Cameroon National Assembly Clears Way for Biya Third Term

By Tansa Musa

YAOUNDE, April 10 (Reuters) - Cameroon's parliament adopted a constitutional bill on Thursday removing a two-term limit to allow President Paul Biya to extend his 25-year rule over central Africa's biggest economy past 2011.

Opposition lawmakers, who criticise the bill as a setback for democracy, stormed out of the chamber before the vote.

The proposed change was a major cause of riots in February that killed dozens of people, many shot dead by security forces.

The violence shook the world's fourth biggest cocoa grower, which ranks in sub-Saharan Africa's top 10 economies. Cameroon lies on the oil-rich Gulf of Guinea, though its modest crude oil output of around 90,000 barrels per day is half its 1980s peak.

Analysts say the change, which coincides with 84-year-old Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe's bid to extend his own 28-year rule, means Biya's 2011 re-election will likely be a formality.

Biya's Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) enjoys a huge majority, controlling 153 of 180 parliamentary seats.

The CPDM oversaw the introduction of a new constitution in 1996 which limited presidents to two seven-year terms. Biya's second term under that constitution expires in 2011, but he made it clear in a New Year speech that he would like to stay on.

Parliament members from the Social Democratic Front (SDF), the main opposition with 15 seats, walked out of the assembly in protest, saying parliament should not amend a constitution that emerged from cross-party negotiations in the early 1990s.

The bill, submitted just six days ago, was approved on Tuesday by the assembly's constitutional law committee which dismissed more than 20 opposition amendments. The plenary vote had originally been expected on Friday but was brought forward.

There was little visible reaction in the capital Yaounde, whose streets were empty late on Thursday due to heavy rain.

A Reuters reporter saw members of Cameroon's military rapid reaction force patrolling parts of the city on Wednesday night. The force has spent the last few months combating banditry near Cameroon's eastern border.

Biya won more than 75 percent of the vote in a 2004 election which opponents said was rigged. Biya's party denies cheating.

"HOLD-UP"

"It is common knowledge that incumbent presidents in Africa use the government machinery and all the powers at their disposal to manouevre the electoral process," SDF parliamentary chief whip Joseph Barnadzem told reporters outside the chamber.

"To try now to amend this article only through the National Assembly, for us is tantamount to a hold-up," he said.

CPDM chief whip Jean Bernard Ndongo Essomba said the bill, which also reduces presidential terms to five years, "will enhance democracy, maintain political stability, national unity and territorial integrity" of Cameroon.

"It is in tune with international accepted standards as practised in old democracies such as France and the United Kingdom. It therefore warrants the enthusiastic support of all Cameroonians of good faith," he said.

A number of African presidents have abolished two-term limits introduced in the 1990s in a wave of multi-party rule after the end of the Cold War. But efforts to do so in Nigeria, Zambia and Malawi have been blocked in recent years.

Ozong Agborsangaya-Fiteu, senior programme manager for Africa at U.S.-based democracy watchdog Freedom House, warned in an opinion column published on the International Herald Tribune Web site on Thursday of dangerous tensions building in Cameroon.

"It is unclear what may happen next. ... Unless there is clear political reform that will allow citizens to finally enjoy basic civil liberties -- including full freedom of expression, free elections and the rule of law -- a crisis is inevitable," Agborsangaya-Fiteu said.

(Reporting by Tansa Musa; Writing by Alistair Thomson; Editing by Daniel Flynn and Mary Gabriel)

Comments

[Um Khonto We Sizwe]

A DAY OF NATIONAL MOURNING,A DAY OF GREAT GRIEF TO THE PEOPLE'S CAMEROON AND AFRICA.A DAY THAT SHALL ENTER THE ANNALS OF CAMEROON AND AFRICAN HISTORY.A DAY THAT SHALL RESONATE THROUGHOUT HISTORY.WHERE ARE THE UM NYOBE'S,WHERE ARE THE FELIX ROLAND MOUMIE'S,WHERE ARE THE ALBERT MUKONG'S,WHERE ARE THE NDEH TUMAZAH'S,WHERE ARE THE BERNARD FONLON'S;WHERE ARE ALL THOSE PATRIOTS WHO SPILT THEIR BLOOD TO WATER THE TREE OF LIBERTY AND DEMOCRACY?

LET ALL THESE PATRIOTS WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR CAMEROON CURSE ALL THOSE 157 CPDM MP'S WHO VOTED TO RETURN CAMEROON 100 YEARS BACKWARDS.LET THEM NEVER KNOW JOY.LET THE CURSE OF ALL OUR ANCESTORS BE HEAPED ON THEM.LET THE GOD'S OF MOUNT FAKO REIGN TERROR ON THEM.LET THE BLOOD OF ALL THOSE MARTYRS WHO DIED IN FEBRUARY HAUNT THEM RIGHT TO THEIR LAST DAYS.

WE SHALL NOT REST,WE SHALL NOT SLEEP UNTIL CAMEROON IS FREE AND TRUELY INDEPENDENT.CAMEROONIANS WE OFFER YOU TOIL,TEARS,SWEAT FROM HENCEFORTH.WE HAVE BEFORE US MANY,MANY LONG MONTHS AND YEARS OF STRUGGLE,OF SUFFERING AND SACRIFICE.

VICTORY WILL BE FOR US AT ALL COST AND UNTIL THE DICTATOR AND HIS REGIME ARE DRIVEN OUT OF CAMEROON.HOWEVER LONG AND TORTOUS THE ROAD WILL BE,WE SHALL OFFER YOU VICTORY AT THE END.FOR WITHOUT VICTORY,THERE'S NO SURVIVAL.

CAMEROONIANS,CAMEROONIANS.WE SHALL NOT FLAG,NOR FAIL.WE SHALL RESIST AND OUT DO THIS TYRANNY.WE MUST RESIST,FOR UPON THIS RESISTANCE DEPENDS THE VERY SURVIVAL OF FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY IN CAMEROON AND AFRICA.WE MUST RESIST NEO_COLONIALISM.

FOR IF WE FAIL,CAMEROON AND AFRICA WILL FALL BACK INTO AN ABYSS OF A PRIMITIVE AGE.LET US BRACE OURSELVES UP AND RESIST TYRANNY AND NEO_COLONIALISM.EACH AND EVERYONE OF US SHOULD RESIST SO THAT OUR CHILDREN AND CHILDREN'S CHILDREN SHOULD ONE DAY LIVE IN A FREE,PROSPEROUS AND TRUELY DEMOCRATIC AFRICA.AND SO THAT OUR NAMES BE SCRIBBLED ON THE SANDS OF TIME.

