Resolutions of the SDF National Executive Committee

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) met in Bamenda on 6 November 2004, under the chairmanship of the National Chairman, NI John FRU NDI, to examine issues concerning the party, the national and international scenes and took the following resolutions.

I. ON THE PARTY:

Considering the Constitution and the Internal Regulations of the SDF;
Considering the resolutions of the Yaounde 1999 and the Bamenda 2001 Conventions of the Party and of the Extraordinary Convention of 11 & 12 September 2004;
Considering previous NEC resolutions, especially that of 22 September 2004 ;
Considering reports from the various election commissions, completed by those of the Provincial Chairpersons on the Presidential election of 11 October 2004;
Considering the attitude of some members of the party, who not only refused to support the candidate of the SDF for the presidential election, but went out to campaign against him;

THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

Warmly thanks and congratulates militants and sympathisers of the SDF and all Cameroonians that have been yearning for democratic change in Cameroon, who not only turned out in their numbers to attend the campaign rallies of the SDF candidate across the country, but went out to vote overwhelmingly for Ni John Fru Ndi, SDF candidate for the Presidential election;
Warmly thanks and congratulates all SDF members and structures, especially those abroad, as well as all well-wishers, for the tremendous effort they made towards the Presidential campaign of the SDF;
Indicates that the party is presently reflecting on further actions;
Decides to suspend Barrister Ndongla Wilfred from his position of Legal Adviser of the SDF for conflict of interest;
Decides to end the co-option of Mr. Takougang Jean as a NEC member for doubtful behaviour in the Divisional Supervisory Commission of Mfoundi;
Takes note, in conformity with Sections 8.2 and 18.4 of the SDF Constitution, of the auto-exclusion of the following members for campaigning against the candidate of the SDF:
Mr. Mouafo Pierre, 1st Assistant Secretary General of the SDF;
Mr. Lozenou Nana Jean Paul, former Mayor of Douala II Urban Council;
Kengne Kayo David, Councillor in Bafoussam Urban Council;
Tagne Jean de Dieu, Councillor in Bafoussam Urban Council;
Tigoufack Léon Charles, Councillor in Bafoussam Urban Council;
Tadah Zacharie, Councillor in Bafoussam Urban Council.

II. ON THE NATIONAL SCENE:

Considering the Presidential election of 11 October 2004;
Considering the results proclaimed by the Supreme Court;
Considering the ruling of the Supreme Court, sitting as the Constitutional Council on the petition of the SDF for the cancellation of the election;
Considering the post-election violence in different towns of the country, and other happenings;
Considering the experiences of the SDF in political groupings like “Directoire”, ARC-CNS, Union for Change, FAC, and more recently, the CNRR;
Considering the odious murder by the Fon of Balikumbat, of Comrade John Kohtem, Electoral District Chairman of SDF Balikumbat;
Considering the recent public appearances of the Fon at the last Presidential election in Balikumbat and at the swearing in ceremony of Mr. Biya;

THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

Once more affirms that the results proclaimed by the Supreme Court sitting as the Constitutional Council, are not representative of the will of the people, since the polling station reports across the country were so manipulated by the Administrative authorities that the intention of those who voted was no longer reflected in the final result;

Regrets the confusion caused by this manipulation, as highlighted by published figures that cannot add up, or the results from Boyo Division which are only represented by the results of Fundong Sub-Division;

Regrets that this outcome only worsens the prospects of Cameroon because it fails to ensure durable peace and stability and reinforces the feeling that political alternance cannot come through the ballot box;

Regrets that the weaknesses highlighted in the electoral system since 1992 by the National Democratic Institute (NDI), the Commonwealth, the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) and other international and local election observers were again the same weaknesses and more, that marred the 11 October 2004 presidential election, as highlighted by the reports of the Commonwealth and other international and local observers;

Regrets that the National Elections Observatory (NEO), set up to supervise and control the electoral process, plays the role of observer rather than supervisor and controller, mainly because it lacks the judicial authority, and financial, human and material resources, as well as adequate time to play a significant role in the field, since its national and local members are always appointed late;

