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BIYA’S 19TH NEW YEAR SPEECH TO THE NATION
Last year, like during the last 18 years, Mr. Biya
addressed the nation on 31st December. The frequency
of the speeches must be making him to realise that
although a week is a long time in politics, a year can
seem very short indeed! These speeches should be an
occasion for the Head of State to paint a clear
picture of the state of the nation to Cameroonians.
Unfortunately, like the 17 others before it, the
address was based on generalities and sounded like
that of a bystander observing politics from the
sidelines, not that of somebody who is at the helm of
the state. Once more, he preferred to talk about
decades ahead, rather than the years ahead. As we have
said before, the decade is dear to him because he
considers that the time he still has for this
seven-year term of office plus the second term give
him about 10 years, a decade in power. This falls in
the logic of the speech of 1999. It is an effort by
Mr. Biya to ensure that his projections extend into
his “deuxième septennat” (second seven-year term). All
the dragging of feet about putting in place strong
institutions is to ensure that everything remains
under his grip so that nothing unforeseen can happen
to prevent him from enjoying “his” power for at least
another decade.
Mr. Biya focused his address on “the evolution of our
domestic situation”. Although he says he understands
the importance of stability for political, economic
and social progress, he does not seem to understand
the requirements for such stability. Stability is
brought about by an honest, independent and credible
judicial system, a safe environment for economic
development, an impartial elections commission, a
responsive and accountable government. These are
elements that ensure peaceful coexistence and the
promotion of human welfare. The histories of the
Republic of Congo (Zaire), Rwanda, Burundi and other
African countries in conflict have shown that
repressive leaders can use repression to maintain
stability for some time, while sowing seeds of
instability. Sooner or later, instability comes either
during their reign or after they have left the stage.
Instead of saying clearly what he intends to do to
improve our democratic system, he barely says that the
system can be strengthened and perfected. This use of
the conditional once more presents him as a bystander
who is not the cause of the things that happen in the
country. Mr. Biya recently refused to create an
independent electoral commission and instead created
ONEL, which everyone has decried as a toothless
bulldog, incapable of organising free, fair and
credible elections. How else does Mr. Biya intend to
prepare the upcoming elections so that as he says,
they are conducted under the best conditions of calm,
transparency and equity? Or does he just want to
divert attention with speeches?
Judging from his previous speeches, he used to think
that the opposition was part of the problem (dreamers)
in Cameroon, not part of the solution. Is it not
interesting that he now claims that the institutions
are functioning smoothly and that the opposition is
playing their role? And which institutions? Parliament
where he has ensured that the House rules remain those
of the one party days so that Parliament cannot play
its independent role of checking and balancing the
power of the executive? How can the opposition be said
to be doing its work when the administration sees them
as the bad guys while the CPDM is seen as the good
guys?
Mr. Biya is aware that meetings of the opposition are
banned regularly by the administration, he knows that
CRTV authorities regularly censor the programmes of
the SDF. He knows very well that any member of the
opposition is anathema to his regime. In these
conditions, why will politics not degenerate into
confrontation? How can there be a debate of ideas when
Mr. Biya’s CPDM confiscates the public media?
Growth rate, inflation, foreign assets, balance of
payment, new schools, additional teachers, new health
facilities, salary readjustments – all these are
supposed to be talked about with figures to show
clearly whether there has been some improvement or
not. Credible reports have indicated that our country
has regressed to the conditions of the 60s. This was
the time for Mr. Biya to show how far the situation is
improving.
Mr. Biya has ensured that during his reign, Cameroon
has lost the leadership position it enjoyed in the
Central African region. His regular absences from
meetings of the sub-region and other African meetings
give the impression that he treats the region and its
leaders with disdain. This is buttressed by his
complete absence from the African scene where he spent
only 3 days last year while spending some 69 days
outside Africa. Conflict resolution efforts in areas
where there are conflicts are not his concern although
he continues to claim that he has the magic which
keeps his country peaceful and stable! A recent
reaction to this neglect is the choice of Brazzaville
as the capital of the financial market of CEMAC. The
tactless reaction of the Biya government that seems to
give the impression that they will ignore Brazzaville
and operate from Douala can only lead to further
discord in the region. Without working actively to
create the political conditions for integration, how
would a pipeline that carries petrol from Doba to
Kribi create conditions for this? From his foot
dragging on all fronts that talk integration, it is
doubtful if Mr. Biya understands that the next century
will be that of regions and continents, not that of
nations.
There is nothing in what Mr. Biya is doing in Cameroon
that shows that he understands the gravity of the
“numerical gap” and the effect it has on our future
existence as a nation. How does a country as backward
as we are in the new information and communication
technology cope with the knowledge-based service
economy of the new millennium? This is what every
government around the world is spending sleepless
nights thinking about and developing blueprints for.
Again, it is doubtful that Mr. Biya has one.
