THE TASK AHEAD: NATIONAL RECONSTRUCTION AND RECONCILIATION Policy Speech
Delivered By The National Chairman
NI John FRU NDI
At the 4th National Convention of the SDF
Holding in Buea, South West Province 11-13 December 1996 DISTINGUISHED GUESTS
FELLOW DELEGATES
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN It has been a little over six years since the Social Democratic Front set in motion a process of fundamental change in Cameroon. Today, I can confidently state that the revolution we gave birth to on the 26th of May 1990 has successfully weathered the turbulent storm. It is now ready to proceed to the next phase. I say to you today in Buea that it is now time for our revolution to move on to the process of consolidation. It is now time to arrest the state of bankruptcy and near anarchy that pervades our society. The people of Cameroon are looking up to our party to show them the way out of this political and economic miasma. I now take this opportunity to unveil to you, my compatriots, the SDF blueprint for political and economic salvation. I do so in two simple words: RECONSTRUCTION, and RECONCILIATION. From now hence the challenge is to consecrate our best efforts to the task of rebuilding: a broken down infrastructure, jump-starting a stalled economy, regaining international respectability, restoring legitimacy to our discredited republican institutions, healing the painful wounds inflicted by six years of bitter and divisive political discourse and re-instilling a sense of self-confidence in every Cameroonian. As the great pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey once observed: "If you have no confidence in self, you are twice defeated in the race of life. With confidence, you have won even before you have started." The Cameroonian people must once again be made to believe in themselves and in their capacity to make things happen for the better. For it is they who ultimately are the architects of their destiny. But to get there they must work in concert. I, therefore, stretch out my hands to all Cameroonians as well as friends of Cameroon inviting them to join us in tackling together the problems that plague this country. Years of government neglect and disastrous mismanagement have left us with problems that are truly enormous and daunting. But they are not insurmountable, if we set our minds to tackling them one at a time. FELLOW DELEGATES. This will require new ways of thinking about old and perennial problems. It will also require shedding old habits picked up during thirty years of authoritarian rule. There can be no democracy without democrats. Cameroonians must be prepared to make the necessary sacrifices if they truly wish to participate in the new democratic society. We believe as Aristotle did that the best form of government is one "in which every man, whoever he is, can act best and live happily." And those who do so, he said, are destined to attain a state of eternal joy-- beyond any individually enumerated pleasures. However, this goal of acting best and living happily ever after is threatened by the reality of diminishing resources. As a people, we must now begin the mental process of adjusting to the reality that the resources available for our use are not inexhaustible. Our oil, timber and minerals will not last forever. Therefore, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, Government with the cooperation of the governed must take seriously the task of carefully husbanding these exhaustible natural resources and wealth. It must insist that Cameroonians learn to live within their means. An SDF government will encourage Cameroonians not to get into the habit of drinking from wells they never dug and harvesting wood they never planted. The present generation must be made to recognise its obligation to leave to future generations a Cameroon infinitely more prosperous than the one their parents left them. POLITICAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS Three decades of authoritarian rule has left Cameroonians starving for an open and democratic society. While the overwhelming majority of you have repeatedly expressed a desire for change, your political leaders have been equally determined to deny you this fundamental right. Uppermost on the agenda of an SDF government is the review of the 1996 Constitution. In more ways than one this fundamental document fails to adequately respond to the aspirations of Cameroonians. A Constitution that does not reflect the unique circumstances of a people and that deliberately ignores their basic needs is no Constitution at all, no matter how well-crafted. We deserve better and the SDF intends to provide Cameroonians with a Constitution befitting a people eager and poised to enter the 21st. century. An SDF Constitution will resolve once and for all the yearnings of Cameroonians for greater decentralisation and devolution of powers to the provinces. This is as it should be. FELLOW DELEGATES,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, In its launching Manifesto, the SDF advocated the establishment of an Independent Electoral Commission. Today Cameroonians of all shades of opinion are clamouring for what we advocated six years ago. We are shocked and surprised that when the opportunity offered itself, the CPDM - controlled Assembly decided to brush it aside by refusing to entertain a Private Member's bill on the subject. The SDF shall continue to insist on this matter and when in power shall immediately initiate legislation to this end. It was that towering American statesman and Founding Father, Thomas Jefferson, who said that the best government is that which governs the least. We are over-governed in Cameroon! Government has invaded every aspect of our lives right down to the minutiae. In so doing it has exposed its innumerable flaws. But an unrestrained and overtly intrusive government also runs the risk of stepping on the most fundamental human rights of its citizens. Our 36-year experience with a highly centralised and overly-bureaucratised