Regrets that of some 8 million Cameroonians above 20 years of age, less than 4.7 million were registered to vote, with thousands of them having multiple entries;

Calls for an immediate population census, announced by the administration long before the presidential election, but not implemented;

Once more, calls for the creation of an independent elections management body in Cameroon, as recommended on several occasions by the SDF and the Opposition in Cameroon, as well as local and international elections observers, and the conference of experts on elections, governance and democracy organised by the African Union in May 2004;

Once more, calls for the computerisation of the electoral process to rationalise the registration of voters and the placement of polling stations;

Notes that the petitions of the SDF were duly signed by the Legal Advisers of SDF candidate Ni John Fru Ndi, in conformity with the law regulating the legal profession which authorises lawyers to assist and represent their clients in justice, engage and sign petitions on behalf of the client; and with the law laying down conditions governing election to the presidency of the Republic;

Notes that these laws were not abrogated by the one creating and laying down conditions for the functioning of the Constitutional Council;

Notes that by Sections 42 and 45 of the law laying down conditions for the organisation and functioning of the Constitutional Council, the petitions of SDF candidate Ni John Fru Ndi conformed with the law;

Takes note of the violation of the law by the Supreme Court, sitting in place of the Constitutional Council;

Vehemently condemns the violence perpetrated on SDF and other opposition militants in Santa, Kumba, Ekona, Lomié, Zoetele and other places in the country because of their having voted for the SDF candidate Ni John Fru Ndi, or another candidate other than Mr. Biya;

Calls on the CPDM regime and the government to put an end to these post-electoral provocation and harassment of SDF militants, especially Mr. Kwende Sylvester and Mr. Achiri Isaac, against whom, arrest warrants have been issued for trumped up charges;

Vehemently condemns the inflammatory declarations of Mr. Otto Wilson, SDO of Meme Division, and Mr. Caven Nnoko Mbele, Government Delegate of Kumba Urban Council, to the effect that the Bafaws should attack and kill “strangers” in Kumba over farmland conflicts;

Is aware that the self-serving tracts being circulated in Bamenda and other parts of the country are fabricated by barons of the CPDM, to gain favours as “martyrs” of the CPDM, while tarnishing the image of the SDF;

Reaffirms the warning of the SDF against members of the party who may be carrying out secret negotiations to join the CPDM government; in this wise, any member of the party who joins the government behind the back of the SDF will be considered as having lost their membership of the party under Section 8.2 of the party’s constitution;

Empowers the National Chairman of the SDF as the sole interlocutor of the party in all post-electoral matters;

Affirms that after experiences gained from participating in various opposition political groupings since 1990, the leadership of the SDF shall in future, not drag the party into any political grouping whose composition and leadership structures do not reflect democratic principles vis-à-vis the strengths of the parties concerned;

Vehemently condemns the delay in the processing of the criminal file on Mr. Kohtem’s murder by the Justice Department;

Directs the Parliamentary Group of the SDF to pursue the matter vigorously in Parliament.

III. ON THE INTERNATIONAL SCENE:

Considering the re-election of President Bush;
Considering the failing health of President Yasser Arafat;
Considering the resurgence of violence in Côte d’Ivoire;

THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:

Warmly congratulates President George Bush and the American people for their successful presidential election of 2nd November 2004;

Is convinced that the proximity of the election to the one organised in Cameroon on 11 October 2004, provides fresh lessons and further justification for the overhaul of the Cameroon electoral process, if the talk about the modernisation of our society is serious;

Prays for the Palestinian people, and the quick recovery of their emblematic and historic leader, President Yasser Arafat;

Calls on the Ivorian people to bury their differences and build a united, strong and prosperous Côte d’Ivoire, rather than allow self-interest to plunge the country in an intractable, internecine conflict.

The next NEC meeting will hold on 22 January 2005.

Bamenda, 6 November 2004
NI John FRU NDI
National Chairman.

RESOLUTIONS

The end