Social democracy is a political ideology which calls for economic and social liberalism within the framework of justice and solidarity for these virtues to be effectively realized, they should be brought nearer to the people so that the latter should be the master of its own destiny. The slogan of the party "Power to the People" is the expression of this wish.

The S.D.F therefore preaches political decentralization, a decentralization, which in its most elaborate form is seen through the federal organization of the state having as principal levers the region, the province or federated state and the council.

The social democratic ideology is first experimented on the council. In the communal spirit of traditional African society, the practical expression of this doctrine is:

the choice by the people themselves of their own leaders;
the promotion of transparency and permanent control in the management of the town;
the permanent participation of the people in solving the town's problems.

The last element, which constitutes the foundation of the new liberal but communal and participative society that, the S.D.F calls for will be put in place in the councils through two fundamental actions

A dynamic spatial redeployment:
This will consist in regrouping in the town populations in blocs or quarters of 5000 to 25000 inhabitants at an average of about 1000 to 5000 houses called internal development committees led by a democratically elected council. This committee will have the responsibility of identifying the preoccupations of the population, recording all internal potentials and possibilities, giving concrete proposals to the municipal councils and finally leading and controlling with the support of the municipality all communal realizations in the quarter.
A socio-professional recording in order to identify the principal social actors susceptible of contributing financially (taxes) or physically to the development of the council. The principal social actors and fiscal contributors once identified have to be encouraged to group themselves in co-operatives and syndicates. In this way they could easily be consulted in decision taking and associated in the application of communal policy. This is the case especially with businessmen, traders, craftsmen and farmers, etc.
To this effect a certain social group will receive particular attention. This group which is composed of street vendors (hawkers) and "bayamselams" and which because of its active participation in the struggle for change since 1990 and its contribution to the people's survival in the face of biting misery deserves to be well handled and progressively integrated in the formal economic circuit. This insertion will be done through the institution of a professional card for street vendors (see modalities ahead) and the grouping of street vendors in cooperatives or in syndicates whose leaders shall participate in the taking of all decisions concerning the community.

In rural zones, this framework will be completed by the eradication of certain traditions and customs which constitute a real handicap to the integration and well-being of the African society in a much more competitive modern and contemporary universe. This is the case in the "grass field" zone where practices such as big manifestations during mourning and funerals have become the only occupation of an important fraction of the working population and a powerful vector of alcoholism in the rural world.

There will be the need to push all this manifestations to the weekend, this is to say, on Saturdays and Sundays, or otherwise, to program them as from 3.30 PM so as not to disturb economic and especially agricultural activities.

On the other hand, in order to fight against idleness which promotes all types of delinquency (alcoholism, drug abuse, theft and ...) it is advisable to put back into practice the habit of constructing hedges raphia or palm bamboo or sissongo fences in order to protect small traditional breeding and fighting against theft.

All this work which preserves, among other things, the local ecology (reforestation, conservation and enrichment of the domestic fauna) will be easily realized if the spirit of collective work is encouraged by making profitable to the maximum the structures of the party especially the ward, which, from a simple political unit will become the framework of an ideal life for the militant citizen. In this way, not only will he be training himself politically but also be realizing all his small economic and social investments (economic projects, construction of huts or hedges, farm labour etc). Within the same framework, it will be possible to revolutionize farm work through the promotion of use of organic manure, compost, the introduction of mechanic, and especially irrigated cultivation. In this spirit, particular importance has to be given to the digging of wells, the construction of small earthen barriers and the use of local materials (palm and raphia bamboo) in the, popularisation of water canalisation and the fight against bush fires. Here is the framework in which the S.D.F mayor's action should be situated.

All of this is summed up in the platform for the 1996 municipal elections and the code of conduct for all elected S.D.F members, everything made up by the Secretary General of the party. For a better understanding of these two documents and for the putting into practice in the councils of the political philosophy of the party in general and its economic policy in particular, the Economic and Financial Affairs Commission of the party within the framework of emergency proposals to be, carried out by a transitional government made up in 1992 and entitled «Communal Social Program» (CSP) has elaborated a certain number of practical suggestions susceptible to be actualised or re-adapted to the local context. These proposals, which are far from being exhaustive, constitute the essential part of the document that we call "The S.D.F Mayor's Challenge".

