2007 Elections: War of Words between the Biya Regime and Diplomatic Missions

On August 16, 2007, the embassies of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, of the United States of America and the High Commission of Great Britain and Northern Ireland issued a joint communiqué on the legislative and municipal elections of July 22, 2007. While congratulating the people and government of Cameroon for the generally peaceful and orderly elections, they insisted that:

"On the whole, however, these elections represent a missed opportunity for Cameroon – a missed opportunity to continue building public confidence in the democratic process as Cameroon looks ahead to its next election.  Some recommended improvements growing out of previous elections – improvements that were not just achievable but that the government had committed itself to achieving – were in fact not achieved." 

In a stern response issued yesterday by Cameroon's Minister of External Affairs Atangana Mebara, the Government of Cameroon, described the views of the diplomats as "excessive", arguing that "at the end of these elections, our young democracy comes out strengthened: five political parties are already represented in the National Assembly, while awaiting the up-coming partial elections, and a dozen more now sit in different councils in the country".

The government communiqué by reiterating the Government of Cameroon’s"willingness to pursue, with its partners and friendly countries, the improvement of its electoral process, according to existing norms and conventions" but only in an atmosphere characterized by "greater serenity" and "mutual respect".

Find below the full text of the incriminated statement by the diplomatic missions and the Cameroon Government’s rebuttal

Joint Statement of the Embassies of the Netherlands and of the United States and the British High Commission on the Legislative and Municipal Elections of 22 July 2007 in Cameroon.

Yaounde, August 16, 2007

The Embassies of the United States and the Netherlands and the High Commission of the United Kingdom sent teams to all ten provinces of Cameroon to observe the legislative and municipal elections of 22 July 2007.  This joint observer group congratulates the government and people of Cameroon on the fact that the voting took place in a generally calm atmosphere, without major public disorder.  In particular, the joint observer group commends the government for the instances of progress since the previous elections, such as the computerization of the voter rolls and the improved selection of neutral locations for polling stations. The joint observer group was pleased to see the electoral law fairly and properly applied in many cases, with officers clearly dedicated to a transparent voting process.  The Supreme Court’s decision to re-run the elections in five constituencies is a welcome recognition of some of these problems and should serve to strengthen the public’s faith in the integrity of the electoral process.

On the whole, however, these elections represent a missed opportunity for Cameroon – a missed opportunity to continue building public confidence in the democratic process as Cameroon looks ahead to its next election.  Some recommended improvements growing out of previous elections – improvements that were not just achievable but that the government had committed itself to achieving – were in fact not achieved.  For example, despite repeated public assurances, the government was unable to provide indelible ink – an internationally recognized safeguard against multiple voting – to many polling stations; this left the voting more open to fraud and reduced the credibility of the electoral process in the public’s mind.  The conduct of the elections, especially at the local level, was subject to irregularities.  Observers witnessed examples of poor supervision at the polling stations and, in some cases, collusion of officials in what appeared to be lax application of the electoral law and acts of fraud.  Moreover, an unnecessarily complex registration process effectively disenfranchised some voters.

The Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States commend the Government of Cameroon for its stated commitment to democratic progress in Cameroon.  We look forward to working with the government, members of civil society, and all others concerned to support their efforts to improve the credibility of Cameroon’s democracy as the next election approaches.  The early and effective realization of an independent election management body will be an important step in that direction, because only a truly independent election body will give the citizens full confidence in the democratic process.  We therefore urge the government to begin immediately taking the next steps necessary to continue building public confidence in the electoral process.

For further information, please contact the Information Section of the U.S. Embassy, tel. 2220-1500, x4072, x4162 or x4273, the Press Office of the British High Commission, tel. 2222-0545, or the Embassy of the Netherlands, tel. 2220-2272.

The Government of Cameroon's Rebuttal to the UK, US and Netherlands Communiqué

The embassies of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, of the United States of America and the High Commission of Great Britain and Northern Ireland made public a joint press release on August 16 2007 on the legislative and municipal elections of July 22, 2007.

The Cameroon government is pleased with the interest these chancelleries have in so doing, demonstrated, in the organization of elections in Cameroon.

The government thanks them for the efforts they have made in this regard, and for their congratulations to the state authorities "on the organisation of the polls in a generally calm atmosphere" (…) and "for improvements noticed in comparison with past elections" (…) as well as the "right application of the electoral law in many localities" (…) and "for a transparent electoral process".

The government expresses gratitude for their commitment to stand by it in the task of consolidation of Cameroonian democracy, conducted for many years now under the high and constant impetus of His Excellency Paul Biya, president of the Republic and Head of State.