WE SHALL RESIST ON THE SWEET GRASSLANDS OF BAMENDA,WE SHALL RESIST ON THE GENTLE ROCKS OF BUEA,WE SHALL RESIST ON THE CRYSTAL SANDS OF VICTORIA,WE SHALL RESIST ON THE BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES OF YAOUNDE,WE SHALL RESIST ON THE WOURI,WE SHALL RESIST ON THE RHUMSIKI,WE SHALL RESIST ON THE MAGNIFICENT LOGONE AND CHARI,WE SHALL RESIST EVERYWHERE.WE SHALL NOT SURRENDER.

GOD SAVE CAMEROON

[Umkhonto We Sizwe]

CAMEROONIANS,CAMEROONIANS,FELLOW COUNTRY MEN.

WE HAVE ARRIVED AT A MOMENTOUS HOUR WHEN GREAT SACRIFICES ARE REQUIRED FROM ALL THOSE PATRIOTS WHO CHERISH LIBERTY AND TRUE DEMOCRACY.WE HAVE ARRIVED AT A TIME WHEN WE MUST SACRIFICE THE LITTLE PLEASURES OF ORDINARY LIFE.WE HAVE COME AT A TIME WHEN THE CONSOLIDATED FORCES OF DEMORACY MUST STRIKE A BLOW IN DEFENCE OF LIBERTIES AND FREEDOMS.WE ARE REELING BACK FROM THE SHARP AND PAINFUL PUNCH WE HAVE RECEIVED(MODIFICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION).BUT WE MUST COME BACK IN FULL SWING AND FORCE AND READY TO ENGAGE THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE.

FELLOW COUNTRYMEN,WE STAND AT THE THRESHHOLD OF AN URGENT AND A GRAVE CRISES NEVER KNOWN BEFORE UNDER OUR BEAUTIFUL SKIES.OUR FOREFATHERS LIVED IN A COUNTRY MORE UNITED,AFFLUENT AND LESS DANGEROUS.TODAY,OURS IS A COUNTRY DARKENED WITH THREATS OF VIOLENCE AND REVOLUTION, ENTRENCHED AND DIVIDED SUCH AS WE HAVE NEVER KNOWN BEFORE.THE PEACE WE HAVE ALL CHERISHED AND ENJOYED FOR HALF A CENTURY IS TODAY ENDANGERED BECAUSE OF UNPARALLED,UNEQUALLED SELFISHNESS,GREED AND POWERMONGERING.

AT THIS GRAVE HOUR IN OUR COUNTRY'S POLITICAL HISTORY,THE COMRADESHIP AND CO-OPERATION OF THE MILLIONS OF CAMEROONIAN MEN AND WOMEN IN THE MOTHERLAND AND IN THE DIASPORA IS INDISPENSABLE TO CONQUER DESPOTISM AND TYRANNY AND TO RE-ESTABLISH FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY IN CAMEROON AND AFRICA.ALL CAMEROONIANS IRRESPECTIVE OF OUR POLITICAL AND PHILOSOPHICAL LEANINGS,ETHNIC GROUP,GENDER,CREDO OR RELIGIOUS BELIEFS ARE CALLED BY HISTORY TO JOIN THE STRUGGLE.

WE MUST NOT UNDERMINE THE GRAVITY OF THE TASK WHICH LIES BEFORE US OR THE TEMERITY OF THE ORDEAL OF OUR STRUGGLE TO ESTABLISH TRUE DEMOCRACY IN CAMEROON AND AFICA.WE MUST BE PREPARED TO EXPECT MANY SETBACKS(LIKE THE MODIFICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION TO PERPETRATE BIYA'S RULE),BUT WE ARE CONVINCED THAT THE TASK WE HAVE FREELY ACCEPTED IS ONE NOT BEYOND THE COMPASS AND THE STRENGTH OF THE CAMEROONIAN PEOPLE.

WE ARE REASSURED THAT THOUGH OUR COUNTRY FACES GREAT TRIALS TODAY,THERE'S A GENERATION OF CAMEROONIANS NOW READY TO CARRY ON THE STRUGGLE OF OUR GREAT MARTYR'S,UM NYOBE'S,OUANDIE'S,MUKONG'S,TUMAZAH'S AND THE FATHER'S OF INDEPENDENCE WHO LAID THE FOUNDATIONS OF OUR COUNTRY.

THIS IS NOT ONLY A STRUGGLE FOR CAMEROON,IT IS THE STRUGGLE FOR ALL THE PEOPLE'S OF MOTHER AFRICA.WE STRUGGLE TO SAVE AFRICA FROM THE PESTILENCE OF NEO-COLONIALISM AND IN DEFENSE OF WHAT'S MOST SACRED TO THE AFRICAN.THIS IS NOT A STRUGGLE FOR SELF_AGGRANDISEMENT OR MATERIAL GAIN,IT IS A STRUGGLE TO LIFT THE YOKE OF IMPERIALISM FROM THE BACKS OF OUR AFRICAN PEOPLE AND TO BEAT BACK NEO_COLONIALISM RIGHT TO THE SHORES OF OUR BEAUTIFUL CONTINENT.WE STRUGGLE TO RE-ESTABLISH AFRICAN DIGNITY.

WE MUST COME TOGETHER NOW TO ADMINISTER THE THE TREATMENT NECESSARY TO HEAL OUR COUNTRY HOWEVER PAINFUL THAT TREATMENT WOULD BE.WE MUST COME TOGETHER NOW TO GIVE A NEW LEASE OF LIFE TO OUR NATION AND TO LET THE CAMEROONIAN PEOPLE TO EXPLODE IN THIS NEW MILLENEUM WITH THE EXHILIRATION TO LIVE IN A TRUELY DEMOCRATIC AND FREE SOCIETY.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE.
GOD SAVE CAMEROON.

[Samuel Chidong]

The modificaton of the Constitutional law of 1996 must not be viewed as a fatality. It should be an opportunity for all and sundry to make a reappraisal of the role of the main opposition SDF, which often dances towards the gallary, political grand stands and achieves nothing.

Though it is true that the SDF suffers from the inability of action due to the crushing majority of the ruling CPDM in the National Assembly, it has failed to copy the tactics, stamina and patience of say the Movement for Democratic Change in Zimbabwe and a hand full of other selfless political parties in Africa which have acceded to power because of the sheer will to fight for the good of the immense majority of citizens they intend to restore "power" and not for paltry crumbs. By this act, they have not only been contend with crabing the victuals, they have had them served to them course-by-course by the CPDM.

It is apparent that the main opposition party in the National Assembly has lost steam and has absolutely nothing to offer. This explains the loss of zeal in its ideals and the predominance of the CPDM, in spite of all what is said and done.

The SDF should be bold enough to declare that it joined the CPDM and the UNDP in the modification of the Constitution at all levels of the process in the National Assembly, but as the double face (god and the devil) that it is, it refused to vote openly in the plenary to later blackmail state institutions for the violation of democratic debates.

