Fru Ndi Castigates the Biya Regime in Policy Speech, Declares Battle to Conquer Power

 

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 8^th 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.

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