As an annex to this, we are also going to put at their disposal some legislative and statutory texts, which define the financial framework of the councils.

Councillors and mayors, good luck and forward march on the way to change!

POWER TO THE PEOPLE.

CHAPTER ONE

PUBLIC SANITATION AND HEALTH

Handling of Household Refuse

Picking up of this refuse
1. The town is divided into blocs or quarters called internal development committees (MC). These quarters are made up of 1000 to 5000 houses that is about 5000 to 25000 inhabitants. For reasons of a practical nature, the number of IDC will be equivalent to the number of councillors in order to permit the latter to carry out a permanent and constant follow-up on their evolution.
2. The internal development committees will democratically elect a president and an internal development committee council. The president and the council will be the foremen under the control of the local council of the following operations.
  - The counting and numeration of all the houses in the quarter. Each of these houses should have an individual dust bin bearing the number of the building and placed outside the building or by the side of the road so as to receive household refuse and other wastes coming from the building.
  - The institution of a fixed﷓rate contribution for the picking up of household refuse for individual houses. This contribution will vary from collective houses, commercial establishments and companies. This contribution will be collected and managed by the internal development committee.
  - The attribution of household refuse picking up contracts through public offers to small and medium size companies located in the quarter and exploiting local manual labour. The successful company will have to do picking up thrice per week. This company should have for example the following
    - 1 or 2 dumper trucks (rented or belonging to it) ﷓ about a dozen wheelbarrows
    - about 20 Y-shaped rakes
    - about 20 roadmen brooms
    - about a dozen of shovels
    - protection material such as boots, gloves, masks, raincoats, etc
    - about 5 to 10 workers (dustmen and others).
Gathering and picking up of refuse
This operation is logically followed up by the first. It is brought about thus
The treatment of this refuse to obtain compost or organic fertilizers. This treatment which is extremely simple and which needs no mechanical equipment has to be preceded by a sorting out operation which will distinguish objects (tins, bottles, iron, etc) from dangerous products which should be destroyed such as chemical products, irrecoverable iron, etc) and finally from the refuse to be treated.
The treatment of this refuse will give compost, which could be sold or used locally to promote agriculture. A compost preparation station can employ from 10 to 100 persons. There will be the need to require the aid of certain NGO's such as the CIPCRE which for, some years, now has been working in this direction in the West, and North West provinces. This, NGO has its headquarters in Bafoussam and benefits from international technical assistance.
Creation of gardens (cultivation of flowers and other garden plants)
This operation can be a follow up to the preceding one or an annex to it. In the latter case, those preparing the compost will use it themselves. The possibility of creating jobs is unlimited.
Creation of small breeding units.
Creation of ponds for pisciculture
These two activities can be carried out in new quarters or small valleys where sanitation problems are posed. To this effect, they have to receive the encouragement of health and sanitation services.
Cleanliness and beautifying of the town
Beautifying building and reforestation
Here all town dwellers should be obliged to plant grass and flowers in their compounds as well as shading or fruit trees in their yards.
In the rural councils, this obligation is strengthened by the construction of hedges and barriers from local materials so as to protect buildings and crops from stray animals etc.
Jobs will be created in gardening, flower cultivation and craft
Promotion of a new urbanization
Here the motto is that the town should precede man and not the reverse. There is therefore the need for a merciless struggle against spontaneous accommodation through:
- centralization at the level of the council of demands and supply of building land.
- the obligation of building﷓land sellers is first of all to make these lands connected to other public services with the help of municipal technical services (roads, water, electricity, etc.)
- the registrations each year in the budget of an allowance for the creation of new housing or rehousing zones and their equipment with social services (schools, dispensaries, markets, etc).
- the promotion of a social credit policy in order to enable all those who have a steady job or those who are members of a co﷓operative officially recognized or assisted by a financial institution or by the state to easily have access to real estate credit.
- the fixing of norms with regards to forms and models of construction per quarter or zone taking into consideration the general urbanization plan the nature of the soil, the climate the exigencies of traditions or the ecology and the building materials to be used.
- the putting at the disposal of populations having weak revenues of low cast construction plans drawn up either by the technical services of the council or by technical schools.
- the deliverance in rural zones of building licences to all those who can justify their customary ownership of the land.
Amelioration of the quality of life
The institution of a monthly national clean up day
This practice already exercised in the Anglophone zone will have to be spread all over the country Saturdays are preferable.
Septic tanks
In the rural zones and still﷓entrenched quarters, families and communities should be obliged to bore sceptic tanks, The technical departments of the councils can come to their help for soil study and drilling. It is also possible to obtain assistance from NGOs or foreign friendly countries. This is the case with a country like LESOTHO.
Well water
The digging of wells should be obligatory in zones not connected to public services in order to prevent the use of river water or water already extremely polluted in the towns. The technical assistance of the council is indispensable.
In rural councils, the digging of wells constitutes part of the promotion of rural hydraulic which equally includes the arrangement of water points.
Public drinking taps
These should be established in working﷓class quarters. They will be financed by an additional tax of 2 to 5 Frs. on the price of a cubic meter for individuals and companies having private installations. In the absence of this, financing could be done by the Internal Development Committee in the same spirit as for the picking up of household refuse.
Public showers and toilets
These will be constructed in all public places (schools, markets, stadiums, train stations, public gardens, etc).
Their management should preferably be assumed by the private sector.
Public restaurants and canteens
These will have to be obligatory for schools, public and private companies, markets, trade fairs and expositions. In school, they should be under the control of Parents Teachers Association. The premises are arranged by the PTA or the municipality but in certain places such as schools, companies and administrative areas, they should be opened only at break-time.
This operation permits the fight against absenteeism and the amelioration of the workers' productivity. Job creating opportunities are great.
Coffee break
Still within the spirit of the fight against absenteeism in the administration, and private enterprises, compulsory distribution of tea, coffee or broth, in addition to the canteens mentioned above, should be instituted in companies and the administration. This will permit not only the fight against absenteeism but also an increase in the local consumption of this product it can equally give room for the creation of jobs.
This operation will be financed either by the employer entirely or together with the employees. It goes without saying that in the long run this will constitute the flatboats of a whole set﷓up of measures coming from the Ministry of labour.
Nursery schools
They should be created in all the quarters. They can directly be managed by the councils the Internal Development Committees or companies. The management could equally be given over to the private sector.
Stadium, concert halls and leisure areas
For collective sports an enclosed stadium should be built in each quarter. The management should be within the competence of the councils or the Internal Development Committees (IDC). It can also be given to individuals or associations clubs). It is likely to create several jobs.
A concert hall to which a swimming pool should eventually be linked should also be constructed in each quarter. This hall should be able to receive concerts drama, cinematographic projections or public and private manifestations (marriages, baptisms, decorations, meetings, spectacles, etc).
They should equally be equipped with indoor games (ludo, draft, billiards, ping-pong, etc) and if possible have a television set and a parabolic antenna.
The MC is responsible for the management. Their management could also be given to the private sector. This could create the leisure areas (zoos parks, horse-riding parks, etc) should be arranged under the same form.
CHAPTER TWO