If the SDF must survive this ghastily political accident, it must inculcate the virtures of valour, patience and values long upheld by frontline political movements which are not in short supply in Africa.

If the SDF must regain its position of a major political force in Cameroon, it must make a self reexamination and try to heal its broken limbs.

Now that the Constitution has been amemnded the is nothing that can be done within the present political dispensation to alter the state of affairs. Cameroonians in their vast majority are now weary of violent demonstartions, loss of lives and properties on issues which they master very little and for which they offer fertile grounds for manipulations because of doubts and confusion sowed in their minds by peddlers of illusions.

We must all join the political debate paecefully, irrespective of our political affiliations to make positive contributions which would ursher change, eventually, in paece, dignity and humility.

[UnitedstatesofAfrica]

I am sick to my stomach and worst of all, the SDF is now backing Biya's immunity. Not only do I discard Biya and his corrupt cohorts, I discard the SDF and all those self-interest NGOs in the name of opposition parties.

GOD HELP US!

[Mbomba Hyginus]

Samuel Chidong says the modification of the const.shouldn't be viewed as a "fatality".It is bc of such a feeble mentality of many Cameroonians that we are where we are today.And from ur comment Chidong,I presume three things of which one of them must be true.(1)U are probably one of those sitting in a comfortable apartment somewhere abroad and hitting at ur desktop at ur leisure(2)U are one of those who never waded through the turbulent struggles of the Social Democratic Front(SDF) from its inception till date(3) or u are an "ombudsman" for the regime.

Now let's get to the issues and let me tell u why its a "fatality".The dictionary defines 'fatality' as a disaster resulting in death or a predetermined liability,misfortune etc.The question is has the issue of the revision of the const. of Cameroon resulted in a disaster causing death?The answer is an unequivocal "Yes".The February uprising (which was primarily a strike action against fuel prices)in which more than 150 people mainly youths were killed in cold blood and more than a 1500 were extrajudicially arrested and summarily tried and sentenced is the latest disaster in Cameroon's recent history.

The placards most of these youths carried during the strike action testified to the fact that these youths were vehemently against a change in art.6(2).And one would understand them bc it means that the same generation of people who have mismanaged the nation and usurped their chances of employment will stay on and deprive them of their right to accede to the highest office in the Land,making their future grimmer.

The SDF party has done the best it can do to bring about democracy in Cameroon and it is the only party that has the potential to take power and hand it to the rightful owners:THE PEOPLE.Take this from someone who has been at the forefront of the struggle right from inception.Cameroonians often lousily sit and imagine that democracy will come on a platter of gold.It has never happened like that anywhere in the world.

Chidong compares the SDF with the MDC of Zimbabwe,I don't blame u,its sheer ignorance.Chidong,are u really aware of the history of the MDC?The SDF and the MDC have totally diametrically opposed political histories and terrains.Th SDF has never gone in for "paltry crumbs" as u claim? And I would like u to tell me what "paltry crumbs" they have taken.You are the very people who go about falsely accusing Ni John Fru Ndi of meeting Biya and striking deals worth millions with him.Thank God,the latter's interview at France24 came to diffuse these erroneous speculations.

The SDF hasn't "lost steam" as u claim and on the contrary it has got much to offer.The SDF as an opposition party doesn't have the machinary of power at its disposal and worst still when it has to do with a very complacent people as Cameroonians are and who only swear on football and beer,what do u expect? And the party is struggling against a formidable foe whose roots are as deep and wayback as the colonial era.A people only have the leaders they deserve?The problem is not the SDF party,its the Cameroonian people as whole and the CPDM regime in particular.

Permit me to ask another question? Had the SDF party acquiesced to the demands by the CPDM regime to join gov't,what would've been your reaction today?And u even go to talk about the "ideals and the predominance of the CPDM".What ideals has the CPDM got and u call the the CPDM a predominant party when the whole world knows about the heavy rigging machinery that was put in place during the last elections in which less than 4 million Cameroonians actually voted?This is preposterous.

Since u call the SDF "a double face(god and the devil)" why don't u create ur own party(like Ben Muna did) so that it competes for power and see how u will be floored and humiliated.Listen,this person commenting here has had alot of experience in party politics in Cameroon and believe me or not Cameroonians will have no other choice at the end but to troop behind the SDF when the time comes.Do u know that even the great ANC of Nelson Mandela,after so many years in the struggle suffered almost the same crises as the SDF.There came a time when the long years in the struggle got the people wearied and tired and there were even splits within the ANC.But when the people saw that victory was insight they flocked behind the party and brought an end to Apartheid.That is often the course of great parties and that is what shall happen in Cameroon.Believe me or not.

Chidong,u can't talk for the people, neither are u representative of the "vast majority" of Cameroonians.They shall be the ones to decide what next to do and when.Nothing can be done now bc of people like u,people who are infirm and who think they can sit far off and talk tough.But let me tell u,tough talk isn't a substitute for sound judgment.The test of steal is in the furnace Chidong.Its bc u have never been in the power centre of politicking,that's why the arguments advance are so lame and reeks with naivity.

Only the people will say whether they shall take to the streets or whether they shall wait for the edifice to collapse from within before they come in.Chidong,join the "political debate" and form ur own party and and let's see how it fares.

[Berinyuy]

Mr UnitedstatesofAfrica,

Please,quit commenting just for the sake of commenting especially if u are a novice in politics.Have u asked yourself why the SDF decided to back Biya's bid for immunity? Do u know the wisdom behind it? There's a saying in politics that an agreement is as good as long as u are in power.

Maybe u donot know the implications of Biya not being assured (atleast on paper)that he will not be prosecuted for crimes committed during his rule.If he doesnot have that assurance,he will tighten his grip on power more firmly and become even more violent and bloody than he was before.Don't forget that he's an old man and he has nothing to loose.Have u forgotten that he promised Cameroonians that he still has 20 yrs to live and probably intends to rule till death after he was rumored to have died?

Maybe u want to wait for 20 yrs.You are the very people,who when called up to sacrifice for the struggle u don't budge but when the SDF uses its wisdom bc it has realised that Cameroonians want change through talking.The SDF then they decides to enter an agreement with the tyrant so as to spare the peace loving people any bloodshed.

Have u ever heard of an ex president of Liberia called Charles Tailor? Do u know why he was living peacefully in Lagos for some time before he was tracked while trying to escape into ur country?Do u know that he had undertaken an agreement with Johnson Sirleaf not to be indicted for crimes committed during his rule?

Do u know of Hissene Habré of Chad who had been living peacefully in Senegal and enjoyed the full protection of the Senegalese gov't?The latter had no choice but to bow down to pressure and today after so many years he's now facing the wrath of justice.Nobody in the 21st century commits such crimes and goes free.

