Directorate General of Elections

The Directorate General of Elections is headed by a Director General, who may be assisted by a Deputy Director General.

The Director General of Elections and the Deputy Director General of Elections shall be appointed by decree of the President of the Republic for a term of 5 (five) years, which may be renewable upon consultation with the Electoral Board.

In the event of vacancy of the office of Director General or Deputy Director General of Elections, he or she shall be replaced in accordance with the procedure laid down to serve for the remainder of the term.

The duties of Director General or Deputy Director General of Elections shall be terminated in one of the following cases:

• non-renewal of the term of office;
• resignation;

The term of office of the Director General or Deputy Director General of Elections may be terminated in one of the following cases:

• physical or mental incapacity duly established by the Electoral Board;
• gross misconduct, duly established by the Electoral Board;
• penalty imposed for a felony (life or fixed-term imprisonment coupled with banishment and civic disqualification).

ORGANISATION OF SUPPORT BODIES OF THE DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF ELECTIONS

Support bodies of the Directorate General of Elections operate under the authority and coordination of the Director General of Elections, assisted by the Deputy Director General of Elections.

To carry out its missions, the head office of the Directorate General of Elections has attached as well as central services.

SERVICES ATTACHED TO THE DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF ELECTIONS

The services attached to the Directorate General of Elections include:

• Unit for Translation, Interpretation and Promotion of Bilingualism;
• Central Service in charge of Mails, Reception and Liaison;
• Central Service in charge of Documentation and Archives;
• Stores Accounting Station;
• Service in charge of Protection and Security.

UNIT FOR TRANSLATION, INTERPRETATION AND PROMOTION OF BILINGUALISM

Placed under the authority of a Unit Head, the Unit for Translation, Interpretation and Promotion of Bilingualism in charge of:

• routine translating of documents entrusted to it, within the framework of Elections Cameroon’s missions and activities;
• interpreting during audiences, seminars and workshops;
• promoting bilingualism within ELECAM.

The unit has 3 (three) Junior Research Officers and support staff.

CENTRAL SERVICE IN CHARGE OF MAILS, RECEPTION AND LIAISON

Placed under the authority of a Service Head, the Central Service in charge of Mails, Reception and Liaison has the responsibility to:

• manage incoming and outgoing mail;
• distribute and forward various documents within the central bodies of Elections Cameroon, to branches or partner structures and other administrations;
• manage the information desk.

This service has the following bureaus:

• Mails Bureau;
• Liaison and forwarding of mails Bureau ;
• Bureau for mail reception and guidance of users.

CENTRAL SERVICE FOR DOCUMENTATION AND ARCHIVES

Placed under the authority of a Service Head, the Central Service for Documentation and Archives has the responsibility to:

• gather, organise and ensure a secure management of documentation necessary to carry out ELECAM’s missions;
• implement a digitalised archives management system;
• perform any other tasks and activities related to their duties.

This service has the following bureaus:

• Documentation Bureau;
• Archives Bureau.

STORES ACCOUNTING STATION

Place under the authority of a Head of Station, the Stores Accounting Station has the responsibility to:

• keep a record of material and moveable assets allocated to Support Bodies and Branches, as well as those procured by Branches in ancillary books;
• allocate material and moveable assets to users using holder forms as well as material issue slips;
• propose measures for securing, protecting and safeguarding material;

• notify hierarchy of any loss, depreciation or theft of material;
• receive material and service;
• ensure the effectiveness and conformity of service provisions by certifying the service rendered;
• put the said material at the disposal of users against signature of receipts;
• keep track of the location of material in good condition (allocated to a user), in transit (earmarked for Branches) and pending (in stock);
• keep inventory cards;
• initiate orders in accordance with needs expressed by the DGE;
• record material and moveable assets in entry and exit accounting documents;
• issue holder forms for durable material;
• produce monthly accounts and the annual management account;
• identify and list durable material that is obsolete or requires very high repair costs;
• propose the disposal of material through all forms of discharge (sale, destruction or demolition) and their deletion from accounting books;
• prepare statistics on the different activities related to the service.

SERVICE IN CHARGE OF PROTECTION AND SECURITY

Placed under the authority of a Service Head, the Service in charge of Protection and Security has the responsibility to:

• organise security coverage for the Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson and Members of the Electoral Board;
• organise security coverage for the Director General of Elections and Deputy Director General of Elections;
• guard residences of the CEB, VCEB, MEB, DGE and DGAE, in collaboration with the specialised State services;
• take practical measures to ensure close protection for MEB, DGE, DDGE and personnel during election periods as well as provide security for ELECAM’s property;
• coordinate security actions on working sites of Elections Cameroon.

