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PART TWO
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL PROGRAMME
- AGRICULTURE AND ANIMAL HUSBANDRY
The SDF shall ensure diversification of agricultural productivity; explore new markets for agricultural products; encourage basic methods of transformation and preservation of agricultural products. The SDF shall improve upon animal husbandry and industries.
- CURRENT ECONOMIC CRISIS
The SDF shall further adopt an entirely new and humane approach in dealing with the country's serious economic crisis. Its strategy will include a national debate on this burning issue.
- DEFENSE
The SDF shall ensure that the armed forces remain a non-political and neutral national institution. It shall improve the working and living conditions of all members of the armed forces, ameliorate retirement conditions, and ensure that the armed forces are productive and have the necessary combat capabilities to defend the nation.
- DEVELOPMENT
- ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
The SDF shall ensure the equitable utilisation of the country's resources for development benefiting all citizens and all parts of the Country.
- RURAL DEVELOPMENT
The SDF shall ensure the supply of clean and potable water; create planned layouts as well as provide electricity and recreational facilities in villages; establish Health Centres, Community Centres, Schools, especially nursery and adult schools. The SDF shall ensure the development of cottage and artisanal industries; create and enhance rural financial institutions to mobilize rural savings; provide a credit system for food production and improve rural infrastructure.
- URBAN DEVELOPMENT
The SDF shall improve the development of cities and undertake proper town planning, urban renewal, slum clearance, sewage treatment and garbage disposal. The SDF shall ensure the provision of decent and low cost housing. The SDF shall create a Mortgage and Housing Corporation; encourage a free market mortgage system so that persons who contribute to it may take part in the decision making. The SDF shall initiate financial measures that would direct sufficient resources into housing to meet present demands for decent low cost housing. It shall abolish "CREDIT FONCIER". The SDF shall ensure the creation and development of satellite towns.
- BANKING AND FINANCE
- BANKING
The SDF shall create a National Bank and encourage individual initiative in the banking sector.
- FINANCE
The SDF shall simplify and ensure a fair tax system for all citizens. All revenues including oil revenues and all reserves shall be shown on the National budget. It shall explore all avenues to generate the necessary revenue to meet its social programme.
- AUDIT DEPARTMENT
The SDF shall create or ensure the creation of an Audit Department which shall be responsible only to Parliament. It shall abolish the present corrupt and ineffective State Inspectorate System.
- TRADE AND INDUSTRY
The SDF shall ensure a fair distribution of industries throughout the national territory; liberalize Cameroon's international trade by making our products competitive. The SDF shall encourage a sustainable free market economy.
- EDUCATION
The SDF shall ensure free, compulsory, universal nursery and primary education and shall introduce a National Education Rate; ensure a comprehensive, quality secondary education; create more vocational and technical schools. It shall reform and improve university education and students welfare; create more universities and post secondary institutions and encourage the creation of quality private institutions of higher learning. The SDF shall completely review and improve the conditions of service of teachers at all levels to reflect their important role in society.
- ELECTIONS
The SDF shall ensure the creation of an independent NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION charged with organising, conducting, supervising and proclaiming the results of all elections.
- ENVIRONMENT
The SDF shall fight against the degradation of the environment, and through planned development, create better living surroundings. It shall provide public parks and recreational grounds. To this end, the SDF shall reintroduce the system of sanitary inspection.
- FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The SDF shall pursue a dynamic foreign policy which respects the sovereignty of States. It shall observe and respect all bilateral and multilateral Conventions to which Cameroon is a signatory and which are not prejudicial to our national interests. It shall fight against all forms of foreign domination; shall co-operate with all friendly countries and work to ensure the peaceful resolution of disputes.
- GOVERNMENT
- CENTRAL GOVERNMENT
The SDF shall set up a dynamic, incorruptible and democratic government that is humane, efficient, effective and more responsible to the needs of the Country and people. It shall ensure public accountability by all public officials. The SDF shall ensure the creation of an autonomous Public Service Commission which itself shall ensure that merit is the only criterion for recruitment, appointment and promotion in the Public Service. It shall ensure the simplification and efficient processing of all documents.
- LOCAL GOVERNMENT
The SDF shall ensure the establishment and effective functioning of representative local government in Cameroon.
- HEALTH
The objective of the SDF's health policy is to have a healthier and happier citizenry with a longer life expectancy. The SDF shall ensure the provision of basic medical care and services, free medical consultation; introduce a National Health Programme, and institute a health rate. It shall provide free health care for children, students, the unemployed, elderly and handicapped people. In addition the SDF shall introduce a unified National Medical care service and a National Health Insurance Scheme. The SDF shall rehabilitate and reform medical training and the medical profession, and improve the conditions of work for medical doctors and paramedical employees to reflect the importance of their role in society. It shall promote and encourage the practice of traditional medicine and health care, and ensure that all medical professional bodies are autonomous.