Please,let's try to fathom the wisdom in any decision before condemning it

[Ndi O]

Thanks a bunch Berinyuy. The problem with Cameroonians is that they sit and fold their arms and expect the SDF to fight for them. They should ask themselves if that is the situation with Kenya's ODM or Zimbabwe's MDR.
The CPDM MPs who sold the people will soon have a taste of their own medicine. Be rest assured.Our eyes are focused on you. I whip for my country. What a pity in Africa. In Uganda, their counterpart sold the people at 2000 US dollars/MP and today in Cameroon, we hear of 300 dolars. Wait for us.

[Samuel Chidong]

Thank you all for readily supporting SDF complacency in the National Assembly over the Constitutional law modification issue. Its good to know that the party still has such "great" militants who are not weary of being fooled by their leaders.

The SDF leadership has now developed a new political culture of lining their pockets and looking the other way while major issues are debated and enacted.

It is lamentable to compare the SDF with great nationalists movements; say the ANC and other meaniful political parties in Africa.

Greed, and infighting brought about by greed and the sharing of the victuals from the CPDM buffet makes the SDF a far cry of hope for the millions of downtrodden Cameroonians.

If that is what a political party is all about, I will not take Hyginius advice to create one, like the SDF, only to abandon its militants for selfish and parochial concerns.

Every nation deserves the kind of leaders it has. We deserve Paul Biya as much as SDF militants deserve their Fru Ndi and others.

[The Southwesterner]

Yeah,UnitedstatesofAfrica you got it right.The SDF is a laughing stock. It is indeed. I am kind of amaze that there are still a couple of folks out there who happen to hold on to the idea that the Sdf is a force in the present political dispensation in the Cameroons.

Just the very idea of flirting with the issue of immunity for Biya is in itself a pointer to the fact that the party strategically is a joke. They knew that so long as a bill is tabled in parliament it will be passed unchallenged. They knew just like most of us do that going by the Cameroons parliamentary history no bill , not even a single article of any bill had ever been amended by the CPDM majority. Yet they choosed to flirt with an idea , granting Biya immunity. This kind of amateurism and naivety speaks volumes of the present leadership shortsightedness of the SDF.

The Sdf should get ready to kiss History. They have done their part. Their time to exit the stage is now. The outfit is just not up to the challenge. I said ones in this very forum that the very idea of transforming itself into a mainstream political party so soon was a huge strategic blunder. They never recovered from that.They might likely never recovered from the blunder. The sdf as mainstream political party is incapable of mobilising Cameroonians. Infact the only functioning organ of the Sdf today is NEC. Beside NEC, the party structures in the field are non existant. Its foot soldiers are dissilutioned and presently many have defected to the CPDM to chop.

Being a mainstream political party means transforming a political movement into something professional. It meant doing the groundwork for winning elections through the ballot box. The structures that sustained the party during its years of activism could had been transformed into a potentially huge party structure to make gains through the ballot box. That in itself demanded leadership of a different kind. The sdf is not and has not been able to produce that kind of leadership over the years. Anyway for folks who still believe in the SDF, they have to do some soul searching of their own. The present stuff that goes around for the SDF does not even have the disciplined, proffessional cadre ready to run a government if ever they come near to governing. Yes they do not have it.

A mainstream political movement sitting in the opposition could have been operating much more differently. Providing alternatives both in and out of Parliamnet. Where are the SDF alternative budgets to the ones presented by governement yearly in parliament. Those kind of small things could even convince Cameroonians the party masters the art of governing and above all prove they are ready to lead from day one. Besides,the present sdf is a chaos in the area of communication. Where is its own strategic war room. Their communication blunders shows that the party was and is still not ready to fit with the present hostile political climate where the art of spin is an essential instrument in winning hearts and minds and above all energizing their core constituency.

Of course some will come up with the rigging issue as reason why the party has not made gains in the ballot box. Well the truth is that rigging is made much more easier if turnout is scanty "period". Further more, rigging is encouraged if the rigging agents are all too aware they will get away with their crimes. Afterall the rigging agents take comfort in the fact that no one is ready to defend his or her vote because those who cared to vote essentially do not believe in the sdf or any other opposition outfit out there.

When a party like the sdf cant succeed to distinguish itself from the CPDM then i fear that in itself is a cause for concern. If choosing to go mainstream the sdf did not realise they had to adjust and fine tune their party model and strategies and take into consideration there were challenges to overcome then i am afraid its just too late right now to reverse the damages and blunders.

Times have changed. Cameroonians who want change now are seeking something different, a much more activist movement and not a political party. A movement that is street confrontational, that can engage in the kind of mass movement that brought about ghost town and much more radical options that should render Cameroon difficult to govern by the present neocolonial setup.

The SDF was once that front, that movement that provided a platform for a rainbow coalition of change agents to strive. In that front there were binding goals that which was to ensure democracy, social justice and above all a conducive Cameroon for all its children. The SDF front of the 90s brought together a coalition of change agents never seen in Cameroons political history. Dissilutioned UPCist,Anglophone federalist,Union Nationalist,Social democrats from both sides of the mungo, Elitish liberal democrats from the southwest, Bamileke partisans hoping to revenge humiliation etc. That was an unbeatable coalition. That was a huge capital unwisely spent. Even the UPC front of the 60s was smaller because it had in its rank only union nationalist from the east of the Mungo. The movement under the platform of The SOCIAL, DEMOCRATIC , FRONT could had no trouble crushing an eventual the North - South coalition. How that front crumbled is still a mystery. The SDF was the leader and so responsibilty for what happened to that front is somehow the failure of SDF leadership. It is still that leadership model and structure which is still today in place waxing stronger by crushing desent. One has to admit Holding that front of many faces and different agendas was no easy art.

Right now The SDF has chosen to render itself irrelevant and i happen to believe we have to thank the folks who conceived the very idea of creating the SDF. Their historic mission is complete. Its time to move on.They are now realising in the present Cameroon , political parties cant easily make progress. Movements and fronts on the other hand can.That is why it was necessary to complete the mission of the front so that operating as a political party could not have been such a rough ride.How they transited so fast and foolishly into a mainstream party was ill conceived. They made more progress in the 90s as a front than as a mainstream political party. Infact the regime made more concessions though timid then than now. The regime infact has succeeded to put them into the cage it wanted them to enter. They are now more than ever before being humiliated as amateurs. Even its last bastion is no more safe. The CPDM risk taking the entire North West for itself, after all, what danger does the SDF pose today? Its time to hit them harder and break the last remaining leg.