However, the Cameroonian government expresses its surprise at the procedure and the time (after the decision of the Supreme Court and the Message of Head of State to the Nation) chosen by these diplomatic missions to make known their observations on the July 22, 2007 polls. The government recalls that throughout the preparatory phase of these elections, consultations were regularly held between the Public administrations involved and diplomatic missions accredited to Yaounde within the frameworks of the electoral process support group (EPSG) and structured political dialogue.

The government considers excessive the view that "these elections are a missed opportunity for Cameroon — a missed opportunity to continue to build public trust in the electoral processes". This judgement appears to be founded only on a few limited facts of relative importance.

The government points out, on the contrary, that the Supreme Court, sitting as the Constitutional Council, sanctioned the few noticeable shortcomings.

In spite of these shortcomings, a good number of national and international observers assessed the July 22, 2007 twin polls are globally satisfactory, credible and fair. Some of these observers pointed out "a material organisation of voting operations by far better than the elections of 2002 and 2004 (July 31st communiqué of the National Episcopal Council of Cameroon).

For the government, these twin elections stood as an important step in the consolidation of our democratic process.

In his message to the Nation, the President of the Republic, His Excellency Paul Biya, confirmed the irreversible nature of this process.

It is in this perspective that Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) was created on December 29, 2006. Its effective putting into place is prescribed by a timeframe set by the National Assembly, made-up of representative of sovereign people of Cameroon.

For the government, the twin elections of July 22, 2007 gave the Cameroonian people a chance to show, once more, their total trust in the institutions they freely chose for themselves and in the democratic and electoral process of which they are the sovereign actors.

It may be recalled that at the end of these elections, our young democracy comes out strengthened: five political parties are already represented in the National Assembly, while awaiting the up-coming partial elections, and a dozen more now sit in different councils in the country.

The government reiterates its willingness to pursue, with its partners and friendly countries, the improvement of its electoral process, according to existing norms and conventions, with greater serenity and in mutual respect.

Yaounde, the 23 August 2007

The Minister of State, Minister Of External Relations
(é) Jean-Marie Atangana Mebara

Comments

[Dr A A Agbormbai]

The joint statement by the US, UK, and Netherlands embassies reflects accurately the state of affairs of the Cameroonian electoral process.

Elections in Cameroon are organised by the CPDM, for the CPDM, and of the CPDM... and only one party can ever win... the CPDM!!!

Is this what fairness or justice is about? How can a contending party take charge of an election, and expect anyone else to take it seriously?

Isn't this like going into a football match, and asking one of the contending teams to choose the referee? Would this team not choose one of its own fans?

Come on, Cameroon and Paul Biya! Be serious about this matter! Stop taking the world for a fool! Stop putting make-ups on the electoral process to hide its realities, and hoping that the world is so stupid that it will be fooled. The world is too clever for all such underhand tactics!

The Cameroonian electoral system is currently Cameroon's Achilles's heel in its development efforts. The system is designed for fraud, irregularities, or rigging. Without sorting it out, I can't see Cameroon achieving its long term goals.

And there is only one person who has that power to correct it... Paul Biya! Come on, Paul Biya! We need a truly independent electoral system consisting of members of different political parties and civil society. Each party or NGO should choose its own representatives. In particular, the President of Cameroon should have NO HAND in this matter.

Over to you now, Paul.

[harry Mac Yemti]

I agree with Dr A A Agbormbai.

[Louis_Mbua]

Systems designed to work on the philosophy of fraud have a way to self-destruct: they start believing their own lies -- the most dangerous amd sure path to oblivion and self-deception. This gives rise to megalomania and the ultimately devastating fall from their illusive victories.

The danger of this kind of a system is that fraud becomes second nature to the power brokers; with power and fraud becoming a dangerous cocktail of concussion with a resultant addiction. An addict either admits their mistakes and cures themselves or is destroyed by the drug. A wise addict (if there are any wise ones at all) will repent while a foolish one will continue to be in a state of hallucination until they are consumed by their own medicine.

[Aloys Minuga]

Two points:

Dr Agbormbai notes "Isn't this like going into a football match, and asking one of the contending teams to choose the referee?"

The real situation is worse. Imagine the Coach of Cameroon's Lions serving as referee in a match with Egypt on a crowded stadium with dimmed lights. The presence of a powerless crowd means fairness to Paul Biya and Mebara - pampered products of a neocolonial French cancer in Africa (and dare I say an "inferior educational system").

