The Presidential Elections in Cameroon have come and gone. Eden newspaper caught up with the civil society actor, writer and PanAfricanist, Mwalimu George Ngwane, for his views on the just ended elections and the way forward as well as some topical burning issues of the moment. He was interviewed in Buea by Eden’s Macdonald Ayang Okung (Published in Eden, Monday, October 31, 2011).
Eden: How do you assess the Presidential elections that have just ended?
Ngwane: They brought a lot of lessons in terms of ideological focus as presented by the Presidential candidates during their campaigns. While some of the campaigns were party-based and others were candidate-based, we must not fail to recognize that there was some improvement in the drive to sell ideas and issues through manifestoes to the electorate.
Eden: What were some of these ideas?
Ngwane: Thank you, one can analyse them on the political, social, economic and foreign domains. On the political front, most of the candidates advocated a constitutional review through a National consultation, a Truth and Reconciliation Committee, a Sovereign National Conference or simply a National Dialogue. Ideas on the form of state from 4, 10,11 and 26 state Federalism to a Unitary decentralized state were formulated; proposals for the separation of powers among the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary were highlighted; there were calls for a limit to the Presidential mandate, Regional Governors to be elected, bilingual policy to be reviewed and new institutions like the Senate and Constitutional Council enshrined in the 1996 constitution to be implemented. The idea of a rotational zonal leadership through what was called the third pillar and by this I am sure the candidate was referring to time for Anglophone leadership was emphasized. In fact most of the candidates mentioned the Anglophone problem even if their solutions to the problem were not well articulated.
On the social domain ideas on youth employment, job creation, zero tolerance on corruption, basic service delivery of non-traditional issues like health, roads, sports, education and even moral values carried the day. There seem to have been a much needed consensus among the candidates to place agriculture as their battle song in the economy. Other candidates talked of making our country the pivotal economic state of the Central Africa sub region, rebranding Cameroon through Vision 2035, reorganizing our banking system, creating a single currency for Cameroon by pulling Cameroon from the franc zone as well as transforming our country into a construction site in 2012.
But for the consistent advocacy to disconnect Cameroon from what the candidate called ‘the strangle hold of France’ and the pursuit to the creation of a United States of Africa, the foreign domain had a paltry harvest.
I was however disappointed that none of the candidates made mention of the Art and Culture sector which in Nigeria produces more than 100.000 persons in the job market and contributes to more than 250 million US dollars per annum as creative economy.
Eden: Can one therefore conclude that the campaigns produced better ideas than the previous Presidential elections?
Ngwane: I guess so but the problem is whether we actually have an electorate that makes political choices based on ideas. My reading is that choices are made on conservative party loyalty, elite manipulation or mere provincial solidarity. Can we even claim that the electorate has control over its choices and votes? The fact that all stakeholders admitted that ELECAM and some members of the political class either by commission or omission contributed to stalling the electoral process is testimony that Cameroon still needs to acquire an emerging electoral democracy in tandem with her quest for an emerging economy status. That is why I propose that a conference of all the Presidential candidates together with civil society organisations be convened in 2012 wherein some of these creative ideas can be federated. I rather advocate a Government of Rainbow ideas than a Government of National Unity.
Eden: Still around the elections, there were calls and counter calls by political candidates for street protests after the proclamation…. (cuts in).
Ngwane: Excuse me, let me say here that after the proclamation of the results by the Supreme Court we do not need further polarization, demonisation or victimhood. I was appalled by the fact that both the ruling and the opposition parties think they can infantalise the people by dictating to them what code of conduct they must adopt after the proclamation. What the political elite of this country fails to understand is that a population may be docile but not dull; there is no need for political triumphalism on any side of the political divide because the people are capable of taking their own decisions, on their own terms at their own time and against all odds. And when they decide to do so it is often spontaneous but unfortunately chaotic. That is why we should avoid sacrificing justice on the altar of peace. I believe that the success of any election is not only judged by the peaceful atmosphere in which it was conducted but by first and foremost the democratic fair play, social justice and equitable level field on which it was sustained.
Eden: Talking about democratic fair play what proposals can you make?
Why did we abrogate the constitutional provision that limited the mandate of the President to seven years renewable once? This article served as an inbuilt institutional conflict management mechanism and a smooth democratic valve that would have provided our country with a fresh leadership impetus and alternative discourse on our democratic development. In this same vein, I have always questioned why political parties do not conduct internal and genuine free and fair elections within their own ranks. In fact I make bold to say that most of the Presidential candidates lacked party grassroots legitimacy and credibility because they were never endorsed by their national conventions to serve as flag bearers of their political parties. This was nothing short of a palace coup d’etat.