SECURITY
Municipal Police
One of the major problems to which Cameroonians living in towns and villages are confronted is that of insecurity to solve this problem, the S D F proposes the creation of a municipal police its main functions have to be the security other public places. The national police will have the responsibility of a judicial police. Meanwhile this proposition which can only be put in practice if the S.D.F arrives in power, it can for now be promoted with the aid of party structures (wards, vanguards) with a collectives vigilant system as practiced in some quarters in our towns (Bonaberi and Bonamoussadi in Douala) with night patrol, guardians of the different gateways by the population themselves by rotating. This operation can be financed in the same way as that of the garbage removal in the frame of I.D.C (internal development committees).
Creation of a fire brigade unit
This corps will fight against fires and other natural calamities. The corps will be catered for by the communal budget.
CHAPTER THREE

ROAD MAINTENANCE
Untarred Roads
Where the council has at its disposal the necessary equipment work programming is made such that all roads are cleaned whenever the population wants or at least once in six months. The population can be brought into this operation either through the supply of complementary materials or human investment
In case the council is not equipped or does not have the means, maintenance of earthen roads can be given out either to local small and medium size companies or realized with the population under the form of human investment. In case this contract is awarded to small and medium size companies, the companies should have their headquarters in the council and recruit their workers from there.
Tarred or paved roads
The council is entirely responsible for their maintenance. Financing is done either from the council's own resources or from loans from banks and other financial institutions.
The contract should be reserved exclusively for local companies.
CHAPTER FOUR