Atangana Mebara does NOT speak for all Cameroonians. He speaks for the Biya tribal gang that has imposed itself on over 16m Africans and continues to manipulate all processes to stay in power for no obvious public good. Can any one list Paul Biya's achievements over the last 24 years?

It is satisfying that the UK, US and Netherlands have taken a small measure to check the excesses of the regime against a powerless people. Paul Biya is a master at organizing fake elections in Cameroon. In the past, he wasted hard-earned dollars to pay failed US politicians to come and certify his re-election. His cronies wasted more cash buying adverts in the Western press to clean up Paul Biya's image. Corruption is the opium of failed politicians.

Thanks to the US, UK and Netherland embassies.

[Ejike Mouluh]

Louis,

You said it all. These "big men" in Yaounde will continue hallucinating until they are consumed by their own lies.

Democracy is meant to fairly catalyse changes in a political system and lead to greater good. The Yaounde regime has developed several antidotes to change over the years but they cannot fool all the people all the time. Now the UK, US and Netherland Missions who are Cameroon's most fair partners in development are speaking out. They must have good reasons.

Furthermore, the brain-dead CPDM liliputs at Cameroon Tribue aka the "Fib'une" (Nkemdem Forbinake) must know they cannot teach these Embassies. Uncritical patriotism remains the bastion of thieves.

Their acts are sad but we are approaching a new dawn.

[Tayong]

WHER ARE(WERE) THE FRENCH???

This was the moment for the tough talking Sarkozy to denouce what he's rhectorically referred to as African dictators. In presenting his case to the African leaders last month in Gabon and Senegal Sarkozy charged the Africans of complacency by trying to blame France for every woe that befalls the continent.He blamed Africans for maintaining dictators in power that crumble their economies. I agreed in toto with Sarkozy but his silence over miscarriage of democratic principles by dictatorial oligarchies befits more complacency than Africans resisting dictators.

CAMEROON,POLITICAL WESTERN CAKE ON OFFER!

While the US,UK and the Dutch frown at dictators ,France for fear of losing its grip on the nation prefers to play cool and as they say silence is consent.With Ivory Coast and most of the French Africa slipping off the French , Cameroon might as well remains their last rung for survival.Cameroonians themselves have their share of the blame for demonstrating the highest level of electoral apathy in the whole of West Africa(masterminded by the regime anyway).

THE OPPOSITION WEAKLINGS

Mr Fru Ndi recently declared that a single parliamentarian can cause an earthquake in the assembly. This statement is demonstratively true but what we have in the Cameroonian context is political amateurs and money mongers rather than freedom fighters.In other countries we have seen congressmen block proceedings, taken to the streets, gone for hunger strikes etc until their demands are met.The antiwar movement in the US was started by a single woman who pitched her tent near Bush house for months & today 60% of Americans wants troops out.Cameroon opposition wants an excruciating poor populace to do their job for them.

Before these elections were held all the red lights were on indicating that the highest level of electoral fraud would ensue.They accepted to contest under these conditions without waging any legitimate fight for plain level political terrain.No Independent Electoral Comission(not even the regime's own ELECAM),no indelible ink,poor voters registration, selective voter registration, SDO intimadations, etc etc,what then did they expect?

BRAVO BIYA 2011, ...

This is just a tip of the iceberg.The crushing majority of Biya gives him every gut to ask for constitutional amendments for him to run again , and again we shall be in for another communique from US, UK and the Dutch over electoral fraud, and then shall it ever be.....The real question is , why are Cameroonians such a self defeatist lot throwing their hopes and aspirations on foreign powers to help them out of every mess? Can sometime tell me please becuse im dumbfounded.

Oh ...may God save this nation.

[paul]

I want to looth this medium to congratulate the international community for acting as checks and balances to the gov't of cameroon and also urging to continuerelentlessly with this effort as this is going to go a long way to put the system in check.

[Mbang John]

Finally, the US, UK and Dutch Embassies now play the role of the Opposition, in the fraud that Paul Biya is trying to set up at a collosal cost to millions of Central Africans. Governors and Divisional Officers are part of the dragnet security apparatus that overtly subverts the democratic process in Cameroon.

Paul Biya has been in power for 24 years like a Monarch, lives in a marble country house, dresses like a wealthy European at the expense of the national treasury and even tried to buy the best of corporate jets from Boeing to dampen the Marie-Antoinette like cravings of his young wife.

