The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) met on July 12, 2003 in Bamenda under the chairmanship of the National Chairman, NI John FRU NDI, to discuss issues concerning the party, the national and international scenes and took the following resolutions.

ON THE PARTY:

• Considering the Constitution and Internal Regulations of the SDF ;
• Considering the resolutions of the Yaounde-1999 and the Bamenda-2001 Conventions of the party ;
• Considering previous NEC resolutions ;
• Considering the reports of the Provincial Chairpersons of the party ;

THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:;

• Adopts the reports of the NEC Commissions from the field ;
• Confirms the decisions of the various elective conferences presided over by the NEC commissions in the following party structures :

a) For the South West Province : Fako and Ndian Divisional Coordinations and the South West Province with Mr. Joshua N. Osih as the new Provincial Chairman ;
b) For the Littoral Province : Electoral Districts in Wouri, Wouri Divisional Coordination and the Littoral Province with Mr. Jean-Michel Nitcheu as the new Provincial Chairman ;
c) For the West Province : Baffoussam Urban Electoral District and Mifi Divisional Coordination ;

• Congratulates the members of the new executive committees for their brilliant election at these conferences ;
• Warns Captain Eyoubwan Brunot against continuing with the confusion he is fanning in Douala IV (Bonaberi) Electoral District following the elective conference, or else, he will face disciplinary sanctions ;
• Warns Deffo Oumbe Sangong, the newly elected District Chairperson of Bafoussam Urban Electoral District against making any further provocative and insulting press statements against the hierarchy of the party in the West Province ;
• Decides to sanction the following militants of the party because of the violence and destruction caused by them during the elective conference of the Bafoussam Urban Electoral District :

a) Kengni Kayo David, Tagne Jean-de-Dieu, Sukam Pierre and Sonkeng Antoine : suspended from the party for six months for close observation ; directs them to replace the working material of the NEC commission they destroyed before July 31, 2003 ;
b) Tegoufack Leonard Charles : Suspended from the party for six months for close observation ;

• Warmly congratulates members and sympathiser of the Party for the successful celebration of the 13th anniversary of the SDF on May 26, 2003 ;

ON THE NATIONAL SCENE:;

• Considering the non-respect of the electoral law in the pre-electoral operations presently going on in the field ;
• Considering the May 20, 2003 celebrations ;
• Considering the confiscation of the public media by the CPDM party ;
• Considering the June 2003 Parliamentary session ;
• Considering the position of Cameroon in the report of Transparency International ;
• Considering the murder of a moto-taximan in Douala and the resultant consequences ;
• Considering the death of Marc Vivien Foe ;

THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

• Notes with serious concern that now, like in the past, the electoral laws are not being respected in the field for the pre-electoral operations like the computerisation of voters’ lists and polling stations, revision of electoral registers, etc. ;
• Recalls that the revision of electoral registers lasts from January 1 to December 31 each year, and notes with regret that this is not being respected in the field ;
• Recalls that the voters’ registers under revision are supposed to be available for consultation by the public in Council, sub-divisional and district offices, but notes with regret that the registers are not available to the public and remain the private property of the DO and SDO ;
• Recalls that there is supposed to be a register in every sub-Divisional or District office for citizens who do not find their names in the old registers to apply for their names to be included in the electoral registers, but notes with regret that such registers are not available to the public all over the country ;
• Recalls that the referees in the field during the preparation of pre-electoral operations are Council Supervisory Commissions and the Divisional Suypervisory Commissions, which are permanent commissions, but notes with regret that these commissions are absent from the field all over the country ;
• Notes with regret that citizens neither receive their electoral cards upon being registered nor any document to show that they have been registered ;
• Notes with regret that following the revision of the electoral registers, the actual establishment of the revised registers is done alone by the DO with a few of his cronies, resulting in multiple entries for some voters and the complete exclusion of other voters, as well as the chaotic attribution of polling stations to some voters ; all this is a conscious preparation of chaos and confusion on polling day, like in the past ;
• Consequently, all SDF representatives in all Commissions for all pre-election operations should insist on the following pre-conditions for their participation :

a) the availability to the public of the registers under revision in the places determined by the law ;
b) the availability to the public of ledgers ( registers) in places determined by the law, for those who do not find their names in the electoral registers under revision, to record their request for registration at their convenience ;
c) the effective presence in the field of the permanent commissions to resolve conflicts that arise during these important pre-electoral activities ;
d) the official participation of the SDF in the establishment of the final registers to be used during the up-coming elections ;

