Cameroon constitution review: Constitutional amendment shunning separation of powers is a hoax!

By Felix Teche Nyamusa, SDF 2018 Presidential hopeful (pending primaries)

Fellow Cameroonians, the CPDM government we hear is about imposing herself once more on us dodging democratic competition at polls! She may give some of what we had been requesting to be added to the constitution and electoral code but retaining the capacity to dictate to all Cameroonians irrespective of political leanings and aspirations - that is, there will still be no separation of powers, to go by the rumours, inscribed in our laws as has ever been - this is unacceptable to say the least!

           Manipulating the constitution  or playing other gymnastics so as to bring forward or even retard the elections, as is customary to this regime, prevents fair, due preparation  by Cameroonians’ various candidates which is clear rigging to win as incumbent. If elections are brought forward, Biya/CPDM adversaries will not have enough time to go round campaigning unlike Biya who exploits the power of a sitting president and money laundering character of many a tyrant. He illegally uses the civil servants and military for his campaigns – is this the fair competition that Cameroonians can really get their choices as obtained in progressing countries? Majority compatriots decry this!

When there is no separation of powers in governance like in Cameroon where the executive/president Biya is menacingly every where is any other thing but democracy – here, President Paul Biya as head of the executive, is also head of the judiciary and rigs parliamentary elections in his party (CPDM) favour and appoint senators - 30 out of the 100 senators of the Cameroon senate from basically CPDM. He manipulates the outcome of any thing that challenges him and his party! It’s worth reminding ourselves that in democracies the separation of powers into executive, legislature and judiciary arms of government act as checks and balances - in such good systems, the ruling party is distinct from government unlike here in Cameroon where the difference is not clear. During elections in this country, money is withdrawn from the national coffers for CPDM campaigns with impunity; civil servants and the military are intimidated to abandon their job sites and campaign for the ruling party(CPDM ) …where there is separation of powers such stupidity is not tolerated .

          It is rumoured that constitutional changes that will be made by parliament March 2016 session are treacherously programmed to exclude separation of powers; a fair electoral code ... These changes include: reduction of presidential mandate to five years renewable once, review of voting age from 20 to 18 years, permission for the president to use flimsy excuses to precipitate elections, to see that there are two round presidential elections …. But with no checks and balances courtesy the three supposedly independent but complimentary arms of government, all these changes will mean nothing to the aspiration of majority Cameroonians who are not CPDM in partaking in state affairs! Should the above anticipated innovations come to fruition, with the pro CPDM ELECAM put in place by President Biya(who is also national president of the ruling CPDM party) continuing in monitoring and control of the elections, then CPDM will still always win as usual and there is no way I, Felix Teche Nyamusa SDF Presidential hopeful for the 2018 polls will accept such anti progress dictates from a mere CPDM candidate(Biya). For sure candidates from other political parties to these elections will not accept the sham! SDF party completely rejects this! The close to 60 years of CPDM (former CNU) misrule will come to an end in 2018 presidential! I call on colleagues genuine political parties in Cameroon and civil society to collaborate so we together form a rainbow coalition stronger that the one of 1992 that saw a clear opposition victory though the results were stolen by Biya/CPDM! In the case where all these fall on deaf ears, then the last Cameroon constitutional resort – sustained force to evict a dictator will be applied. Cameroonians have suffered more than enough from one party and her barely two presidents (Ahmadou Ahidjo and 34 years on the seat Paul Biya) reign with no developed road net work, no stable electric energy supply despite having one of Africa’s highest energy generation potential, poorly adapted to Cameroon practical reality school syllabuses, consequent high evacuation to the Diaspora for paying jobs with many encountering unheard-of hardship and death …. This is not a thing any patriot will permit to happen to his /her compatriots! Nyamusa will fight by all cost to put and end to this even if it means paying the maximum where necessary – I will lead Cameroonians to freedom, God being our guide.

 

When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)