has made to the Synod of the PCC, after the commission ended work on the first eliminatory phase of the elections for the post of Moderator and Synod Clerk.

The Post, however, learnt that the Electoral Commission in the course of its work faced a lot of obstacles as well as observed many irregularities in the electoral process. One of the candidates allegedly pushed aside the commission in some cases and acted in its place.

The 2014 Electoral Commission has, still, as part of recommendations to ensure free and fair elections, requested that a text be instituted to give an Electoral Commission that is set up in an electoral year, the powers to operate like an Independent Electoral Commission.

Another recommendation is that measures be also taken to, henceforth; sanction presbyteries that flagrantly violate instructions contained in the PCC Election Procedure Booklet. The Commission was alarmed that many presbyteries violated a major instruction in the PCC Election Procedure Booklet for 2014, by burning ballot papers after the nomination exercise in the presbyteries.

The directive in the Booklet demands that after the elections in the presbyteries, all the ballot papers should be forwarded to the Electoral Commission via the Synod Clerk.

The Electoral Commission expressed the conviction that those persons who were behind the illegal destruction of the ballot papers, did so with the intention to cover up fraud or other irregularities that probably occurred during the nomination exercise. With the burning of the ballot papers, it became impossible for the commission to conduct any recounting of the votes when it became necessary following a tangible complaint by some candidates.