This nonesense must be ended. Cameroon was the creation of the US (League of Nations meeting in San Francisco after WWI) and the UK. For how long can a people be shafted by an under-performing lack-lustre leader who in the past ten years has effectively ceased visiting provinces. Who is he serving?

Lord help Africans.

[Kumbaboy]

THE CPDM must now think five times before bringing their secret "bill horribilis" to the House to seek another 7 year term for Paul Biya.

Gratias to the fortright and critical friends of African Peoples in Yaounde (US, Great Britain and the Netherland).

The World cannot wipe out Apatheid from South Africa only to lie back and permit under-performing African leaders to reduce their populations to economic rubble.

For a land as rich as Cameroon, it takes incredible incompetence and myopia to ruin it. And in the eighties, Paul Biya's Cameroon imported more Champagne from France than Great Britain, effectively posting oil revenues to the French wine industry. This happened under the watch of master playboy Paul Biya. Last year his tribesman Higher Education Minister Jacques Ndongo effectively undermined academic excellence sending a devastating message to the youth.

This regime should be sent packing.

[Tula Anonymous]

Verdicts

The other side
of a landslide victory
in my father’s house,

is a massive
postcolonial
burial.

Don’t cry for me, mother.
Cry for the not yet born.

Tula Anonymous.

[Tula Anonymous]

Bulu War Song

Au village?
chez-moi même?
c’est quoi même?

Au village?
c’est quoi-même?!
chez-moi-même?!

Au village?
Au village?!

And so the madness thunders on
night and day, as the dancers
caper in drunken bouts,
overcome by their rout
of the homesteaders.

The oil trundles
in countless barrels
from the creeks
below the mountain.

The bubinga tumbles
with the heavens,
crushing stars and diamonds,
to the watchful gaze
of silent “pygmies”.

And the dance of the warriors
is not yet done.

I hear songs of sorrow:
I hear songs of grief
as the sea retreats,
washing its teeth
of the iniquity of the forest.

Cry, brothers and sisters,
Cry me a country.

Tula Anonymous

[JPTanyong]

Thank you all Cameroonians for your very mature comments. I believe this is the prevailing sentiment in Cameroon and that is why Biya and CPDM can never win frre and fair elections in that country. That is why genuine elections will sound their death knell. Biya knows it, inspite of all his arrogance, contempt and excessive display of wealth, illegally acquired on the backs on poor people. I have said before that all Cameroonians creditors to the Biya junta and even his underpants and socks are bought with our money. This man has never earned an honest dollar in his life, having done his entire career as he did in a thieving government.

The question that ridicules Biya and his cronies is this: If you have so much popularity as to win over 90% of seats in elections, then why not enthusiastically embrace the idea of a genuine independent elections body so as to silence the critics (some of which are credible international community partners- Commonwealth, US, UK etc and not just the local opposition)?

Don’t bother yourselves US, UK etc? The idea of an independent elections body is a pipe dream.

ELECAM is a complete ruse. Biya has up till 2011 to sex up the structure well so as to ensure that is MINATD-reincarnate.

Only popular uprising and the military supporting the people can chase Biya out of power. He should be careful this time around. He may not be as lucky as 1992.

[Ma Mary]

No folks, our freedom lies elsewhere and not in trying to change what we cannot change.

READ THIS WITH CARE

Do not rush...

If you have time,

READ THIS ONE TOO

Thank you for your time

[GrahamJ]

As a South African my insight to Cameroon politics was Zero. These post help me to "look" behind what I see and hear. Regards
Graham

[s.akamembulle]

It is with desmay and a sign of abnomality that we Cameroonians havd failed to acknowledged that in any living society there are always two opposite camps, the weak and the strong,rich and poor,happy and unhappy.And when ever an individual happens to find him or herself on the weaker side of the camp there is nothing that can be done to eradicate the unhappiness of the victime.That is the situation currently happening in Cameroon.We Cameroonians accepted democracy for better or for worst.As a result we respect the opinion of the people who feel that the rulling party could have collapsed during the down of Democracy in early 90s but unfortunately for these critics things do not happen to their own wish.Hence we all whether opposition or independent critics are bound to respect and honour decisions of the rulling party.The simple question most people will like to ask is that "why is it that majority of Cameroonians are still suporting the rulling party ?.The answer is the choice of each and every one.
God Bless Cameroon.

[Galabe Elvis]

I challenge the international community represented in 'Cameroon' to assist the distinct anglophone community in 'Cameroon' in their efforts to assert their right to self-determination and see for themselves once more as in the 1960s how transparent elections can be conducted independently of the government within a portion of that state!