Overhaul Cameroon Constitution, Scrap ELECAM

The Cameroon supreme laws (the Constitution) and ELECAM supposedly independent elections organising and monitoring body are unfortunately tailored to maintain one party, the ruling CPDM incessantly in power.

Cameroon Constitution permits the executive (President) to usurp the functions of the other arms of government – the legislature and the judiciary.

The President here single handed appoints members of the legislature (which include the 30 unelected senators). President Biya is the Chairman of the higher judicial council – which outfit transfers, sanctions, and promotes magistrates amongst other chores.

Thus litigations involving CPDM or Biya are often tainted in regime favour - hence the reluctance of many a forward looking business concern from operating in such non-equitable justice system.

A Supreme Court senior judge (Alexis Mouelle who keeps his coveted position till date) here told the entire world in the early 1990s that his hands are tied when it comes to electoral and other litigations which threaten the CPDM interest.

The press, as expected of such a dictatorial regime, is also not spared - the media complaint commission(s) which in many a democracy is(are) independent, voluntary, non governmental and non profit making in Cameroon (called the National Communication Council) is government created with government appointees singing the regime’s praises with the exception of a weightless few.

In democracies, members of a media complaint commission are drafted from journalist associations, editors’ guide, publishers (or owners of media outfit) associations, the government and the public (civil society). Her functions include arbitration of complaints from its members and press ethics- monitor.

ELECAM - for polls is created by Biya who is also national president of CPDM. Majority of this body’s personnel are CPDM militants despite the multiplicity of meaningful political parties in the country. Elections are rigged in various guises by the ruling CPDM Party which curiously here is not different from government.

The ruling party illegally accesses public treasury with impunity during electoral campaigns to the detriment of not only rival parties but the nation’s economy. Cameroonians have petitioned against such underhand practices since the reintroduction of multiparty politics in the early 1990s till date to no avail.

CPDM formerly CNU has continuously been in power now for more than 50 years (with barely two Presidents – Ahmadou Ahidjo and incumbent Paul Biya).

Biya has been on seat as President of Cameroon for more than 30 years now through intrigues. Cameroon descended into this disgraceful rank of a heavily indebted poor country (HIPC) in Paul Biya’s reign.

Cameroonians will not accept this nonsense anymore. I, Felix Teche Nyamusa, 2018 Presidential hopeful on the SDF ticket(pending primaries), pledge to lead Cameroon to salvation from corruption, poverty and indebtedness.

We are concerned with the massive exodus of Cameroonians to the Diaspora because of unemployment, political persecutions. I urge the regime to immediately revert to good governance which principally includes revamping the existing archaic constitution and jettison ELECAM as she completes her tenure by abiding by unanimously voted laws.

August 1, 2014 is the latest date given to the Biya regime to come to terms with the decision of overhauling the constitution and dissolving the controversial ELECAM. Unlike this government (CPDM) which is tactlessly anaemic to working with specific time table, we thus proffer this calendar of activities from now, 2014 to the 2018 presidential which we believe to convince Cameroonians to rigorously adhere to:

August 2014 – August 2015 – Time for putting in place the renewed constitution as well as other structures together with the new autonomous independent elections body

August 2015 – January 2017 – Miscellaneous activities and active preparations for the all important Presidential Poll of 2018

2018 – Cameroon Presidential elections and installation of President elect – No postponement under any circumstances! This general revamp of laws and structure should of course be done in collaboration with SDF the number one opposition and other meaningful political parties and segments of our nation, Cameroon. My party (SDF) has blueprints for genuine development and progress which include “NESPROG” that more than adequately address Cameroon’s problems – the execution which have been this long blocked since the early 1990s by the CPDM dictatorial government.

It is this Biya/CPDM one man rule barrier that has to be broken by all means without further delay.

We will embark on the last resort measures to get Cameroon working as historically obtained in other democracies if the regime fails to turn to good governance and the rule of law as demanded by majority Cameroonians.

I will be meeting in the days ahead my Party Chairman, Ni John Fru Ndi and Cameroonians to explain the necessity of this stands.

The task is achievable if all patriotic and progress cherishing Cameroonians rally up with us. Nyamusa is more than prepared to lead the struggle as 2018 presidential hopeful – no price is too big for me to pay in liberating and guiding my people.

Our priority is the rule of law following people’s yearnings – others elsewhere go through this to be emancipated and escape from poverty, my people, Cameroonians would not be the exception! May God guide Cameroon!