The 1996 Constitution states in its Section 67(1)
that “the new institutions of the Republic will be put
in place progressively”. Five years after the coming
into force of that constitution, none of the
institutions has been put in place. It is interesting
that in his speech, Mr. Biya still repeats this
provision of the Constitution by stating that
“progress could be made…by gradually (progressively)
putting in place the new institutions provided under
the new Constitution…» So if instituting the new
institutions is progress, why wait all this time? To
Mr. Biya, public interest is not an objective; it is a
constraint. Every act is informed by his instinct for
survival. Like all tyrants, he thinks that if he
genuinely sets out to mend his ways, every small step
he takes towards compromise, towards progress, will
always seem to be a big step backwards for political
stability. He thinks that when he opens up small areas
of political space, only those who want more occupy
them. He thinks that if he divides “his” power, he
will lose it! Better for him to turn around the same
spot until his next decade in power is fully ensured!
It is difficult to explain why in his speech he uses
“region” and “province” interchangeably (“New schools
have been opened in all our regions. We must also
ensure that disparities…do not crop up between our
regions …(leading to)…impoverishment of some of our
provinces…”) Is this meant to confuse us or is it in
the spirit of the new Constitution?
It is said that some one million Cameroonians are
presently sero-positive for AIDS. The number will only
continue to rise! Some experts describe the situation
as a deluge! This is the result of over ten years of
neglect by the BIYA governments. Luckily for us, the
HIPC programme came recently with stringent measures
for the control of the pandemic. As we are reaping the
bitter fruits of the neglect of Mr. Biya in the area
of AIDS, so too shall we reap bitter fruits of the
seeds he has sown in other areas of our lives, be they
corruption, national unity or peace and serenity in
our country.
Governance is a partnership between stakeholders that
include the state, the private sector and civil
society. Governance has to be inclusive, participatory
and democratic because it is about solving problems
and making and implementing decisions that are of
direct interest to the public. When good governance is
practised, citizens develop the capacity and will to
control their own lives and to transform their
societies. Citizens oblige their leaders to be
accountable to them, to be responsive to their
constituencies. They oblige leaders to be transparent
in the way public decisions are made and leaders
selected. The claim about the restoration of public
and individual morality and the implementation of good
governance and anti-corruption strategies mentioned by
Mr. Biya cannot be substantiated. Article 66 of the
Constitution on the declaration of assets by certain
personalities was put there to facilitate the fight
against corruption. His failure to implement this only
goes to confirm the saying that loyalty to friends and
family is strong enough to defeat morality. There can
be cosmetic arrests from time to time and the creation
of some window dressing called a corruption
observatory; all this is meant to provide a screen for
cronies, family and friends to continue their usual
corrupt activities.
Whether it is criticism or giving lessons, this is the
role of the opposition. An opposition party like the
SDF maintains a policy of robust antagonism towards
the government on all fronts. We continuously
criticise and give lessons to government on all policy
issues. This is meant to convince the people that we
can do better than the CPDM so that the people can
give us their confidence at the polls. This is why one
of our strongest points of argument has been the need
to create an independent electoral commission that can
ensure the sacredness of the ballot box. As much as
possible, we try to separate people from policy. But
what do we do when an individual person is said to
have offered 7 billion FCFA of public money to a sect?
What do we do when it is said that an individual
person and his wife have caused the collapse of a
bank? We decry the person for sure! Is this slander
and defamation? It is for the person under attack to
decide, but leaders who have an account to render to
their people must not be allowed to use these concepts
carelessly.
The SDF is presented in the South Province as a
dangerous enemy of the people because it is led by
“anglo-bamis”. Further, you cannot enjoy your civic
rights out of your area of birth in Cameroon because
you are considered an autochthonous person. Under
these circumstances, how do we transcend differences
and leanings to build national unity, which is
indispensable? How do we transcend the policies
developed by the present regime that are not
favourable to the construction of a strong and united
country?
Finally, there is no doubt that the Indomitable Lions
and the Junior Lions brought fame to our country. But
beyond their talent, their team spirit and their
yearning for victory, they enjoyed the services of
good referees and strict, impartial football rules! To
do like them and win like them, we need a level paying
field for all, in all domains, including elections! We
need referees that do not belong to one competing
side; we need rules that do not favour one competitor
against the other. This is true in civil society, it
is true in the private sector and it is true in all
public issues. This is the true mission of good
governance: to provide the people the opportunity to
compete and win or lose without feeling cheated or
favoured!
Mr. Biya must be getting worried that years are
passing like a flash. He must be coming to terms with
saying that time waits for nobody. So he must bow his
head to it because he has no choice! How does he
achieve anything with the same underachievers with
whom he has maintained an exclusionist approach to the
exercise of power for the last 18 years with nothing
concrete to write home about? How does he open up
without jeopardising the possibility of his remaining
in power for at least another decade? These are the
sort of questions that fill his mind as he steps into
the new millennium. They are the reason for his
recurrent bland speeches.
T. Asonganyi
Secretary General of the SDF
January 03, 2001.
The end
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