Move on, the people will. The days ahead wont be any chocolate. Cameroon has to be rendered ungovernable for the folks who have chosen to impose themselves on us. A generational battle is around the corner. Young folks cant be shot, summarily sent to jail just for sneeky civil servants to be awarded a 15% salary increas when they failed to stand up for their own rights. "Tiko Drink, Kumba drunk".
More than ever before, it will pour but not rain. That time is now.

[Mbomba Hyginus]

I knew it,when I rightly speculated above that Samuel Chidong is an "ombudsman" for the regime.No offence though,it's your right.Though u skilfully evaded some of the questions I posed to u above as the CPDM and its Chief are wont to doing.Pls if u could give answers to those questions then we can start from there and have a good debate.

Now,let's get down to issues.Chidong,permit me to ask u a question before I continue.There's something I have never really known about the CPDM since it was created in 1985 in Bamenda ironically the bastion of the SDF party,maybe u can help me out here.What are the philosophical and ideological foundations of the CPDM party really? That is,is it a rightist or leftist party,a centrist left or a centrist right party? Is it a Socialist,Communist,Conservative,Republican or Democratic, party?I mean all great parties in the world adhere to one of these ideologies.So pls am really waiting for u to enlighten me on this.

Atleast,it is well known that the SDF party is a Socialist party and its a member of the Socialist International.In Africa we have parties who waded in the opposition for decades and later on took power such as the "Front Populaire Ivoirien(FPI)" of L. Gbagbo,the "Parti Démocratique Sénégalais (PDS)" of A. Wade member of the Liberal International and other great democratic parties on the African continent.Even the MDC which Chidong tries to compare with the SDF is Labour.What's the CPDM party?Bc its thru this ideology that the people know which direction the country is heading to and this sustains the party even after the Founding Fathers are long gone.

The SDF party has never been complacent with the CPDM regime and everything it does it puts the wishes and the aspirations of the Cameroon people in the first place.And the greatest act of "complacency" would've been for it to accept the millions it was proposed to join gov't and be given ministerial portfolios.Ni John Fru Ndi has been proposed several times the post of PM,but this great man who has sacrificed his life for his c'ntry and has proven his moral probity beyond reasonable doubt turned all these proposals down bc he knows that this is a ploy to destroy the stongest opposition party in Cameroon.

Chidong,let me take u on another one.Raila Odinga has just joined a coalition gov't in which during the discussions prior to the formation of this gov't the ODM made it clear that the allocation of ministerial portfolios was going to be on a 5O-50 basis with the ODM taking some of the strategic Ministeries or it wasn't going to join any gov't.But nevertheless R.Odinga finally became PM in a gov't in which some of those important conditions weren't met as Kibaki's coalition still has the majority Ministerial sits and still holds the strategic portfolios;Finance,Defense,Local gov't,Immigration,Civil Service etc.

Now,would u say that the leaders of the ODM have "lined their pockets"? It's not true.In politics there's what u call "Political Compromise".The first aim of an opposition party is to take power and then change the system by injecting policies that would go to ameliorate the lifes of the people.Now,if u don't have power,u can't change the system.So there's the need at times for compromise(depending on the situation) so as to get hold of the whole machinery of power or atleast part of it.

Through ignorance,many people often make the mistake of putting an opposition party and a ruling party such as the CPDM which has its foundations and spirit in the colonial era(given that the CPDM is the natural extention of the CNU of A.Ahidjo) on the same level.U will hear people ask e.g why can NJFN not also step down for another person to be Chairman.He can very well do it.But the post of President of the Republic is not the same as that Chairman of an OPPOSITION PARTY(I put it in capital letters for emphasis).They are two diametrically opposed positions.

If an opposition party has a successive change of weak leaders it would never get to power bc of the risk of being destroyed.And to sustain the spirit of the party,it needs to maintain the unifying factor e.g its spiritual or charismatic leader.That's why Ben Muna and others who tried to destroy the party couldn't succeed bc of the strong symbol of NJFN as Chairman of the party.All those who democratically contested the Chairmanship of the party couldn't even win primaries in their own constituencies.

Somebody like Hon. Pauinus Jua claimed the Chairmanship of the party.Ok,let's even say he was right in that but to prove how umpopular he is even in his native Boyo,he lost his seat in parliament at the Legislative elections which preceded the NEC elections.So how does such a person lead a whole party with such a such gigantic task?Elsewhere,people like A.Wade,L.Gbagbo etc led their parties for decades before succeeding to the Supreme magistracy and today they are the shining examples of Africa's budding democracy.And this is thanx to the formative years they had during their long sojourn in the opposition.

Chidong,even in the ANC,Oliver Tambo chaired the party for almost four decades.Even when he was in exile in England,he still occupied the post of Acting Chairman.Does it mean that there were no people within the ANC at the time who could lead the party? If he was maintained in that position,it was to incarnate the spirit of the party and to symbolise the cause of black South Africans.And being Chairman or President of a party doesn't necessarily mean that such a person is going to be President of the Republic in the event where the party accedes to power.Alot of things and circumstances come into play in such a situation.That's what many people fail to understand.

Chidong,Political opposition is a school in which its students gain experience during the long traverse in the 'political wilderness'.Cameroonians are still novices in multiparty politics as compared to their counterparts in many states in Africa that's why they get easily frustrated and discouraged and donot understand what political opposition really means in a democratic multiparty setting.And that's why their judgments are at times very obscure and naive.

And that's where I believe the fault of the SDF party and other political parties comes in.If there's anything I blame the SDF party(my party),it's the fact that the SDF hasn't done its job very well in propounding and carrying out a massive education and sensitisation programme.But rest assured that the party has learned from its mistakes and its moving on.The SDF is preparing for the 2011 elections in Cameroon and believe meor not,we shall break the CPDM hegemony.Bc we have learned.The CPDM has never been a student and that's why the day Paul Biya leaves power the CPDM shall automatically disappear just like the CNU.How can u practise as a lawyer,doctor,dentist etc and u intend to make a good life out of ur profession when u never studied to earn a diploma?The SDF has studied and like any student,it has failed at times and passed at times but rest assured that during the final exams it will come out with a 'Magna Cum Laude'.

[Samuel Chidong]

My dear Hyginius, political parties do not become effective instruments for development because they are leftist, rightist or centralist. Remember, the CPDM was born in Bamenda long before it became an SDF baston. Stop tagging Bamenda an eternal opposition bedrock, times are changing.

SDF does not need a successive change of leaders for it to capture power. It has merely failed to live-up to the expectations which we, then enthusiatic students in the Uinversity of Yaounde felt its creation would bring. Whether Jua eyed the post of SDF Chairman, is irrelevent to me because I am not a militant of the SDF and not interested in its internal workings, but interested in what the party, as a political structure can contribute to the advancement of democracy in Cameroon. It is not enough to claim the birth of democracy , but it necessary that it be nurtured.