• Considers all revision of electoral registers without these basic pre-conditions as a ploy by the MINAT/D to re-enact the chaos, confusion and massive fraud of the twin-elections of 30 June 2002 during the up-coming elections ;
• Considers the CPDM party solely responsible for the mismanagement of the electoral system in Cameroon and the consequences of such mismanagement on the future of peace and stability in our country ;
• Warmly thanks all friends of Cameroon who are insisting on the necessity for the improvement of the electoral system in Cameroon as a pre-emptive measure for the maintenance of peace and harmony in Cameroon ;
• Warmly thanks militants and sympathiser of the SDF for their remarkable participation in the march past of May 20, 2003 ;
• Regrets the primitive reactions of some public officials who either tried to prevent the SDF from marching or escaped from the tribune as the SDF approached it ;
• Takes note of the declaration of a journalist of CRTV after the event, that the SDF would not go unpunished for their remarkable performance during the march past ;
• Considers the heightened harassment and economic and physical reprisals against SDF militants and sympathisers all over the country, as a fulfilment of this promise ;
• Notes with regret that the CPDM party has converted the public media (CRTV and Cameroon Tribune) to channels for its propaganda, to the extent that CPDM activities enjoy wide coverage and generous airtime and space in the media, to the virtual exclusion of activities of opposition political parties ;
• Notes that this abuse, added to the abuse of the public service, state property like vehicles and other equipment, as well as public buildings, constitute illegal use of public resources for private ends ;
• Notes with regret that the June Session of Parliament, once more turned its back on urgent national issues, and manifested indifference to the needs and aspirations of Cameroonians ;
• Calls on the SDF Parliamentary Group and all other patriotic representatives of the people to exploit all avenues available in the Constitution and the Standing Orders of the House to expose the undemocratic nature of the National Assembly and the excessive interference of the Executive in the functioning of the Legislative arm of Government ;
• Congratulates Transparency International for once more drawing our attention to the evils of corruption in our society ;
• Once more draws attention to the refusal of the CPDM government to implement Section 66 of the 1996 Constitution on the declaration of assets, which is clear proof of the government’s unwillingness to seriously fight against corruption in our society ;
• Considers the classification of Cameroon among the most corrupt countries as further evidence that the various anti-corruption squads manned by civil servants and cronies of the regime who, in the first place, are the primary agents of corruption in our society, are ineffective in fighting against the scourge ;
• Once more reminds the security forces and the government that they are not above the law ;
• Notes with deep regret that some members of the security forces regularly commit unlawful killings and are usually responsible for disappearances ; and that they usually also torture, beat and abuse citizens with impunity ;
• Regrets that one of such abuses resulted in the death of a moto-taximan in Douala on July 9, 2003 and the consequent violent confrontations between the police and the moto-taximen ;
• Considers this lawlessness within the security forces and the daily extortion of money from road users as a ploy of of the illegitimate CPDM regime to buy support from the security forces in order to remain in power against the will of the people ;
• Encourages the security forces in Cameroon to identify the bad elements in their midst for punishment in order to convert their services into enviable professions in which citizens serve the interest of the country with respect for human dignity ;
• Deeply regrets the death of Marc Vivien Foe, one of our valiant Indomitable Lions ;
• Joins other Cameroonians to declare him a national hero ;
• Congratulates the leadership of the SDF for its active participation in the ceremonies related to the burial of the fallen Lion ;
• Renews the messages of condolence and compassion of the SDF to the Foe family, the Indomitable Lions and FECAFOOT ;
• Warmly congratulates the Indomitable Lions for their brilliant performance at the Confederation Cup, in spite of this loss of Marc Vivien Foe ;

ON THE INTERNATIONAL SCENE :

• Considering the recent Transparency International (TI) report ;
• Considering the meeting of the African Union in Maputo ;
• Considering the International Union of Socialist Youth (IUSY) Festival 2003 in Greece ;

THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE :

• Congratulates TI for their excellent work in sensitising our societies on the serious consequences of corruption ;
• Calls on the international community to make the production and implementation of a credible strategy paper for the fight against corruption or the adoption of an anti-corruption charter, as one of the benchmarks of the strategy for the reduction of poverty ;
• Notes with pride and satisfaction, the marked evolution towards effective African Unity ;
• Warmly congratulates President Alpha Konare for his brilliant election as the first President of the African Union ;
• Confirms Hon. Nsanyuy Audu as the representative of the SDF in the IUSY, in replacement of Mr. Bayemy Biyick ; he will lead the delegation of the SDF to the Festival-2003 of IUSY in Greece from 23 to 29 July 2003 ;

The next NEC meeting will hold on September 20, 2003. It will be preceded on Friday September 19, 2003 by the Chairpersons’ and Head of Departments’ meeting.

Bamenda, July 12, 2003

NI John FRU NDI
National Chairman

The end

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