WATER AND ELECTRICITY

Priority should be given to the public supply and lightning
Water
The sinking of wells should be encouraged in zones where a modern water supply system is absent.
The population should then be educated to boil water from the wells before drinking it.
In zones where SNEC or any water companies are not well spread, Public drinking taps should be constructed. This is a very important priority, which will be financed, as we have already seen, through a slight increase of water tariffs for the interested parties and the company distributing the water or in the same manner as with the picking up of household refuse.
Where financing is done through an additional contribution, this contribution will go directly to an account opened with the distributing company, which will then debit the population's consumption. In case this account has a debit annual balance, this is catered for by the council. If there is a credit balance, it will serve as a deposit for the following year.
Electricity
Investments for public lightning are taken care of by the council and these are done through an annual budgetary allowance.
Consumption is financed in the same way as that of water.
CHAPTER FIVE

PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Parking
Two hypotheses result:
- the liberalization of the transport sector and its reorganization within the framework of the present legislation. In case the second hypothesis prevails, the reorganization should be brought about through:
- arranging at the outskirts of the towns car parks for trucks and other big vehicles so as to prevent these from circulating in the town during the day.
- arranging inside the town car parks for taxis and buses.
- the construction of paying car parks in the centre of the town and public places equipped with parking meters.
Road Security
The parking of vehicles on the roadway or on the pavement has to be strictly forbidden. In this vein the council has to have adequate materials to pick up or draw immediately any vehicle seen parked on the roadway and take it to a car-impounding centre constructed for this purpose.
Any vehicle impounded cannot be taken back except a fine is paid. If the vehicle is not withdrawn within a given time, it is auctioned or sent to, the scrap﷓yard.
Rationalization of transport
For urban transport, the town has to be subdivided into sections. Bus transport has to be allowed in sections or groups of sections.
Finally a tax will be created for owners of private taxis
CHAPTER SIX

EDUCATION AND HEALTH
Collective minimum fare
The party's manifesto advocates the institution of a national contribution to health and education. It is within the spirit of this proposal that there is the necessity for collective minimum fare for health and education expenses. On another hand, within the spirit of decentralization that the S.D.F calls for, primary and nursery schools and primary and elementary health﷓care have to be taken care of by the basic collectivities especially the councils. In the same light, collective vaccination and health inspections have to be systematized.
Quality control
While waiting for the S.D.F to totally take control of the country, the council should have adequate means to control the quality of investments and services offered in the education and health sectors by individuals or moral persons (dispensaries, crèches, primary and nursery schools).
CHAPTER SEVEN