I would take on you properly in subsequent contributions, and then you would see clearly why you should not continue to militate where you are.

[UnitedstatesofAfrica]

Berinyuy,
with all due respect, you are making absolutely no sense.In fact, you are spitting out NONSENSE. This was your reason why SDF backed up Biya's immunity.

"Maybe u donot know the implications of Biya not being assured (atleast on paper)that he will not be prosecuted for crimes committed during his rule.If he doesnot have that assurance,he will tighten his grip on power more firmly and become even more violent and bloody than he was before.Don't forget that he's an old man and he has nothing to loose"- Berinyu

Accorind to you, the SDF is now backing Biya now so that when he leaves power, he will be tried for all his crimes against humanity. That is nothing but shameless propaganda and I am appalled that people like easily tricked into believing some senseless theories.

Look here Sir, the top priority on the SDF agenda should be getting Biya and the CPDM out of power. As the leading opposition party in the country, they should use every wepaon in their arsenal to achieve this goal. You are making plans on Biya's trial after he leaves power, have you made plans on actually getting Biya out of power? how can you book a hotel in Paris when you haven't bought a plane ticket to France? This is absolutely ridiculous.

To cover up for your impotency, some o f you SDFers are coming up with stupid excuses like the one Berinyuy just gave. The SDF failed to take down Biya. To cover up, some of you are saying that they backed his immunity so that he would be tried when he leaves power. Rubbish. So what should the suffering Cameroon masses do? wait till Biya leaves power before justice can be served? do we know when he will live power? what if he still has some 5-20 years left? would Cameroonians just have to wait for justice until then?

Fru Ndi and his lame dogs really have no purpose in Cameroon politics. Their only purpose is to fool the international community into believing that Cameroon is a democracy. In actuality, we all know Cameroon is a one-party dictatorship with NGO's who get free income from ETOUDI and then claim to be opposition parties on documents.

Fru Ndi's conservative and unworkable policies are dragging SDF down. "The old order changeth and yielding place to the new". Fru Ndi's approach is not producing results. His river has ran its course and now he has to pass the torch to a younger revolutionary leader who can move the youth to action...and by a young revolutionary leader, I don't mean pot-bellied, power-hungry drunks like Ben Muna and Ngwashiri or Elizabeth Tamajong whose sole objective is conducting countless interviews with the censored Cameroon media.

[Berinyuy]

The Southwesterner,

So which political movement or party is capable of doing better than the SDF for the next elections(Presidential and Legislative 2011) and capable of bringing the much needed change to Cameroon?You say u are "amazed" that there are people who are diehard SDF militants,but u shall be in for a rude shock during the next elections in Cameroon.U shall be witnesses to the force of the SDF.Yes,I understand most Cameroonians look unto the SDF with alot of hope and that's why we are debating here.How many people do sit and debate ab't other political parties,like we do when it concerns the SDF? The answer is simple;bc there's no other party that incarnates the hope of Cameroonians like the SDF does.

2011 is just a "stone throw" from now and Mr Southwesterner hasn't proposed to Cameroonians the alternative opposition movement or party to the SDF ?When are u going to do that Mr Southwesterner,I am very impatient to join it.So u still donot see the wisdom behind the SDF party's decision to back Biya's bid for "immunity" which I explained above and which other main opposition parties in Africa such as in Liberia,Zambia etc confronted with such a situation have adhered to?

So tell me,if u were in that position what would u have done?Would Southwesterner,the great political Sage,please tell us.

When u say that,"They knew just like most of us do that going by Cameroon's parliamentary history no bill,not even a single article of any bill had ever been ammended by the CPDM majority".That's not true.Law n° 96/06 of 18 January 1996 is an ammendment of the 1972 const. and after the Tripartite Conferences it was ammended in a majority CPDM parliament.Please Southwesterner,donot say what u donot master.

U say;"The SDF should get ready to kiss history".I thought u would say the SDF is already history.And that's good,which means the SDF still has the opportunity to remobilise,restructure itself so as to meet with the impending challenges.And rest assured Southwesterner,that's what it is doing.

Mr Southwesterner,are u militant of the SDF or have u ever militated in the party?Bc at times people naively and ignorantly say things without realising what it entails.The problem isn't the SDF party,the problem is Cameroonian populace as a whole.Donot ask what ur party has done for u,ask what u have done for ur party or country.A party is made up of people.A party is just a structure in which people come under to determine how they should be governed.People make a party and not the reverse.

When the SDF Chairman called for Cameroonians to resist any attempt to change the const.what did that mean? When he told them that it was time they fold their sleeves and be prepared for the worse,what did he mean?

You beautifully recount the momentum which the SDF party pulled during the birth of multipartism in the '90's which cut across the spectrum of Cameroon's political society.Yes,it was bc the people decided that it was time for multipartism in Cameroon.It wasn't the SDF party that decided it.If a party takes a decision and the people donot follow nothing can happen.Don't forget that in the '90's it wasn't the leaders of the SDF that were on the streets it was the people.The leaders are there to guide the people,simple.

Southwesterner,do u know that it was bc of demonstrations that the SDF organised under the Hon.Nintcheu in Douala and which was heavily clamped down by the forces of Law and order that sparked off a series of other strikes which later degenerated into the Feb.Uprising leading to numerous consequences.The SDF can only show the people the way,if they are ready and willing,they would follow,if they are not,they won't.

Southwesterner,can we know the difference btn a "Front" and a "Party"?You claim the regime made concessions in the '90's than now,true,but that was bc the people had decided to pressurise the regime.And if the people want Biya to leave today,he will leave.It's not that structure called the SDF nor it leaders that make that to happen.It is the people.That's what Cameroonians fail woefully to understand.

The slogan of the party itself says it all:POWER TO THE PEOPLE.There are times when a party sends signals to the people but they don't follow.History has a registry of such cases.For example,the Spanish people had the opportunity to remove the dictator Francisco Franco from power but they never followed the call of the Republicans,and Franco had his way.This was due to the fact that they were wearied from the previous conflicts Spain had gone through.

We can say the same thing of the 6th April 1984 coup.Many condemn the coup plotters for haven acted early when the Cameroonian people were still trying to give Biya a benefit of doubt.The people are the principle tenors of their destinies.It's not the party.Southwesterner,if u want to change the system by any means,its not the SDF that's going to prevent u from doing so.

And maybe if you could start by convincing your people from the Southwest(assuming u are from there)to be more proactive instead of always trying always to play to the tune of the regime,then we can start looking at other options.