Still on proposals, let us in keep in mind that the Municipal and Parliamentary election shall hold next year and this is the time for parties to start profiling potential grassroots leaders. But before then, I add my voice to other proposals that have been made by all stakeholders especially with regard to an ELECAM and an electoral code that need to be completely overhauled to be as Independent as we have seen in Benin, Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, South Africa and so on. It is a pity that the need for an Independent Election Board with an electoral code has been the apple of discord for the last twenty years and this can be understood because if we sow seeds of electoral malpractices we shall reap the sour fruits of stifled development and social chaos. Election results from the Diaspora make the Diaspora electoral participation a subject of controversy. Well, Mr Paul Biya has been declared the President. Let us hope once again that party politicians shall be converted into statespersons, sweet victory into good governance, promises into deliverables and Great aspirations into Great transformation.
Eden: Mwalimu, your organisation, AFRICAphonie released a communiqué on the plight of the ex-workers of Cameroon Tea Estate. What has been the outcome?
Ngwane: AFRICAphonie’s mission is around research, advocay, training and education. We do this through the themes of Peace, culture and democracy. How could we therefore be indifferent to a problem that is capable of triggering conflict and one that borders on social justice, corporate responsibility and citizenship sensitivity? Our organisation has militated for Peace in Bakassi so why should we fail to at least show concern to a problem that is right in front of our noses in Buea? We sent the Press Release to many quarters, we have been doing discreet shuttle diplomacy among certain stakeholders and we are convinced that after the tight election schedule, this is the time for level headed patriotic and human faced discussions. There is no need apportioning blame to the government, the Proprietor of the Cameroon Tea Estate or the Supreme Court because it is quite a hydra-headed problem, but it is in times like these that the President of the country takes personal responsibility to protect his citizens in dire straits. We are only facilitators and social advocates.
Eden: Yeah! But some have argued that much attention has not been paid to this crisis because it is in the Anglophone territory?
Ngwane: Such conjectures are bound to arise knowing the promptitude with which the Minister of Labour and Social Security addresses industrial action but like I said before the problem of the ex-workers is multifaceted sometimes difficult to place your finger on who should pay the dues of the ex-workers. But from a humanitarian perspective it is pathetic to watch a group of Cameroonians whose labour of love has produced first class tea over the world be left to their own devices. If anyone is doing this because it involves Anglophones then let me remind the person that the Anglophone problem is already such a powder keg that social dislocations like the Tea estate crisis could serve as fertile grounds for further discourses on identity-based discrimination and political instrumentalization.
Eden: The killing of Muammar Gadaffi by the National Transitional Council in Libya on the 20th October 2011 has occupied media presence. Your comment, Mwalimu.
Ngwane: (pauses…..) First of all Muammar Gadaffi was not killed by the National Transitional Council, he was assassinated by the Euro-American forces of occupation in the name of NATO. Gadaffi was assassinated on the 20th of October 2011, the same way Patrice Lumumba was assassinated in Congo on the 17th January 1961 and Thomas Sankara in Burkina Faso on 15th October 1987. Those who justify Gadaffi’s murder on the argument that he had stayed in power for too long should tell me how many years Lumumba and Sankara spent in power. Yes, longevity in power no matter how benevolent can be counter-productive but that is for the governed to decide. Gadaffi was assassinated for resource reasons, for daring to be independent and make Africa self-reliant, for his pro-people policies. He was not a saint neither was he the devil that the Western media has been making of him.
The assassination of Gadaffi has exposed the fickleness of the United Nations under Ban Kin Moon, the hypocrisy of Euro-America relations with Africa, the fragility of the African Union, the impotence of African leaders towards political bonding and the gullibility of Africans in the face of a patronizing Western media.
Tell me, Mr Journalist, what is this newfound logic by Euro-Americans dumping international judicial institutions in favour of the capture and kill mob justice system? What is this new double standard by the African Union flouting their own Article 30 of their treaty and rushing to recognize rebels who have come to power by unconstitutional means? What is this new democratic agenda by the National Transitional Council imprisoning, torturing and killing Africans in Libya suspected to have supported Gadaffi? Some may condemn the way Muammar lived and ruled but no one can condone the bestial manner in which he was murdered. I bet you, Gadaffi’s ghost shall haunt Libya’s development and African Renaissance the way Lumumba’s ghost continues to haunt economic growth and democratic entitlement in Congo.
Eden: Your parting word
Ngwane: Let me return to the just ended elections to say that if we do not change our electoral architecture and our political mindsets, elections might turn out to be mere routine left in the hands of the power elite with no development contribution from the masses. The 2011 elections had her flaws but they also mark a watershed of generation leadership where election actors like Paul Biya, John Fru Ndi and Alexis Dipanda Mouelle should take an honorable exit ushering new voices, new views and new visions. Lest I forget the relative big bang effect of new players like Paul Ayah and Kah Walla who defected from the two leading political parties (CPDM and SDF) indicates that the electorate is interested in new faces even within the party platforms from which the two of them decamped. Finally, elections are only a means to an end so as we seek to expand our democratic space let us also not forget to deepen our development content.
Eden: Thank you, Mwalimu George Ngwane
Ngwane: My pleasure
Recent Comments