AMELIORATION OF COMMUNAL BUDGETARY RETURNS
Creation and management of markets
1. Arrangement of markets
  A foodstuffs market should be created and arranged in all quarters or Internal Development Committees. In the big centres, there's the necessity to build at least one big market for 10000 inhabitants. These markets should have stores and sheds.
  Sheds and unbuilt spaces should be equipped with stalls made preferably from local materials. The big markets should be fenced, with an entrance and an exit.
  In the markets, space should be kept or the judicial police, nurses, banks insurance companies, restaurants, etc. Space should equally be kept for illicit street vendors.
  Every market should have paying public toilets, telephone boxes and parking for vehicles and other engines.
2. Functioning of the markets
  The doors of the market are opened daily at 6.00 am and closed at 18.00 pm.
  When the doors are opened, regular traders enter after presenting their professional documents. Street sellers equally present their seller's cards. For those desirous to occupy a stall or some space, they have to buy a market ticket.
  This can also be done through monthly or annual subscription.
  As for all other visitors of the market, they will have to pay an entrance fee at the modest-enough rate of 10 to 25 Frs. representing their own contribution to the maintenance of the market.
  Traders having stores pay their rents in addition to a contribution to the maintenance of the market as well as their licence and other indirect contributions. All these elements are taken on the spot.
  Entrance tickets as well as all other contributions for the maintenance of the market are put in a special coffer managed by the traders themselves or their representatives. They can themselves take care of the maintenance of the market or grant a third of it to the private sector.
3. Management of markets
  the markets are managed by democratically elected representatives of the traders to whom members of the council are associated on a an equal basis they are responsible among other things for:
  - the maintenance of equipment and buildings
  - the cleanliness of the market
  - the security of the market
  - the collection and distribution of the market's returns
  - relations with users of the markets services
  - relations with the administration
4. Market Returns
  1. Fiscal and Para-fiscal returns:
    They are licences, stamps, fines and several other taxes.
  2. Other returns
    They include among others, rents from stores and other premises or space, market tickets, entrance tickets as well as other contributions for the maintenance of the markets revenues from public toilets, parking, telephone boxes and other communal services.
Institution of a street seller's card
This tax, which ranges from 1000 to 2000 Frs. per year, is paid annually and its owner is free from all other market taxes. It enables the owner to operate everywhere in the council on condition not to occupy the roadway or the pavement. If the owner of this card wants to occupy a small or some space he is obliged to buy a market ticket.
All street vendors owning a card should group themselves in co-operatives or syndicates in order to participate in the management of the affairs of the council. They can also revendicate taking into consideration certain local specificities, the arrangement of special markets for their corporation as is the case with the «marché aux puces», "flea market" in Paris.
Construction of craft villages
These are spaces arranged to enable artists and craftsmen of the town to fully exercise their activity and to put their productions and creations at the disposal of tourists and other interested persons. These craft villages should be the situated preferably near big markets and business centres.
Artists and craftsmen working there are grouped in co-operatives or syndicates, which defend their interests and guarantee the promotion of their products. The craft villages should have a museum, which exposes the best creations of the artists.
The renting of space or premises occupied by them is directed deducted from the sale of their products.
They will have to pay a tax on craft revenues at the rate of 1 % of the turn over if they are stationary or buy a street seller's card if they are not.
Municipal slaughterhouses
These are constructed at the edge of the town preferably along the banks of a stream. They should have a cold room and what is necessary for sanitary inspections. Their returns are made up of rents for materials or premises, taxes for the picking up of dirt, and several other sanitary taxes.
Creation of a corps of postmen
This corps will permit the distribution of letters at people's homes. It can be catered for by either the council or the private sector. There are several possibilities for job creation.
Promotion of local construction materials
These include especially wood, earth, stones bamboo, rattan, etc. Priority should be given to these materials in the carrying out of small building construction works, repairs decoration and furnishing.
In the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges, stones, wood locally made paving blocks etc should equally be used. For water canalisations, the use of Indian bamboo as opposed to plastic or metal pipes just as in china should be encouraged whether they are wooden or bamboo can serve the same purpose as iron and concrete in the transportation of energy.
Fight against illiteracy
Following the collapse of the national system of education, there is the need to rehabilitate «the school under the tree». The collaboration of teachers individually or within the framework of their syndicates is indispensable. Better use of the party's structures by instituting training sessions in reading and writing within the cells of the party or by using the basic structures of the party to mobilize the population for this task, is indispensable.
NGO's or churches, which have a great mobilization capacity and better infrastructures for the realization of such work, can be called upon to help in this endeavour.
Everybody remembers the experience of the people's University NOVA VETERA created in the 1960's by the late bishop Albert NDONGMO that played a big role in the education of the masses in the West and Littoral provinces.

SDF MAYOR'S CHALLENGE

34 PROPOSALS FOR THE PROMOTION OF ENDOGENOUS DEVELOPMENT IN OUR COUNCILS

INTRODUCTION

POWER TO THE PEOPLE.

CHAPTER ONE

PUBLIC SANITATION AND HEALTH

Handling of Household Refuse

Cleanliness and beautifying of the town

Amelioration of the quality of life

CHAPTER TWO

SECURITY

CHAPTER THREE

ROAD MAINTENANCE

CHAPTER FOUR

WATER AND ELECTRICITY

Priority should be given to the public supply and lightning

CHAPTER FIVE

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

CHAPTER SIX

EDUCATION AND HEALTH

CHAPTER SEVEN

AMELIORATION OF COMMUNAL BUDGETARY RETURNS

The end