State clearly bears this out. This experience has shown us that this type of governance is completely unsuited to our circumstances. And I believe that our experience also teaches us that an overbearing, omnipotent and omnipresent government is not necessarily the most effective and the most efficient. FELLOW DELEGATES,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, Government cannot be all things to all people. Policy makers must be honest enough to recognise the limits of government and admit its limitations. But there are matters that government must address itself to because of the far reaching consequences to society. An SDF government will, as a matter of priority, gives special attention to such things as epidemic that plague our society. I am talking of an epidemic like AIDS which is threatening, in particular, the generation that will be called upon tomorrow to continue the reconstruction that we are advocating today. Matters that are of purely local concern primary and secondary education, urban sanitation, social welfare, etc. ought to be left to local municipal authorities and only those that have national dimensions should be tackled at the center. In power, an SDF government will begin this process of decentralisation and devolution. Municipal councils will be allowed to operate the way even the present flawed Constitution envisages. Local government will be run by elected councils under the leadership of an elected mayor who shall be the chief executive. The imposition of un-elected Government Delegates as a means of circumventing the will of the people will be a thing of the past. A regional local government ministry shall be responsible for ensuring that municipal councils operate within their jurisdictional limits. FELLOW DELEGATES,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, Permit me to say a word or two about official corruption, a cancer that has gnawed into the marrow of our society leaving all of us the worse off. The SDF is determined to stamp out this pestilence. Those who engage in such criminality must be seen for what they really are: economic saboteurs out to keep the rest of us in perpetual economic bondage. Without mincing words, let me declare here today in Buea, on the foothills of the imposing Mount Fako, that responsible public officials who have engaged in massive and systematic pillage of the national wealth will be probed by Commissions of Inquiry set up immediately we accede to power. No longer will it be permissible and defensible to go only after corruption by low level officials while turning a blind eye to the excesses of high ranking State officials. The full weight of the law will be brought to bear on those found guilty of acts of economic sabotage. JUDICIAL REFORMS An SDF government will not shy away from applying new approaches to solve old problems. One of our major preoccupation shall be the overhauling of the Judiciary. For presently our justice system is weak and ineffective a new Constitution will protect our bi-jural legal system, guarantee the independence of the judiciary which together with Parliament and the Executive will constitute three separate but co-equal pillars of our system of government. Sweeping changes will be introduced in the judiciary to make it more efficient and transparent. The politicisation of the administration of justice will cease. Courts will be presided over by trained and experienced judges and magistrates who enjoy life-time tenure. They will be expected to dispense justice quickly and swiftly without fear or favour. A major review of our laws will be undertaken. Outmoded ones will be hurriedly discarded and received laws will be indigenised to suit our circumstances and particular needs. To cite but one example. There is cause to believe that outdated land tenure laws are at the root of the farmer-grazer conflicts in some parts of the North West Province. A revised law will recognise and protect land rights for both agriculturalists and pastoralist ensuring that both have access to land adequate for their conflicting needs. This can be done. It will be done. It must be done. FELLOW DELEGATES I am convinced that the 21st century will increasingly be preoccupied with issues of human rights and democratisation. We must prepare for this challenge. Accordingly, under an SDF Government, fundamental human rights and freedoms will be guaranteed consistent with our international treaty obligations and protected under our new Constitution. These rights shall be justiciable. Swift and decisive action will be taken against those who, acting in their official capacity, violate the fundamental rights of anyone within the territory of Cameroon. Under our constitutional scheme fundamental rights and freedoms will be non-derogable except under, hopefully, rare and carefully circumscribed circumstances, such as, in time of public emergency which threatens the life of the Cameroon nation. THE CIVIL SOCIETY The SDF continues to strive to transform itself into Cameroon in miniature. Our party is a Bakweri party as much as it is a Foulbe party, a Bamileke party, a Sawa party, an Ewondo party, a Bafut party because it is a party for and by Cameroonians. