‘Shadow Cabinet Is Ploy To Divert Public Attention’

By Kini Nsom and Nformi Sonde Kinsai

Faction Chairman of the SDF, Barrister Ben Muna has said the Social Democratic Front, SDF, Shadow Cabinet is a ploy to divert public attention from real issues rocking the party.

SDF Chairman, John Fru Ndi published a 36-member Shadow Cabinet following constitutional amendments adopted during the party's Convention in Bamenda on May 26. 

Reacting to the cabinet in a write-up, Ben Muna said such a move was incompatible with the presidential system of government in Cameroon. He said the appointment of the Shadow Cabinet is an attempt by Fru Ndi and his advisers to divert public attention from real issues ailing the party and the nation.

He thought that building a real democratic party, talking about strategies to win municipal, parliamentary elections ought to have occupied the SDF, not a Shadow Cabinet.

Muna argued that the notion of Shadow Cabinet could only be understood in a presidential system with a complete separation of powers as in the US and the parliamentary system without separation of powers as it exists in the UK. According to him, Shadow Cabinets do not exist in presidential or semi-presidential systems.

"To create a Shadow Cabinet in a semi-presidential system like ours is either to display a complete ignorance of the Cameroon constitution or deceive the people," he argued. While observing that the words shadow and cabinet do not exist in French, Muna said Fru Ndi has presented to the Cameroonian people a phantom of a government, which exists only in the futile imagination of those who see ghosts.

He wondered how the shadow government would function. "Where will they meet their counterparts in government to carry out a clash of political ideas?" he questioned.
The former Bar Council President quoted some examples of both the presidential and parliamentary systems in the West and in Africa to corroborate his claim that such a cabinet in Cameroon is a big joke.

"Cameroonian ministers are not Members of Parliament and most of the members of Mr. Fru Ndi's phantom government are not Members of Parliament either. What benefit will the Cameroonian political system or the people of Cameroon have from the completely useless exercise, which Mr. John Fru Ndi has gone through?" Muna wondered.

Muna said he was sure most members of the Shadow Cabinet have started printing "visiting cards" to read shadow minister of this or that. He said that some of the cabinet members are highly respected intellectuals who, for reasons best known to them, have agreed with Fru Ndi that politics is no book.

While noting that little book helps politicians to read and understand other systems of government, he said the SDF Chairman would have understood different democratic systems in the world and known how they are organised. According to him, creating something like a Shadow Cabinet is to pretend that some innovation has been brought in the Cameroonian system.

Muna's write-up partly reads, "I am particularly sorry that in Cameroon, we seem to have fallen into the habit of attributing to ourselves grandiose titles borrowed from other political systems, traditions and civilisations which have no place in our own political system or culture."

He said it is wrong to address the Cameroonian Prime Minister as ¨The Right Honorable Prime Minister." He said such a title goes well for the British Prime Minister and other British members of the Privy Council, which is an advisory body to the British monarch.

To him, it is equally wrong to call somebody in Cameroon "Your excellency" when he/she is not a Head of State or an Ambassador. He also scorned the idea that some people are called "lord mayors" in Cameroon when the system has neither lords nor a house of lords.
He said Fru Ndi's latest invention of a Shadow Cabinet would give the leeway for some people to be called "your excellency."Muna said his faction was working hard to produce political material with which to educate all party militants on party policies and programs.

Comments

[sammy,sweden]

MUNA U have no point at all.i don`t see y u are so confused.
EDUCATE THE MILITANTS AND TELL YOUR SISTER TO RESIGN FROM THE CPDM gonernment to convince us.u are not an sdf member.

YOUR reasons are as empty as that of the so called UDP chairman who is not hapi because is has not been appointed.U HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO POINT AT ALL.SEE U WHEN U CONVINCE YOUR FAMILY TO STOP MOVING AROUND AND STAINING YOUR CARRIER WITH THIER CPDM TITLE.

[Tita Mofaw]

You have your own SDF mr Muna.If the shadow cabinet does not mean anything why don't you do something with your own faction that means something.

Since you created your faction nobodyy has heard any plan of action.All that we hear from you is continous attack on Ni John.

Did you form a party to fight Ni John or to change the status quo in Cameroon?

You are beginning to sound like an agent of etoudi and jean chirac. Who told you that the problems in cameroon need to be defined in a vocabulary that is compartible with french before they can be diagnosed?

I've always been suspicious of you.

Come up with your own plan of action.How do you intend to win up coming elections? By criticising Ni John?

Grow up young man

[Nji]

Muna is back on the offensive,what has he to offer?nothing ,let him show his own plan of action to cameroonian.

[Anyah]

'Muna bigot'

Enlighten me. Are there really two SDF`s?
Imagine u were Ben Muna`s biographer, u`ll be embarassed to record certain facts abt him.
What is Muna`s role in Cameroonian politics today, pretend u want to answer.
Oh Muna, ur 'so many' loyal supporters, MP`s, thugs,in fact important personalities are so worried the only thing they hear abt their 'authentic sdf' is "Ni John" morning, afternoon, night.
Cheeii Muna, they told us u were so learned and a seasoned politician who will introduce a good flair of politics, is that it?
We can go on and on, but it serves no purpose. Bandits are no longer afraid to come out in day light, the fun is they dress in suits and say they want to catch bandits too.

[reverend]

Hypocritical Muna.

So you have ended up recognising the legitimacy of Fru Ndi's SDF up to the point of commenting on their activities. I thought you were the true President of the SDF and whatever anybody else was doing was supposed to be illegal.

People be not fooled. It seems as if most of the participants on this forum are abroad and so do not have the real tempo of things. I am right here in Cameroon and can tell you all that Muna's so-called SDF has absolutely no credibility. It is limited to a few newspaper and internet pages. He cannot dare call a rally because he would have to pick up mad people from the streets to attend.

He knows the strength of John Fru Ndi and the real SDF. The announcement of the Shadow Cabinet made big news in Cameroon and everybody was interested. Muna has no point to compare us with the UK. We do not import ideas wholesale but seek to modify them to suit the local context.

Muna is a real traitor to Cameroon and should be shunned.

[Teribobs]

Fru Ndiists,
How will you get his political ideas when you are so drunk with your demi-god JFN? Ni Ben will keep on pointing out wrong as he champions the cause of the renaissance SDF. He is an accomplished man. Some of you nitwits can only run your mouths coz of your failures in life. Ni Ben and the other brave hearts have come to deliver you. There are other fire brand SDF renaissance adherents on the field educating the masses on the programs and policies of our dear party as we prepare for elections. The difference will be clear when they are relieved of the former dictatorship from the present CDF(former SDF leadership).

Reverend,
There are a good number of people in Cameroon posting on this forum. Who are you trying to deceive? Your guys are so confused. You keep contradicting each other. Always send your write-ups to BAD Ndam's desk through Feli/Atangha/Kontchou and you will be able to have coordinated lies and propaganda.

[Ace]

MUNA,

You are a disgrace. It's a shame to read this nonsense write-up. You're a failure!