Councillor oversees election in West Africa

From the Swindon Advertiser, first published Thursday 27th Jun 2002.

NORTH Wiltshire District councillor Ruth Coleman has just returned from a trip to Cameroon ­ overseeing democracy in a national election.

Coun Coleman, from Christian Malford, near Chippenham, was asked to join the Commonwealth Expert Team as an official observer during the election in the West African state.

She had a meeting with the Governor of the North West Province and faced the threat of public disturbance when the election was postponed, as well as a nerve-wracking journey past armed road blocks. But she said it had been a very positive experience.

"Cameroon is a beautiful country with a lot of potential, and a lot of enterprising people," she said. "But it has a low income and little external trade.

"I was treated well everywhere I went, with respect and courtesy."

She said the main purpose of the election observers was to emphasise the importance of democracy.

"The fact was that we were there put pressure on the Government to behave properly and have proper elections," she said.

But Coun Coleman said ultimately, the election was postponed because the Government had underestimated the task involved. Not all the voters were registered, and the list of candidates was incomplete.

Now ballot papers will have to be reprinted and distributed to all the remote areas of the country, for a new election at a later date.

Coun Coleman said when voting was suspended there were fears of public disorder, with people shouting in the streets.

"In fact there was no trouble ­ which is quite impressive," she said.

The team's job was to check how well the country was prepared for the election and whether all the voting and counting of votes was free and fair.

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