- INFORMATION AND CULTURE
The SDF shall revive, improve and maintain arts centres, museums, archives, national and municipal libraries; it shall provide cultural centres equipped for theatre and other cultural activities; encourage a free and responsible press and safeguard the freedom of expression, encourage diversity of cultural expression and guard against the dangers of government and/or commercial control of the media. The SDF shall implement and pursue a policy of effective bilingualism at all levels of national life, and ensure the introduction of multi-channel system over Radio and Television.
It shall create a climate of comprehension, confidence, justice and liberty in which Cameroon's national cultures shall thrive and flourish.
- LABOUR AND SOCIAL INSURANCE
The SDF shall embrace and defend full and gainful employment as a national policy objective and shall ensure the protection of both workers and employers. It shall encourage the creation of independent trade unions.
The SDF shall introduce and defend a system of unemployment insurance, and shall review the present pension schemes to ensure that inequalities and bureaucratic delays in payments are eliminated. It shall review and improve unemployment benefits, accident, sickness and disability compensations and family allowances.
- LAW AND ORDER
- CRIME
The SDF shall embark on a relentless fight against all manner of crimes.
- HUMAN RIGHTS
The SDF shall ensure the protection and enhancement of human rights and civil liberties as an indispensable part of a wider democracy.
- INDEPENDENT JUDICIARY AND BAR
The SDF shall establish and ensure the existence of a free independent and effective Judiciary and Bar.
- POLICE
The SDF shall revamp police training and improve the lot of the policeman. It shall review emigration and immigration policy to ensure the security and protection of both nationals and aliens. The SDF shall abolish exit visa requirements for all Cameroonians as well as repatriation fees for students.
- PRISONS
The SDF shall improve on the conditions in prisons and on the working conditions of prisons officials.
- NATURAL RESOURCES
- FISHERY
The SDF shall develop and improve on the fishing industry.
- FORESTRY AND WILD LIFE
The SDF shall conserve, afforestate, protect and regenerate and rationally exploit the forest resources; conserve and protect wild life and endangered species.
- HYDRO POWER
The SDF shall ensure controlled exploitation and maximum use of hydro power to provide cheap electricity to industrial and private consumers.
- MINERALS AND PETROLEUM
The SDF shall intensify research, exploitation of the mineral resources and petroleum to ensure adequate and cheap supply of mineral and petroleum products for industrial and social purposes. The SDF shall review the present high prices of kerosene, petrol and gas.
- WATER
The SDF shall ensure the provision of clean and potable water to towns and villages at cheaper rates.
- RESEARCH
The SDF shall create and strengthen more research institutions; encourage private research and the setting up of private research institutions. It shall ensure that research and researchers are motivated. It shall encourage Cameroonian Engineers and Scientists to adopt a practical approach to their professions.
- TOURISM
The SDF is committed to the encouragement, development and maximum exploitation of our touristic potential. It shall ensure the development of catering and restaurant industry throughout the Country.
- TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS
The SDF shall develop and extend the road network and organise efficient system of road maintenance; shall improve inter-state and regional transportation services; develop and commercialise river and sea transportation on a national and sub-regional basis; improve on air transportation, especially the domestic services. The SDF shall embark on the extension of the railway network to reach other parts of the Country.
The SDF shall encourage local government authorities to operate or encourage the operation of transport services within their areas of jurisdiction.
Local government authorities shall be encouraged to introduce and manage a school bus transport service.
The SDF shall extend and improve upon the existing domestic telephone network; shall review the entire working pattern of the postal and telephone services to ensure greater efficiency. It shall review and simplify the system of motor and driver licensing; and shall remove all constraints which prevent Public Transporters and Taxi drivers from operating with greater efficiency.
- WOMEN
The SDF shall ensure the equality of Women in society. It shall ensure their full involvement and participation in all aspects of national life. The SDF shall enable women in rural areas to have greater access to agricultural credits. It shall ensure a wider literacy rate among women and further ensure that many more women assume greater responsibilities in policy-making in politics, administration, banking and finance.
- YOUTH AND SPORTS
The SDF shall ensure the development of a healthy and productive youth by providing sports and recreational facilities for all in all parts of the Country; shall ensure the independence of sporting clubs and associations. The SDF shall remove all constraining factors that continue to increase the size of the non-schooling population and shall ensure employment of young people.
PROPELLING CAMEROON INTO A PROMISING 21st CENTURY.
The emergence of the SDF comes at a time of unparalleled changes since independence in 1960. A generation of Cameroonians has now grown up prepared to face the challenges of modern science and technology. They have been equipped with the skills and know-how and are eager to be given a chance to demonstrate their capacities in the different fields of human endeavour.
Against the problems brought about by a fast changing world, the SOCIAL DEMOCRATIC FRONT sets its vision for the future. The SDF therefore seeks to bring about a society where everyone can find a place to develop his skills and talents freely without undue restraint by anyone.
This is the spirit of the MANIFESTO. A strong, fair and just society is our goal, and it is certainly within our reach. It is the message of real hope for the future that the SDF puts to the Cameroonian people.
The end
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