Cameroon: Opposition Sees Biya’s 27 Years in Power as Harmful

By Christopher Ambe Shu

As Cameroon President Paul Biya clocks 27 years at the helm of power next November 6, the country’s opposition parties, which since early 1990’s with the reintroduction of multi-party politics have tried unsuccessfully to unseat him at presidential polls, say he has since become a spent-force and spendthrift, worth- dumping for retarding the nation’s socio-economic and political progress. Cameroon has over 200 political parties, with just less than ten considered as active

Those that oppose the ruling CPDM argue that Mr. Biya, who is widely said to have been defeated at the 1992 presidential elections by Cameroon’s leading opposition Party (SDF) candidate, Ni John Fru Ndi, is still in power thanks to electoral fraud, endorsed by the Judiciary, which he heads.

Mr.Biya took over from Ahmadou Ahidjo, as Cameroon’s second president, on November 6, 1982 and promised to “greatly improve the lot of Cameroonians, modernize and democratize the country; promises, which many critics think, he has not kept.

They recall that, in declaring President Biya as winner of the 1992 controversial presidential election, largely marred by irregularities, Supreme Court President, Alexis Dipanda Mouele, said “my hands are tied”. This was widely interpreted to mean that, the Supreme Court judge lacked courage to pronounce Fri Ndi winner, for fear of the unknown. Cameroon judiciary is not independent; the Constitution says that the President of the Republic guarantees its independence.

Opposition parties describe the Ministry of Territorial Administration (main organizer of elections in Cameroon) and the now defunct National Elections Observatory (NEO) as rigging machinery, put in place by the ruling CPDM for to prolong its rule.

The opposition claim that, if not of the CPDM rigging machinery, they would have since booted President Biya out of power, won majority seats in parliament and councils to improve on life in Cameroon, which they think Mr. Biya is not ready to do.

The opposition regret that their call for an independent electoral body, forced President Biya to create but a semblance, called ELECTIONS CAMEROON (ELECAM), which Chief Albert Samba Ngwana, Chairman of Cardinal Democratic Party and Ni John Fru Ndi of the SDF, have described as another CPDM organ.ELECAM has been widely rejected in and out of Cameroon, with the opposition calling for the boycott of any elections organized by this body.

But why do the opposition parties badly want President Biya out?

They wonder why Cameroon, which is endowed with abundant natural resources to merit high standards of living, is classified a heavily indebted poor country. Cameroon, they point out, has one of the best-endowed primary commodity economies in sub-Saharan Africa. But it faces many of the serious problems common in other underdeveloped countries, such as a top-heavy civil service, unfavorable climate for business, high unemployment, wide-spread corruption, embezzlement of Public funds, injustices and human rights abuses; so many Cameroonians are living in disease and misery. The population living below the poverty line stands at 48 %( 2001 est)

In 1994, the FCFA was devalued, followed by a 70% salary cut for civil servants, making life unbearable for them. Workers had to live in that ugly situation for many years until recently when government re-adjusted salaries by only 15%

Opponents accuse President Biya of lacking the political will to put in place institutions provided for by the 1996 revised constitution, such as the Senate, the Constitutional Council; of not properly separating the arms of Power(Judiciary, legislature and Executive) ;of tribalism, nepotism, inefficiency and inertia.

The opposition and a good proportion of Cameroonians feel so disappointed that the ruling CPDM used its crushing majority in Parliament in February 2008 to revise the Constitution, scraping off presidential term limits. The revision paves the way for Mr. Biya to stand for reelection (and may be become life president) when his second seven-year term comes to an end in 2011.

They consider President Biya’s lifestyle too expensive, as he likes spending long holidays abroad -sometimes for more than one month at the expense of the state, for what many say is for no -good reason, whereas prices of basic commodities remain high, a problem that led to rioting in February 2008

Reports said President Biya on a recent private trip to France, spent over FCFA 700 million-quite a colossal sum, for three weeks on hotel bills and shopping when Cameroon is seeking for loans here and there to finance public-interest projects.

With continued hardship and misery faced by Cameroonians under Mr. Biya for 27 years, the wish of the majority of citizens-election rigging put aside -is for him to quit power soonest. There is need for regime change else President Biya will continue to be viewed as a curse for Cameroonians.

NB:First Published on November 4,2009 at www.cameroonforum.net