However,I think we should come under the banner of the SDF bc what I fear most is that if Cameroonians fail to heed to the call of the SDF(which is the only alternative for Cameroon),then we may face the same situation in 2011.The party isn't a perfect structure,but if we come under it like one man,we can realise the changes we want in Cameroon.Bc its very unlikely that by 2011,there will be any other party or movement that can defeat the CPDM regime.The only solution is for all political parties to come up under a broad coaltion led by the SDF.That's the only way forward.

[The Southwesterner]

Noise making SDF folks would not stop crying. I just read a prayer above. What was lacking in the prayer was "Amen". Berinyuy cut me this crap. Remember your party chiefs did assure people the SDF had mastered ways to stop rigging happening during the 2007 gimmick that passed around for elections. What happened. The punches you guys got were huge. Even in your last bastion THE NORTHWEST, the SDF was forced fighting to hold on to Santa. How would 2011 be any different.

The mistake you guys in the SDF keep making is this idea OF TRYING TO BLAME SOMEONE ELSE FOR YOUR SHAM.If you are seeking a debate on the southwest / northwest issue i will give you one. for a start explain this to me: 1992 - 20 CPDM SEATS FROM THE NORTHWEST. 2007 - 7 CPDM SEATS FROM THE NORTHWEST. So Berinyuy are those folks in the Northwest tired of been active?. The truth is just like most Cameroonians, people would not prefer to die again for a corrupt party that has chosen to be so cozy with the regime in place.So you see what i mean, even the so called active and militant folks of the Northwest dont give a damn about corrupt, inefficient SDF party in their backyard.

Go do your homework, go try to save what remains of your SDF. Stop blaming others.

[Bepanda]

I m really ashamed of the people here. Yes, we all know what Biya did, but most of us seem to forget that, there one ONE depute, who opposed this mascarade. Mr Ayah Paul Abine was the only person, who opposed the change of the Constitution. This man should be looked upon as a Model of courage. And we should give this man all the support he can get. This is a courageous person, who said "NO" in the face of adversity, pressures and all types of shenanigans by his fellows CPDMers. If Only Cameroon had more people like that, we wouldn't be in this position. We wouldn't be in this situation.
As we all know, the Biya Machinery will come hard on this fellow. What are we going to do to help this man, who had the courage to oppose?
Yes, there are courageous men in Cameroon. I m really happy to see that.
Long Live Mr Ayah Paul, Long Live Cameroon.
Bepanda

[Tumasang Etienne]

I am interested in partaking in this debate in this debate.I would like start by telling Mr Samuel Chidong that it is very important infact primordial for a party to be built under an ideology.For example a Socialist party in power will carry out development following Socialist economic principles.Most of European economies which are flourishing today were built using socialist principles.
The USA as the percusor of Capitalism through the Democratic and Republican parties built a strong capitalist system and Russia and China built their economies on communist economic p'ples.You cannot build a solid economy without lining the system on these ideologies.I shall expand on this later.

The problem with most parties(particularly the present ruling parties) in Africa is that they donot respond to any conventional economic or political ideologies.They were either created as a responds to colonialism or they are the offsprings of parties which have their roots in the colonial epoch.And that seems to be the case with the CPDM.Devoid of any ideology,these parties have spelt catastrophy for their economies bc they aren't guied by any principles.

Nobody can deny the fact that Bamenda is the hearthrobe of the opposition in Cameroon.Whenever anything happens Bamenda is the first place everyone turns to.Bamenda incarnates the symbol of the opposition that is crystal clear.For example Marafa Hamidou Yaya accused John Fru Ndi of moving about in his vehicle in B'da with an escapee from Kondengui,that youths were ferried in from B'da to Yaoundé in buses during the strikes in B'da and that two Italians were kidnapped taken hostage in B'da.

This shows how dreadful the regime is of anything that comes from B'da.That is an indisputable fact.And even if times do change,I don't think the symbol of Bamenda as an opposition bastion will change.Yes,everybody was enthusiastic with the birth of the SDF bc we were all naive to think that democracy was going to fall like a ripe fruit from a tree.And its not the SDF in itself that has to bring change Mr Chidong,its the people.And u constitute part of the people.

That's what Cameroonians donot understand.A party can do nothing without the people.If the party propounds the best strategies and policies and the people donot adhere,it is useless.A party depends on the people but people donot depend on a party.In the USA and other more advanced democracies,a Republican can choose to vote for a democratic candidate and still remain Republican at heart and vice versa.

And the thing is many people look adhere to a party bc of the leaders but not bc of the principles or the ideologies which the party defends.I think that's wrong.It's like religion.If u go to church bc of the Priest or Pastor u shall never become a true christian.U go to church bc of what it stands for.And that's the problem with party politics in Africa.

I can't stand for the CPDM bc its not tailored on any ideology.I believe strongly that those who adhere to the CPDM are simply there for advantages.That's all.And such a party can't have a future in a truely democratic society.It's a matter of principle.I know many people who will tell u that they are in the CPDM party just to gain favours.But if u're someone who lives by priciples u won't trade them for the "crumbs" that falls from the CPDM dining table.

[Author Conan Doyle: the land of mist]

I have read all thoughts and discovered that some Paul Biya's relatives are entering the debate. His time has come. For those relatives and friends, any thought of Cameroon not being a better country and Biya's dismissal in due time (BEFORE 2015) is like 'a riddle in a tourist night'. It will happen and happen on time. Cameroon has never developed from paperwork like the one signed by apparently illitrate MPs. Cameroon seems to lack an idealistic generation of people, those who cultivate principle and inspire awakening through social moments such as Paul Biya's dismissal. If God wants me to devise a formular for unseating Paul Biya, he will leave in not more than one week. The clue is readiness to die for Cameroon's future and engagement of the population in suicide operations. No military can stop it because the population will be on hand to carry out the uncountable suicide attacks. At no time in the Cameroonian history has the population been concerned. We will make bombs in Yaounde. It may take a while but not too long. Keep your ears open: Biya and his 157 supporters have not taken a peaceful option.

[Augustin]

Cudos to Mbomba Hyginus and Berinyuy.I see how u guys are bravely defending the SDF party and its Chairman.Pls,I need to discuss with the two of u,but not on this forum.I shall reveal my id to u guys later.We need guys like u at this point in time.Pls u can contact to me via this email;[email protected]

[Samuel Chidong]

Nothing that all these noise making SDF folks can say and do which will change the very negative perception by the Cameroonian public at home and abroad about their complacent attitude as the main opposition party in Cameroon.

Yes, the SDF, like the CPDM and many other Cameroonians without party afiliation, fought strongly for the rebirth of democracy. The SDF therefore should not at each turn, when its mitigated balance sheet is brougt to scrutiny, sing us that old song of being solely responsable for the advent of democracy and multiparty politics in Cameroon. The Yondo Mandenge Blacks, Albert Mukongs... also deserve to be credited on this score. It also took the will of Paul Biya for democracy to grow.

