Reaffirmed Presidential Concern

Traditional rulers who are candidates in the election of Regional Councillors of Sunday, December 6, 2020 had up to yesterday, December 3, 2020 to collect the special financial allocation given by the Head of State, President Paul Biya to enable them campaign.
Territorial Administration Minister, Paul Atanga Nji in a press release on December 2, 2020 announced the special financial gesture by the President Paul Biya to  boost the electoral process for traditional rulers.
The special financial allocation is once more a demonstration of the reaffirmed concern of  President Paul Biya to traditional rulers. The finances come to fill a gap and put them at the same pedestal with candidates  presented by political parties who are running for positions of Delegates of Divisions in the Regional Councils.  Initially, traditional rulers were not considered in public funding of election campaign. Section 285 of the Electoral Code provides that, «Public funds earmarked for the funding of election campaign for the election of Members of Parliament, Senators, regional or municipal councils shall be shared in two equal parts among the political parties taking part in the elections. » While waiting for the legislator to amend the Electoral Code to include traditional rulers in the public funding of election campaign, President Paul Biya came in with the special financial allocation.
Indeed, government has over the years acknowledged the role of traditional rulers in the administrative set up and in local governance not only as custodians of the traditions and cultures but as auxiliaries of the administration.  Before the enactment of Law No. 96-06 of 18 January 1996 to amend the Constitution of 2 June 1972, only First Class and Second Class traditional rulers in Cameroon had State recognition and received allowances for their respective duties. The 1996 Constitution introduced Regional Councils with special recognition for traditional rulers. Article 57 of the Constitution provides that, « (1) The organs of the Region shall be the Regional Council and the President of the Regional Council.   (2) The Regional Council shall be the deliberative organ of the Region. Regional Councillors whose term of office shall be 5 (five) years shall comprise : - divisional delegat...