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, The SDF has spread the welcome mat to receive all Cameroonians to its fold. This is because we believe that our rich ethno-cultural diversity is a national asset to be tapped and not a liability to be avoided. In the SDF we celebrate diversity and not condemn it. We do not share the view that national integration necessarily means homogenisation; nor that national unity should be equated with national uniformity. Cameroon is for us a mosaic, a Joseph's coat of sorts, in which all the brilliant colours represent our multiple tribal, cultural and linguistic groups. In fact, like a PEACOCK. We want you to take pride in being Banyang, Bakossi, Bamoun or Duala and why not Baba but we shall not stay quiet and watch unscrupulous politicians and traditional rulers exploit these differences for political mileage. We shall condemn as anti-democratic and anti-Cameroonian any attempts at exploiting parochial sentiments in a bid to pit Cameroonians against Cameroonians. What we preach and practice in our party are the lessons we hope to put into effect once in office. Our goal shall be one of breaking down the walls of hatred, bitterness and envy that separate Cameroonians. Walls will be replaced with bridges that reach across the ethno-cultural divides in order to bring Cameroonians closer to each other. In an SDF government people will be rewarded on the basis of their abilities and contribution to national reconstruction not area of origin. An SDF government will use the government-controlled media to inform and educate the people not as instruments of propaganda to sell a particular party line. Under the SDF, CRTV shall cease to be a medium for projecting the traditions and cultures of favoured ethnic groups to the exclusion of others. CRTV programmes under our government will reflect all the peoples and cultures of Cameroon in their fullest splendour. PARTY ORGANISATION If our political adversaries had their way the SDF would never have seen the light of day. From the time we stepped on the political stage, they have waged a relentless campaign to discredit, destabilise and destroy our party and to break down our spirit as a fighting people. Through it all we have remained steadfast and resolute in our determination to lead Cameroon into a new dawn. As W.E.B. DuBois reminded his fellow African-Americans half a century ago: "There is in this world no such force as the force of a man determined to rise. The human soul cannot be permanently chained." Indeed, the trials and tribulations we have all endured have only succeeded in producing a stronger and more dynamic SDF party. We can all be proud of this. When the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King once observed that "the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy," he must have had in mind the militants of SDF. I feel compelled, however, to draw your attention to some disquieting trends that many have observed within the party. If we fail to address these concerns now, we risk doing what our political rivals have failed to achieve in six years. If some of the problems that now plague us do not get resolved in a timely manner, we may end up watching helplessly as the SDF destroys itself from within. Every political organisation must subject itself to a process of continuous re-assessment lest it lose sight of its mission. This normally occurs through robust and vigorous debates as well as sustained periods of self-reflection and self-criticism. I believe that such internal criticism is fine, particularly when it leads to needed improvements in the party. I believe also that debates within party structures should be encouraged and protected provided, of course, that they take place within well-defined bounds and are constructive. We should also expect as a matter of course that debates and internal reflections about the party lead to disagreements. But it would be wrong and counterproductive, FELLOW DELEGATES, if disagreements resulting from our internal debates are allowed to threaten the life of the party. This becomes the case when dissent is treated as heresy. The SDF is big enough to accommodate different viewpoints. We should not over-react to every critical statement made by a member and use that as a ground for expulsion from the party. We should not immediately assume that any member who questions the party line or who challenges party orthodoxy is a fifth columnist planted in our midst and out to destroy the SDF from within. We should as much as possible not spend precious time and energy searching for enemies, real and imagined, within the SDF house. A political party that cannot withstand self-scrutiny is condemned to a brief and un-memorable life-span. I think it is time the world saw the other face of the SDF-- the party of tolerance, moderation, forgiveness and reconciliation. Remember that how we treat our members gives an indication of what others can expect of an SDF government. The SDF must lead by example. Our party cannot preach democracy and freedom of speech while stifling open debates within its ranks and expelling members who dare to criticise it. It cannot promise one thing to Cameroonians then practice something else within its own internal organs. Finally, FELLOW DELEGATES, the Buea Convention would not have completed its historic mission, if it adjourned without setting up a TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION COMMISSION. This Commission will be asked to review and act on the applications of former comrades who now wish to re-join the SDF fold as well as members of other progressive political parties who wish to be absorbed into our great party. We shall need all hands on deck to weather the dark clouds and raging storms looming ahead of us. It is time, FELLOW DELEGATES, to close ranks and reunite the social democratic family. Help me bring this about. THE ECONOMY Contrary, official pronouncements, the Cameroon economy is still on a free fall and is liable to crash land unless some bold and innovative measures are taken to rescue it. The SDF has already taken up this challenge and has prepared a detailed economic programme of action which was made public a few days ago. Wasted Human Resources Any programme to rescue our distressed economy should begin by drawing upon the resources that are available to us. We are blessed with enormous human resources much of which is under-utilised. We export more trained manpower than probably any other country in our region. This brain drain must be stopped because it deprives our economy of some of the best minds that are needed to jump start it. Our government will therefore press into the service of the economy every able-bodied adult Cameroonian. In this vein, we shall tap from the pool of experience and knowledge in the possession of our retired