By Tazoacha Asonganyi
Human history has shown tha tauthoritative rule invariably
ends up in the backwardness of society, and
invariably, in resistance. It is only all-inclusive, democratic rule that enjoys
the adherence of all members of society, and releases their god-given talents
and abilities, that produce what according to Alexis de Tocqueville, the ablest
governments are usually unable to produce, namely, an all pervasive and
restless activity, a superabundant force, an energy, that produce wonders –human
and societal development; the feel good factor.
At every election, the CPDM is always asking for “comfortable” majorities, or
“large” majorities. During the 2007 elections they went home with 267 of the
360 Council seats, and 153 of the 180 parliamentary seats. They used these majorities
to set the rules in every domain of society; to define our basic rights; to
limit the political possibilities of the “minority” – the opposition- in such a
way that, using the rules, they would never get the chance of becoming the
majority. They used their majority to avoid compromise and consensus on major
societal issues, and at the least opportunity, they turned around and appealed
for “harmony” and “peace”, which, invariably, only serve the selfish interests
of the “majority”! Sometimes they enforce these using the brute force of the self-interested
laws. Further, they use their “majority” to create outfits like the National
Communication Council, and many others, which jump into the arena and play the
game like blind boxers!
In any case, this is not my main concern here. There are some worrying issues
that the CPDM campaign is presently raising with some of their actions and
utterances.
First, there has been talk of the mass circulation of “fake” voters’ cards in
Kumba. Later, it was revealed that they originated with Meme 1A Section
president of CPDM and Mayor of Kumba 1 Council Area. This was a very important
public issue. It is to the credit of many stakeholders that public sentiment
was calmed because they recognized the importance of the demeanor, investigated
it aggressively, and
attributed blame accordingly.Political party members are identified by their
party cards. The explanation that “barcode stickers” were established for use
in identifying members of the CPDM during primaries in “Meme 1A” is frivolous.
The deformation of voters’ cards with such stickers is a clear attempt to cause
confusion and to continue to campaign even on Polling Day; it is an
unacceptable effort to violate the consciences of the voters. If the barcodes
are attached to tee-shirts, caskets and other accompaniments on Polling Day,
they will have the same effect on onlookers like wearing the uniform of a
political party on Polling Day would have. Therefore the so-called identity
barcodes of the CPDM should not be allowed to be displayed on electors in any
form on Polling Day. Further, any effort to get voters to exit with ballot
papers of the “opposition” to surrender them with the identifying barcodes on
them for remuneration would be nothing short of violation of the spirit of the
secrecy of the ballot.
Second, contrary to what some CPDM members may think, the voter’s card, like
currency notes, the
national identity card and the passport, are national documents that can only be
deformed at the peril of the deformer. The voter’s card is a symbol of the power
of the people. The disrespect of the voters’ cards by deforming them with stickers
is indicative of the value the deformers place on the
document. Their giving the impression that the voter’s card is private property
that can be sold, loaned and abused in all forms is a reflection of the mindset
of a party that wins elections not because of the people but in spite of the
people. Indeed, the man increasing considered as the president of the CPDM Cell
in ELECAM has been causing confusion by giving the impression that those who
want to, can ignore
the voter’s card and vote with the national identity card alone, thus feigning ignorance
of the effect it will have on the idea of the biometric system, and the
problems that such a practice will cause to the electoral process on Polling
Day.
Third, the Southern Cameroons considered reunification as an all-inclusive
affair. Defining events like the All Party Conference in Mamfe in 1953, the various
Constitutional Conferences, the multiparty legislative elections in 1957, 1959
and 1961, the multiple visits to the United Nations, the interactions in the
Southern/West Cameroon(s) House of Assembly, the Mamfe plebiscite conference of
1959, the plebiscite of 1961, the All Party Bamenda Conference of 1961, and the
Foumban Constitutional Conference of 1961,
were all-inclusive events for the people of Southern Cameroons – they included
the “opposition” and “governing” parties; they included all currents of opinion
in the society. In doing this, Southern Cameroons leaders looked forward to an
all-inclusive future in the new Cameroon they hoped for. Only those who
understand the full dimension of this can nurture the spirit of reunification.
The present noises being heard about Tiko (the ‘gateway’ to Buea from Douala),
and Buea (said to be readying to receive Paul Biya) with respect to the
possibility of the “opposition” controlling those towns following the September 30
elections, and welcoming Biya to Buea, are strange noises that are a betrayal of this all-inclusive spirit of the reunification
idea. The noises are an indication of how much Paul Biya and his party, the
CPDM, have betrayed the reunification idea. The CPDM has had some thirty
years during which they could have invited their leader to Buea or anywhere of their
choice, and feasted with him in any manner of their choice. But to give the
impression today that as a political party they can betray the reunification
idea by giving the impression that those of the “opposition” belong to a
different category as far as reunification is concerned, is not only
treacherous and unpatriotic; it may strengthen the SCNC argument that the CPDM
inspired law no.84-1 of February 4, 1984 abrogated the union, and turned the
former Southern Cameroons into a territory colonized by the CPDM and its
agents.
Fourth, part of the power of incumbency
is the power to control events and make things happen:
using large chunks of the state budget at will; using part of the national budget
for campaigns by initiating projects during campaign time. These can be done
using the "state’s pen" to sign decisions, as is being done for
traditional rulers, Maroua University institutions, and other acts. But to
abuse the public service and public property for party campaigns is gross abuse
of power; to camouflage as Head of state and descend to the arena as a party
leader would constitute a violation of the public trust. And if it is true that
Aminatou Ahidjo was given 400 million FCFA to carry out campaigns for the CPDM,
and yet the amount was not considered when 1.7 billion FCFA “from the public
treasury” was being distributed to political parties, it would be tantamount to
theft of public money by the CPDM.
Fifth, all development in Cameroon today seems to be hinged on what the CPDM
calls “greater achievements” (or has it become “major accomplishments”?). This
seems to have given way to (or produced) what they call Vision-2035 and the growth
and employment strategy paper (GESP) which, they say, are products of an“all-inclusive
stakeholder consultative process” – meaning that they belong to all
Cameroonians. Yet, we still hear South West Chiefs and other CPDM sycophants
claiming that “it is the CPDM that is capable of bringing meaningful development
like roads, schools, hospitals, and infrastructure…”
as if taxpayers’ money belongs to the CPDM! According to them, the CPDM will be
with us (where they are!), until 2035 and beyond. I hope that they themselves
believe this.
Virtues like peace, work, fatherland, that constitute the motto of Cameroon are
not absolute;
they are conditional on their satisfaction of other purposes, other aspirations,
other yearnings. The essence of development is not just the human and natural
resources available to a people, but how the resources are used. We are all
members of the same society who happen to have different currents of
thought; who happen to belong to different political parties or societal groupings.
In the ongoing electoral campaigns, small ideas, small acts, small utterances
will affect our thoughts and actions by the effect of the collisions they will
cause in our minds. They will impact us with the perceptions they create.
So far, the perceptions the CPDM seems to be leaving with us is that they abhor
the biometric system of elections, and they can even desecrate the reunification
spirit to win their “comfortable” majorities.
Tazoacha Asonganyi
Yaounde.
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. Minute by Minute Report on Cameroon and Africa