This service has the following bureaus:

• Protection Bureau;
• Security Bureau;

CENTRAL SERVICES OF THE DIRECTORATE GENERAL OF ELECTIONS

The central services of the Directorate General of Elections include:

• Department for Election Operations and Referendums;
• Department for Human Resources;
• Department for Financial And Material Resources;
• Division for Communication and Public Relations;
• Division for Legal Affairs and Litigation;

DEPARTMENT FOR ELECTION OPERATIONS AND REFERENDUMS

 Placed under the authority of a Director, the Department for Election Operations and Referendums has the responsibility to:

• draw up, update and ensure preservation of the national register of voters;
• draw up electoral registers and issue voter cards;
• supervise voter card distribution in collaboration with Branches;
• ensure the maintenance of biometric equipment;
• monitor maintenance of the biometric system;
• prepare the annual plan of action for election operations and referendum;
• conceive and follow-up the printing of election documents;
• carry out the procurement, monitoring and updating of the stock of election material;
• centralise and assess requisite needs for the organisation of polls;
• organise the conveyance of election material towards Branches;
• ensure the computerised management of election operations and results of polls;
• monitor and centralise results obtained from polling stations and corresponding documents;
• process election data and documents;
• follow-up management of the election biometric system;
• conduct and monitor election-related studies and planning.

 The Department for Election Operations and Referendums includes:

• Sub-Department for the Register of Voters, Electoral Registers and Voter Cards;
• Sub-Department for Organisation and Follow-Up of Election Operations and Referendum;
• Sub-Department for Studies, Processing of Electoral Data And Statistics;
• Sub-Department for Maintenance of Biometric Equipment and Networks

DEPARTMENT FOR HUMAN RESOURCES

Placed under the authority of a Director, the Department for Human Resources has the responsibility to:

• conceive and implement the human resource management policy;
• implement ELECAM’s social outreach programme and mutual assistance;
• manage staff remuneration and all corresponding instruments;
• prepare and settle retirement and end-of-career benefits;
• monitor procedures related to staff discipline and evaluation;
• ensure a management planning of the workforce, jobs, skills and staff career development plans;
• prepare and manage the jobs, careers and skills benchmark;
• classify jobs and determine job profiles;
• manage staff mobility and motivation;
• manage the health insurance portfolio;
• prepare and monitor the implementation of staff training and refresher course programmes and plans;

It comprises:

• Sub- Department for Staff Management and Outreach;
• Sub-Department for Training and Human Resource Development.

DEPARTMENT FOR FINANCIAL AND MATERIAL RESOURCES

Placed under the authority of a Director, the Department for Financial and Material Resources has the responsibility to:

• prepare the draft annual budget of ELECAM;
• prepare the draft budget of elections in collaboration with the structures concerned;
• manage and ensure maintenance of the real and personal property of the Institution;
• manage and ensure maintenance of the rolling stock;
• prepare tender files and draft contracts for procurement of goods and services;
• follow-up procedures for the execution of public contracts signed by the DGE;
• carry out a direct acquisition of goods and services;
• follow-up execution of the operating and investment and elections budgets of ELECAM;
• keep and update budgetary and accounting documents;
• keep general accounts;
• manage coffers as regards expenditure;
• prepare the administrative account;
• prepare financial statements;
• prepare statistics on the different activities related to the service;
• carry out internal audits.

It comprises:

• Sub-Department for Budget and Contracts;

• Sub-Department for Management of Equipment and Infrastructure.

DIVISION FOR COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC RELATIONS

Placed under the authority of a Head of Division, the Division for Communication and Public relations has the responsibility to:

• prepare and implement the communication policy of Elections Cameroon;
• assess and manage requisite information and sensitisation means for the organisation and conduct of elections;
• ensure media coverage for all ELECAM activities;
• organise information work and relations with the national and international media;
• manage protocol;
• execute all tasks entrusted by the DGE.

It comprises:

• Unit for Communication and Electoral Sensitisation;
• Unit for Public Relations;
• Service for Protocol.

DIVISION FOR LEGAL AFFAIRS AND LITIGATION

Placed under the authority of a Head of Division, the Division for Legal Affairs and Litigation has the responsibility to:

• preserve and defend the interests of ELECAM;
• prepare regulatory texts in collaboration with the competent structures;
• formulate legal views on matters that fall within the competence of ELECAM;
• examine the legal conformity of documents and instruments submitted for the approval of the EB or signature of the DGE;
• preserve, file and circulate legal texts in force, in collaboration with the competent structures;
• examine administrative petitions and claims lodged against ELECAM;
• prepare factums in reply and oral arguments regarding election disputes;
• monitor the enforcement of court decisions that concern ELECAM;
• ensure a legal monitoring of staff disciplinary issues, in collaboration with the DHR;
• train, follow-up and assist Branch staff in legal matters;
• prepare draft contract and ensure their execution.

It comprises:

• Unit for Legal Affairs;
• Unit for Litigation.

MISCELLANEOUS AND FINAL PROVISIONS

Heads of Support Bodies of the Directorate General of Elections are appointed by decision of the Director General of Elections, after approval by the Electoral Board.

The following have the rank and prerogatives of:

• Director of Public Administration:
  • Heads of Division.

• Sub-Director:
• Unit Heads;

• Service Head:
  • Private Secretary
  • Junior Research Officers.