compatriots. We shall make of retirement as merely the beginning of a hopeful future and not an end to one's professional usefulness to society. Our unemployment and under-employment rates are unacceptably high. Hardest hit are our youths-- the thousands of school leavers and university graduates-- who wish to enter the job market every year. It is sad that at a time when Cameroon needs all her skilled talents our universities are busy dismissing students who dare to voice an opinion. They have made of them political refugees all over the world! Employment generation will be high on our list of priorities. However, we recognise that Government alone cannot absorb the high number of workers entering or re-entering the labour force. Therefore, the private sector will be involved in the task of job creation. We shall work hard to secure the participation of the private sector through a mix of tax holidays and other investment incentives. In the final analysis the most effective incentive for attracting and keeping both domestic and foreign investors is a wholesome business environment. This we shall provide by simplifying the investment procedures to make them more investor-friendly. The SDF government shall review with a view to completely overhauling the system of taxation. The intention of this review and overhaul is to make it more equitable, affordable and collectible. Gone are the days of arbitrary taxation and favoured treatment on account of one's area of origin and favouritism. Once in office our government will enact legislation giving powers to local authorities for the collection and use within the local authority areas such taxes that are not within the jurisdiction of the central government. In addition, prospective investors will be encouraged to invest in neglected areas of the economy such as our underdeveloped tourism industry. To induce them to invest we shall review the present Investment Code with a view toward making it more attractive to both local and foreign investors. Special benefits will be available for businesses that use our natural resources without destroying the environment, for example, reduced rates for utilities, namely, electricity and water. This envisaged public and private sector partnership is by no means the only way to generate employment opportunities. Cameroonians themselves can be of tremendous assistance. The battle for the economy shall be waged on several fronts and should involve both the formal and informal sectors. The vast majority of our compatriots operate within the informal sector. This fact must be recognised and appropriate strategies devised to strengthen this sector. FELLOW DELEGATES Self-reliant development shall be a central tenet in our economic development programme. Cameroonians must learn to do for themselves and not rely exclusively on Government for their economic survival. We see signs that this is already the case. The economic crisis has done more for subsistence agriculture than decades of the so-called Green Revolution ever accomplished. We have all become a nation of farmers, entrepreneurs and bayam-sellams relying on our industry and creativity to weather this passing economic storm. But self-reliance must become a permanent feature in the way all Cameroonians organise their lives not just some passing phenomenon. Government will encourage and assist in the expansion of cottage industries which now provide employment opportunities for many Cameroonians. In this vein, emphasis will be placed on the creation of small- and medium-sized businesses and Cameroonian businessmen abroad encouraged to return home and invest. Legislation will be enacted to guarantee the protection of investors and their property. Under an SDF government, laws shall be effectively enforced. The External Debt Problem The pressure on the economy could be eased to a certain extent if our heavy external debt burden is lifted. Once in office, we intend to pursue several options: enter into negotiations with our foreign creditors, sovereign as well as commercial for debt relief either in the form of outright cancellation or a moratorium on debt servicing; live within our means; explore workable debt conversion tools (debt-debt swaps, debt-equity swaps and debt-FCFA swaps); and devise strategies to lure back stolen national wealth banked abroad in safe-haven States. EXTERNAL RELATIONS The cornerstone of our foreign policy shall be the pursuit of Cameroon's permanent interests. Under an SDF government, external friendships and alliances will be determined by the degree to which they advance our vital national interests. Much has been made of a world that has increasingly become a village and characterised by growing interdependence. However, this notion of global interdependence should not become another euphemism for domination of the poorer and weaker members of the world community by the more prosperous and powerful. It should not be used as an excuse for reinforcing the conventional global division of labour which relegates the poor southern hemisphere nations to the role of raw materials producer while reserving for the already affluent northern hemisphere the role of pacesetter in industrial and technological development. Above all, in acknowledging that states have become even more interdependent in their relations is not to suggest that we shall subordinate our sovereign national interests to some amorphous global interests. Cameroon will always come first in our scheme of things. An SDF government will respect all our international treaty commitments and will reaffirm Cameroon's determination to engage in friendly and cooperative relations with other States in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations. History and geography have conspired to place Cameroon within three major geopolitical orbits: African, British and French. We do not intend to turn our backs on this triple heritage, rather, we intend to profit from it. We shall accordingly strive to maintain and strengthen our historical ties with the Francophonie world as well as the Commonwealth of Nations. This goal shall be pursued through a framework of mutual respect and partnership. We shall also reach out to the developing economies of Asia, Central and Latin America, the Caribbean, Eastern and Central Europe with whom we share so much in common yet know so little of each other. