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| Fru Ndi |
Critics of the SDF were taken aback by the by the policy speech of SDF National chairman. The romance between the regime and the SDF may reach the end of the tunnel when judged from what is said repeatedly and in policy. But how serious is the SDF and Fru Ndi in displacing a regime that succeeds only through intrigues and manipulations. Yet, National Chairman Ni John Fru Ndi has
declared that the Cameroon has been transgressed and distorted by bad
governance and unaligned priorities. Addressing delegates in Bamenda at the 8th
National Convention of the Social Democratic Front-SDF in Bamenda Fru Ndi noted
that Cameroonians have been tamed since the colonial days and even during the
neo-colonial era. Truth as they say is like a balloon which when thrown into
the air must finally fall, Ni Jhon Fru Ndi reiterated that “there is an
irrefutable beauty in the power of truth because it always triumphs at the end.
He wondered whether this is the very Cameroon that “our forefathers so
cherished in our national Anthem and for which they split their blood”.
Unemployment, poverty and inequality are the sources of hopelessness for
Cameroonians, he added. Poverty he observed is at its peak in rural areas
beside land grapping and other obnoxious acts orchestrated by the Biya regime.
With untold miseries, the SDF proposed that primary and secondary school should
be free of charge to ensure that Cameroon substantially eradicates the level of
illiteracy. Access to health facilities are down to naught. Corruption he said
must be stamped out. Ni John Fru Ndi in his policy speech also emphasized that
only a true and reconciliation process can reconcile Cameroonians with
themselves, he cited the numerous killings, stealing and corruption. ‘ it is
not by calling a job of justice long over-due by bird’s name, by filling up our
prisons with our oppressors of yesterday or hand picking political opponents
and turning them into victims of a judicial system that suffers from a severe
trust deficit, so deep that you see it bones, that we will create a reconciled
and trustworthy people”. The SDF however made a clarion call for Cameroonians
to claim their legitimacy for change. With all these lapses, Fru Ndi said it is
evident that Cameroon is a collapsing state due to the fact that the Biya
regime has failed woefully to maintain peace and order. This, he said has given
room for minority groups to breed criminals and obnoxious groups that
terrorizes the population. “This is witnessed through the ever growing public
attacks, road-jacks, hostage taking…. and the likely presence of Al Quaida in
the North of Cameroon”. He frowned at the creation of private militia and the
encouraged by the regime in place as well as the notion of setting up
mercenaries to brutalize harmless citizens. Drawing inspiration from the
February 28, 2008 uprising, Ni John Fru Ndi said the fact that Cameroonians
youth stood against rampant injustice, the modification of the constitution and
hunger but lamented that the Biya regime as usual responded through the barrel
of the gun sending to the grave 148 young Cameroonians. Tribalism and nepotism
Fru Ndi noted is deep rooted in the regime to the point that some Yaoude based
barons of the regime went as far instigating “tribal cleansing” yet the Biya
regime Fru Ndi emphasized was mute giving room for the ordinary Cameroonina,
civil society and the opposition to affirm that they were part of the obnoxious
idea to ignite in genocide in Cameroon. As a matter of fact ‘a crumbling state
like ours is at the root of ongoing conflict, terrorism and expanding networks
of criminality that traffic drugs, arms and people”.
On
the Electoral laws
Chairman Ni John Fru warned and proposed
that a clean and consensual electoral process be put in place as well as the
inability of the Biya regime to produce a single acceptable election in 22
years of multiparty politics in Cameroon. He said the electoral code is too bad
that elecam itself has to violate the law to work on it actual recompilation
exercise. He however rejected the idea of taking elecam to court for violating
the laws. ‘we know the exercise started but no one can say when it will end’ he
observed. The system, he said is too weak to contain any transition reasons why
when confronted with the power of the truth, the Biya regime conceded to
include NEO I and II. Elecam, Chairman Ni John Fru Ndi exploded that came with
big hope but ended up as a caricature of an electoral organ. “our primordial
quest for free, fair and credible elections which are necessary to erect the foundation
on which a new inclusive and progressive society can be built, by instilling
accountability, credibility and trust in the government that will emerge, push
us to produce 11 points to ameliorate the situation”. Accordingly, he said the
11 points were meant to bring about a process that will restore ownership and
respect the people. Even with the absence of a credible electoral code and an
independent electoral commission, the SDF proposed that acceptable elections
can be organized in Cameroon if the following minimum conditions are met:
·
A new electoral register is put
in place
·
Revamp of elecam
·
The inclusion of biometric data
in the entire process
·
Total and unconditional
exclusion of MINATD from electoral process
·
Institution of two round ballot
for Presidential and parliamentary elections
·
Utilization of single ballot
paper and the endowment of elecam with effective financial autonomy
On Constitutional Dispensation
SDF chairman
also recommended the revision of the constitution due to the fact that there is
the need to streamline the constitution with the present democratic options
some of which are already today in violation. Voting age, he said should be set
at 18 years while the President should be elected for a term of office of five
years once. The National assembly, the SDF proposed should comprise of 240 MPs while
each region should be represented in the Senate by 10 senators who should be
elected by uninominal direct universal suffrage per region. On the legality of
elections Cameroon, the SDF observed with indignation that the constitution
should make room in its body for the creation of elecam and the role it has to
play. On the famous article 66 on the declaration of assets, Chairman Ni John
Fru Ndi said the declaration of assets and property should be effected at the
time a candidature is introduced for an elective or appointed office as well as
at the beginning and at the end of their tenure of office.
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. Minute by Minute Report on Cameroon and Africa
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