The Opposition and their Performance of Electoral Power in Cameroon (1992 – 2007)

By George Ngwane

Introduction
The return to multiparty politics in Cameroon in 1990 was met with reluctance and resistance by the regime. Triggered by the events of 26th May 1990, that led to the defiant launching of an Opposition party (Social Democratic Front – SDF), multipartyism and eventually Opposition parties became institutionalized following the Law of Association of 19th December 1990 (Law No. 90/056).

In spite of this reform to accommodate multipartyism, the main kernel of democratic transition to put enabling structures in place evaded the political establishment in Cameroon.

Unlike other African Countries like Benin (1990), Mali (1991), Zaire now Democratic Republic of Congo (1991) and South Africa (1994) that planned a democratic transition, the leadership of Cameroon resisted then reluctantly gave in to a form of transition whose outcome fell below general expectations.

Such a context only encouraged the emergence of a new elite in the political arena, next to the old ones who switched over, for the occasion, to the virtues of political pluralism (Tidjani Alou 2002: 28). The setting up of Constitutional Conferences, Sovereign National Conferences and Truth and Reconciliation Commissions as modes of transition was meant to provide new political and economic paradigms suited to the demands of pluralism. As discussion forums, transition modes served as the balm of national reconciliation and catharsis as well as avenues to put in place reforms and structures that will change the qualities of lives of the masses.

When President Paul Biya therefore declared on 27th June 1991 at the National Assembly that “Je l’ai dit et je le maintiens, la conference nationale est sans objet pour le Cameroun (I insist that the National Conference is baseless in Cameroon), Cameroonians were stunned into both rage and revolt.

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Comments

[EBULLE Stephen]

I read with a lot of interest the catigorization of opposition parties by George Ngwane, namely: Opposition of Liberation,Opposition of cooptation, and Opposition of Proposition. The second one interest me much. This is because all, if not always most, of the opposition parties in Cameroon find themselves in this type in one way or the other. As Ngwane quotes Dr,Fonchingong in this article, the major characteristic of such an opposition is "..desire to share power and prebends or spoils of power with the rulling party..it's a win-win.." Personally, when I look at the words "Share and Win" within the perspective of African politics, it scares me a lot. The question is, sharing what and wining what? The answer is obvious: sharing in spoils of government and wining much for their(Politicians) personal interest. Untill these politicians stop looking at power as a place to share and win, they will not succeed in reaching the utmost development which we need. Power should rather be about serving and wining by development in all it's facets. Today the opposition in Cameroon seems to be more of a slogan than reality. I will take a close example of comments made by Kodok after being sacked by President Biya. According to him, president Biya is thwarting 'democrazy' in Cameroon. The question is: Is it now that he has been sacked that he realises this? This is a major characteristic of most leaders in Cameroon, be it opposition or status quo. When they are in, all is fine; but once out, all is not ok. The UPC used to be the only true opposition party in Cameroon in 1948. They did not accept the presence of a foreign power in Cameroon and cherished a one and equal basis Cameroon. Today's UPC is different; today's opposition is a shadow. They don't even know what they are opposing, they find themselves in what they claim to oppose, and they oppose their own self.
What Cameroon needs is a an active and viable civil society which should be patriotic, courageous, optimistic, realistic, selfless and full of a fiscible action plans.
The said oppositions should take a close examination of themselves.