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN The government that will take Cameroon into the year 2000 and beyond must seek to multiply our trading ties with the outside world. Under the SDF leadership the emphasis will be on trade not aid. Free trade fosters a spirit of partnership and cooperation while aid encourages and deepens our dependency to donor countries and undermines our self-esteem and dignity. Trade on mutually favourable terms leaves us free to exercise permanent sovereignty over our vast natural resources and permits us to decide what, when and how these resources will be exchanged for the things we need. Under an SDF government, Cameroon shall not only be a nation of buyers but also a nation of sellers, not only be a nation of consumers but also a nation of producers and exporters. We have the resources and can do it. Cameroon is an African nation and quite naturally events in our continent are of primary interest to us. An SDF government will reaffirm Cameroon's commitment to pan-African solidarity. Indeed, the pan-African dream is already a reality in Cameroon. We live it daily through our over 200 ethnic and linguistic groups representing all the major African civilisations. In addition, Cameroonians speak two most widely-spoken languages in Africa: French and English, which are also the official languages of our immediate neighbours. The many ties of trade and culture that bind us to our neigbours will be strengthened and maintained through regional cooperative arrangements. Under the SDF, Cameroon intends to be actively involved, as opposed to our past history of sporadic and episodic involvement, in intra-continental activities. Within the framework of the Organisation of African Unity, Cameroon shall play a proactive role and not a reactive one to unfolding events in the continent. In this vein, we shall press into service our tried and tested policy of preventive diplomacy where the focus has been on isolating the problem and then nipping it in the bud before it spins out of control. As we have repeatedly stated, our preference is for the peaceful resolution of intra-continental conflicts. While we recognise that conflicts will not stop from re-curring, we shall be willing to join in efforts to structure an effective framework for containing intra-continental conflicts. Hopefully, such a framework will draw heavily on traditional African conflict-resolution techniques. But we shall not stop here. An SDF government will also be interested in addressing the root causes of violent conflicts in Africa, such as a lack of dialogue and a democratic culture. In fact, it will be actively involved in all conflict prevention, management and resolution. We observe with sadness and regret that at a time when other African States have been honoured Cameroon by entrusting her with the leadership of the continent, Cameroon has proved totally incapable, by her inaction, to comprehend let alone resolve the many serious conflictual situations prevailing in Africa. Why is it that Africans are increasingly turning to violence as a means of resolving their problems. We strongly believe that people will resort to violence if they are denied meaningful participation in making decisions that affect their daily lives. The denial of basic rights in general and the right to a dignified life, and I stress the dignified, is at the root of many of Africa's problems. Governments and the ruling elites have ridden roughshod over the rights of the people they have been elected to lead. People have been reduced to objects and mere spectators to their life drama as it is played out before their own eyes. An SDF government intends to re-define the role of government in its relationship to the citizenry. Government will be a joint enterprise between the State and the People. We shall place the human being at the center of our development efforts and involve him in the formulation of policies and programmes. When we say "power to the people", we mean just that; sovereignty resides with the people and government is there to manage in the most effective and efficient manner that which best advances the peoples interests. Man therefore shall be the driving force whose commanding presence shall determine what form, shape and direction our policies take. He shall shape our development efforts and as befitting one who is the ultimate beneficiary of such policies - it is to him then that our government shall be accountable. The dignified life we wish for all Africans cannot become a reality without accompanying guarantees of security. An SDF government shall ensure that security of both person and property shall be provided to all Cameroonians. CONCLUDING REMARKS FELLOW DELEGATES,
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN I have been careful not to minimise the task that lies ahead; it is immense. But, I am convinced, nevertheless, that together we can solve most, if not, all of these seemingly intractable problems. In keeping with our motto of "Power to the People," as we embark on this long journey to recovery, you, the people, will be consulted and kept informed at each step of the way. In other words, let's start this journey with a full tank. Your input will be sought and our feedback periodically provided to you. But you know that we shall remain always answerable to you. Though the present looks dark and foreboding, ahead lies a future full of hope and opportunity. FELLOW DELEGATES,
FELLOW CAMEROONIANS,
LET US NOW JOIN HANDS AND WITH OUR HEADS HELD HIGH WALK TOGETHER INTO OUR FUTURE OF HOPE.
LONG LIVE THE SDF!
GOD BLESS CAMEROON!!
The end
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