Ben Muna steps down as chairman of APF party

Ben Muna, National Chairman of the Alliance of Progressive Forces, APF party, has relinquished chairmanship of the party after his mandates – two terms of eight years, came to an end over the weekend.

Though Muna had the chances of twisting the party’s constitution to allow him stay on as chairman, he said he chose to respect APF constitution by stepping down because of his morality and legal background.

Muna’s move paved the way for the election of Alice Sadio as new APF national president during the party’s third ordinary congress which ended in Yaounde on Saturday December 12.

“I have come to the end of my two term mandate as provided by our party constitution. And I think it’s time to hand over to the youths. Giving over to the youths is necessary for the growth of our country. A new leader comes with different ideas,” the 76-year old Muna told reporters.

New APF National President, Alice Sadio

Muna, a founding member of APF, but now an ordinary member, said the party will have more dynamism with the new national executive in place. He challenged other party chairmen in the likes of Paul Biya of the CPDM, Fru Ndi of the SDF, Bello Bouba of the UNDP, amongst others to hand over leadership to the youths.

Asked whether his decision to give up the party leadership is an indication he is stepping out of politics, Muna said “I was not made by politics. I had a name before coming into politics.” He vouched he is going to continue militating in the party as member.

Along the sidelines of the APF congress, he told reporters that some problems that exist in Cameroon are because the Social Democratic Front, SDF’s, egoistism. He faulted the party (his former party) for not going into the elections of 1992.

Rather than oppose the government all the time, Muna argued, referring to the SDF that it was better to come up with proposals. “We have been proposing good ideas to the government, especially in the agricultural sector,” Muna sustained.