That Hyginius posits, and Berinyuy and Tumasang agree, that a party must be based on a set of idealologies which they propose could either be rightist, liftists etc... are pejolative. These were cold war concepts which were killed by perestroika and glasnots. With the advent of democracy and freemarket economies, what a political party should prefer to do, is not aligning itself with any major ideological school of thaught, but with contemporary development issues, such hungar, diseases, issues of governance and human rights...Ideology might be a means to an end, but it is not an end in itself.

In politics, nothing is predictable, it is difficult to say whether Paul Biya would be a candidate in 2011, or if the electorate would be summoned for anticipated polls, he is also human, anything can happen. That is why I earler said that the Constitutional modification is not a fatality.

We must be above calls for calamity to befall Cameroon. Preaching violence, hate, tribalism and bloodshed on simple things which merely require patience. Those who consider Bamenda a baston for disorder would be very suprised this time around.

[ETEKI ELAME]

Hi,
He who would leap high must take a long run. SDF in future should have to anticipate their plans well ahead, to be called a party or even a movement that reasons. CPDM will always beat them. Do you think this move that took place was not planned well ahead of time. Let the SDF leaders learn also that a politician must always keep looking over his shoulder all the time to see if the boys are still there. If they aren't still there, he's no longer a politician. Please anyone who anticipates violence should know that it is easier to lead men to violence and to stir up passions than to temper them and urge them to the patient labours of peace.

[Guerandi]

"You may chain a man,
But you will not chain his mind;
You may enslave him,
But you will not conquer his spirit;
You may maintain the people in bondage by force,
But sooner or later,
Their anger and frustration becomes so great,
That force cannot contain it.
Then the edifice cracks,
The mortar crumbles"

Ndeh Ntumazah

[Ndingwan]

Hi Gentlemen and women of this Forum,

I am a neutral reader of the contributions to this forum
and would like to commend all of u for the zeal,enthusiasm and patriotism u have for a more a developed and just Cameroon through ur various contributions and comments.This forum has become very prominent in the last fw years and it is accessed by Cameroonians from home and abroad,foreigners,researcehers,journalists u name it.

I believe that when Cameroonians and foreigners come to this forum they expect to learn alot on Cameroon,Cameroonians,our cultures and traditions,our aspirations,our intellectual capability,infact everything about Cameroon.

Therefore it is incumbent on us to try to make our debates more matured,balanced and intellectual,so that when a someone accesses to this forum he/she would like to come back to this forum or atleast he/she will go back with a very high opinion Cameroonians.

Please,donot minimise some of these comments or this blog bc we are witnesses to the fact that the internet (blogs and websites) are relied upon by more and ore people and are replacing the traditional sources of information(public and private,radio,tv etc).The situation in Kenya,Zimbabwe,China etc are ample evidence to buttress this fact.

When we read some of the comments on this forum we realise that the comments are totally devoid of any dint of intellectualism.We debate to learn and to convince people of our opinions and not to force it down the throats of others.The problem with African politics is that all too many people want to force others to abide with their ideas instead of convincing them of the rightness of their opinions.That is archaic,21st century politics entails that we must learn the art of convincing others to let our opinions sail through.

But when u read some of the comments here u discover that here's no debate,just words and words and words.A good debte is a balanced one bc there's nothing that is all white or all black.When somebody like Mbomba Hyginus asks questions to Samuel Chidong for example and the latter instead of answering the questions he prefers to go around them and doesnot back his points from an intellectual perspective,this breaks the chain of the debate.

Others like USAofAfrica and the Southwesterner donot bring about any concrete solutions to the problems they raised.But continue camping on the same point.This doesn't make for a good debate.So let's please try to make the debate more intellectual and interesting.

[Samuel Chidong]

Thats a good one there my dear Ndingwan. What intellectual responses do you expect me to offer to Hyginius and Mbomba who base all their arguments on illusions and parochialism?

That political parties, in order to succeed must have a world renowned ideological pedigree to me is not worth debatable. Should this be the basis of an "intellectual" debate in this forum? Let me know so that I can pick up the challenge.

Professors and all these "big book" stuff have not served Cameroon anything. We must learn to come down to bread and butter issues. Thats what the vast majority of impoverished Cameroonians expect, and not whether the SDF is affiliated to the Socialists International and all these talk about leftists, rightists ...Who eats ideology anyway?

All these SDF fanatics fail to see that their "great" party needs serious overhaul for it to move out of provincialism, greed and fear. SDF once held the promise, but now it has been a ghastily disappointment.

Truly, the SDF has done its best to take us to this stage as Hyginius posits, but it has shown noticeable creaks in the seams and weary of taking us beyond because its leadership has been infested with self-seeking individuals who do not care about the general good. They just want to take-over from the CPDM and live it grand like those they are critising today. The problem with the opposition in Cameroon is that they copy too many bad things from the Government they oppose.

Now lets get to this Constitutional amendment saga. Whats wrong in amending a Constitution? Why do people link a constitution, a general norm, to an individual Paul Biya. Even in the United States of America where presidential term limits was first introduced after F.D. Roosevelt's unprecedented four terms, the debate on whether the 22nd Amendment of the US Constitution is not an infringement of popular will continues to dominate political discussions.

As Ronald Reagan who had publicly suppoerted repealing the 22nd Amendment stated in 1996 : "we ought to take a serious look and see if we haven't interfered with the democratic rights of the people".

In Cameroon, the problem is with our electoral system and not with Constitutional provisions. This has led to the issue of non-limitation of presidential tenure a frightful prospect for those who reflect on alternance. In my humble opinion this where the debate should begin.

[The Southwesterner]

Hi there Ndingwan,i guess we must not live by your rules here. We are also not here to do your suggested intellectual masturbation. We are here to say things the way we see it. Its not my place to provide solutions. I will leave that to blocked headed politicians. Its up to everyone to do his/her own soul searching.

[UnitedstatesofAfrica]

Ndigwan,

On no Cameroon-based forum will you find discussions and debates as lively and feisty as this one right here. If you don't find this debate interesting enough then you might as well exit this forum.

Second of all, I am amazed at how you sharply contradict yourself. As the others have said, spare us your malapropism in the name "intellectual debates". As you rightly said, these debates should be about providing solutions to the problems and not just restating the problems. However, you go on to contradict yourself by saying that the debates should be "intellectual and interesting". Since when has solutions to real problems become interesting and intellectual? if you are writing a political science textbook and you are seeking to plagiarize "intellectual and interesting" debates from this forum, then you have come to the wrong place.

Lastly, you accuse me of not providing solutions. I take it then that you are new to this forum because I have always stated my own solutions to problems.Before you accuse me of a crime, have the courtesy to ask first. When you ask, then I tell you.