Unionists
propose transition without Biya
CPDM
Anglophone lackeys fail to make inroads in NW & SW
By Francis Ekongang
Nzante
“A Federal System
should be implemented for a trial period of 15 years followed by a referendum”
is the stand that most Anglophone Cameroonians who are not for an immediate
separation of the two English Speaking Regions have responded favourably to.
Some may not have bought the idea of a trial period but all have fallen behind
the idea of a Federal System. Opinion sampling from a cross section of
Anglophone politicians reflect this stance. The bone of contention however is
how to bring the concerned parties around the same table and make them agree on
how to forge ahead.
Meantime there is a
growing group of Cameroonians who though accepting that the over Centralized System
in Cameroon has failed have not yet out rightly come out to support a Federal System
of government. This group of middle ground players proposes the build up to an
acceptable atmosphere for meaningful dialogue where discussions will begin with
the form of the state. Some quarters have referred to them as unionists while
others have referred to this class of people as those in favour of a renaissance
in Cameroon. The most progressive people in this school of thought are those
who believe that the Republic of Cameroon should be rebuilt from its
foundation. Anything short of this will be simply window dressing. The most
daring in this group have gone ahead to state that President Paul Biya cannot
be part of the transition process pointing to the fact that he has not shown
any real desire to bring about change. This
group insists that what is most important at the moment is the form of the
state.
Meantime, seemingly
completely cut off from this national desire to move on are some who are
increasingly coming under open criticism especially from the two Anglophone
Regions. This group constitutes Anglophone CPDM Elites whose actions have
pushed their regions of origin to ponder over the logic that might be guiding
their actions. Their actions show them to neither be genuine unionists nor
Federalists. This week has seen them trying but failing to make inroads in
their regions of origin (SW and NW) simply because no Cameroonian who truly
loves his country can fathom what guides their actions. Take a look at this: on
Sunday October 15, most of CPDM elites from the NW Region assembled at Ayaba
Hotel in Bamenda and against all expectations held a closed door meeting from
which the Media was completely barred. Next day Monday, saw the Prime Minister
Philemon Yang meeting with selected people from a cross section of activities
in the Region. The series of meetings were held with entrepreneurs among other
service providers in the region. This activity was also carried out in the
Divisions. This of course will be followed by reports that will add to the
endless reports that have been made since the Anglophone Crises. This doesn’t
gel considering what public opinion is presently clamouring for on the National
triangle called Cameroon.
Just on cue, Senator
Nfon V. E. Mukete, the Patriarch of the Bafaws in Kumba has criticized what he
has referred to as the cowardly nature of Anglophone elites.
“A Federal System should be implemented for
a trial period of 15 years followed by a referendum”
Hon
Yoyo Emmanuel, erstwhile SDF MP
To think that Biya
cannot be removed from power through elections is defeatist. He might have won
all elections in the past albeit fraudulently but I think it is because the
rest of Cameroonians who do not believe in him have not really been organised.
At this moment I think that Biya’s popularity is at its lowest. You see a Head
of State who was sworn in to protect the integrity of the state and promote
National Unity but who at the time when one part of the State is in crises can
afford to pay no attention to it and say nothing about it. Instead he instructs
the soldiers to go and massacre the people. Information we have indicates that
his own people; I mean his tribal brothers are embarrassed by his behaviour.
This is coupled with the fact that he has not been able to handle the economy
of this country properly. He had a first trial with the International Monetary
Fund and failed and the IMF is coming in again. This is the best time for
Cameroonians to remove Biya from power. The only thing is for Cameroonians to
mobilize and fight the corrupt electoral system which is his strongest tool.
 |
| Honourable Yoyo Emmanuel |
Do
you think the constituted opposition has its feet firm on the ground to push
the fight through?
I don’t want to talk
about a constituted opposition since it will give the idea that opposition
parties are working together. What I know is that if all opposition political
parties and the people discuss, things will happen. We have seen that in some
countries, change has come through the people and not through a political
party. We have also seen Political Parties win without necessarily forming a
coalition. What I mean here is that the people can be mobilized to come
together, seek reasons and try to oust Biya. Macron did not win in France
because he brought together political parties so I think that any other person
or a group of persons can come together and form a strong team. This can be
feasible in Cameroon especially with the unpopularity of Paul Biya at the
moment. Biya’s strongest tool is the corrupt set up. What such a body should do
is to destroy the fraudulent setup. So we shouldn’t say that the Biya regime
cannot be removed through elections.
With
the way the political landscape is structured, and with the modus operandi of political
parties how optimistic are you with regards to political transition?
He can be replaced.
If the people come together and fight the fraudulent system it will be the
ideal moment considering the weak position he occupies at the moment. He has
not been able to resolve any of the issues on the table. He is being weighed
down by age and is an absentee President even in the heart of crises and any
serious person or group of persons can come in and throw him out.
Some
Anglophone Cameroonians are Federalists, secessionists, and a few of them
Unionists. Where do you place yourself and why?
The important thing
here is not where I stand. Rather, what is important is where a majority of
Cameroonians stand. At the beginning of these crises many Anglophone
Cameroonians wanted the problems to be solved in a federation and many people
bought it. When you look at AAC I and AAC II, you will understand that even at
that time, many Anglophone Cameroonians were not happy with the way things were
turning out so they wanted that we go back to the federation of 1961 at least.
They have been fighting for this but the powers that be have never listened to
the problem and treated it objectively. Today I can tell you like someone
living and communing with the people in a rich retirement that a majority of
Anglophone Cameroonians now want outright separation. They don’t talk of
secession but separation. This separation has its roots in the legal
implications of what happened in 1961. They are using logical arguments to say
that the union never really took place. I understand them very well. I maybe
one of those who has found my roots in this system no matter how bad it is but
that doesn’t really matter. All of us have been living witnesses to the fact
that Anglophones
in this country are seriously marginalised, undermined, neglected and taken for
granted. In that respect I think that they are right to ask for either a
federation or separation. Some are saying that this thing started with people
asking for certain specific problems to be looked into and have expressed
dismay at the fact that the problem has taken this dimension. I think this is
being naïve because every revolution in history always started with one small
thing. They have simply realised that if what they are asking for is to be sustained
then it has to be in a certain system which is either a Federation or as a
separate state. They have gone beyond
just looking at the Educational System and Legal System. Telling us that you
have recruited 50 Anglophone Court Registrars now when you will turn around and
recruit 700 Francophone Court Registrars tomorrow means nothing has changed
intrinsically. Biya is using the approach of the sixties to solve problems of
the 21st Century. Now new dynamics have come in. In the past they
could lie since there was no internet but now they can’t because thanks to the
internet everybody knows the truth. They are stagnant while things are
evolving. Those of us in the union who still believe in federalism have to
fight really hard to explain to the rest of the Anglophones why we should still
remain with the francophones in a federal system.
As
a federalists, what do you think is the best proposal for Anglophone
Cameroonians?
The only way to
convince Anglophone Cameroonians is to convince the Biya regime to implement
Federalism on a trial bases. For
example, a Federal
system
should be implemented for a trial period of 15 years followed by a referendum
will be organised to as ask Anglophone Cameroonians if they were happy with the
way things went on during the experimental period. If the referendum shows that
they are satisfied, then they will stay in the federation and if not they will
be free to separate. This is the only way that a peaceful separation can be
achieved. We should not go into a federalism that will be another way to tie us
down again. For this to work there should be a third party to help instill
confidence. When I talk of a third party I am thinking of the United Nations,
The African Union, ECOWAS, the EU amongst other bodies of similar stature.
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