SDF May Quit Coalition Over Single Candidate

By Chris Mbunwe and Peterkins Manyong

The Social Democratic Front, SDF, is contemplating quitting the National Coalition for Reconciliation and Reconstruction, NCRR, for alleged shabby treatment given Fru Ndi, and some overbearing ambitions from other political parties within the Coalition. This piece of information filtered from the SDF National Executive Committee, NEC meeting, Saturday, August 28, in Bamenda.

Briefing The Post, an influential NEC member said there was heated debate as to whether the SDF should quit the Coalition or not.

“Fru Ndi thinks that other opposition leaders like Henri Hogbe Nlend will not accept any single Coalition candidate, if he or she has to come from the SDF. There are some of these parties that have ambitions beyond their sizes,” our source stated. However, he said, NEC arrived at a consensus that the SDF should not quit, “…since the Coalition was formed because we thought that no single opposition party can defeat President Biya in the forthcoming Presidential election.”

Chaos Within SDF

The controversy in choosing a single candidate for the Opposition seems to be tearing the SDF apart. Within the party, The Post gathered, potential candidates suspected to be Fru Ndi’s challengers are facing hard times.
“I might call this terrorism within the SDF because there are people who are bent on seeing that Fru Ndi is elected sole candidate. Others like Nouchi Tchokwago, member of the Advisory Committee and Ben Muna, are reportedly being denigrated by SDF officials to discourage them from challenging Fru Ndi,” our source said.

NEC also resolved that the SDF should hold the belated National Convention on September 11, to choose their candidate to be presented to the Coalition parties.
“Here again, a NEC member asked if by the time the SDF comes up with a candidate, when the Coalition had chosen their candidate, what would happened? There was no response.”

Killing Of SDF Balikumbat Chairman

On the murder of the Balikumbat SDF District Chairman, it was resolved that street demonstrations will end on Monday August 30, at midday. Then on Friday September 3, the corpse of John Kohtem shall be removed from the Bamenda Provincial Hospital mortuary and followed by a solemn march around Bamenda before being conveyed to Balikumbat at 1.00 pm, for burial.

NEC also noted the reconciliation in the West Province between Hon. Pierre Kwemo and Etienne Sonkin, but reminded them that they must go down to the field and prove to the militants that the reconciliation was not cosmetic.

Government Bans Public Demonstrations

Meanwhile, the Mezam SDO, Robertson Sanji Tado, has issued a prefectoral order banning all public meetings in Bamenda by political parties and associations. It also warns that any individual or group of people violating the ban will be arrested and punished.

However, the SDF resolved at the NEC meeting over the weekend to defy the SDOs banning order; “We are going ahead with the street demonstrations on Monday as planned, banning order or not,” said our source.
The Post also learned that the government banned the demonstrations because of the heavy turnout on Friday, which attracted the attention of the international community.

The Post was told that the Governor is pleading with the SDF to call off the street protests. Owing to this, Adrien Kuoambo, Minister Delegate in MINATD in charge of Decentralisation, was expected to meet Fru Ndi on Sunday, August 29, for negotiations. Government is said to have assured the SDF that justice would take its course. Proof of this being that four suspects linked to the murder of John Kohtem have been arrested.

Mezam Fons Rebuke Fru Ndi

Prior to the banning order, the government tried in vain to persuade the SDF to call off the demonstrations. At a meeting convened by the seven Fons of Bamenda Central Subdivision at the Nkwen Fon’s palace, which Fru Ndi attended, Fon Angwafor and others rebuked Fru Ndi for politicising Kohtem’s death.

Fru Ndi, addressing a mammoth crowd on Friday, August 27, said he disagreed with the Fons at that meeting, because what happened to Kohtem could have happened to any other Cameroonian. He advised the Fons to steer clear of partisan politics and warned that any Fon identified to be supporting Fon Doh will be treated accordingly.

Fon Doh’s Symbolic Coffin

Demonstrators, all dressed in black, carried a symbolic coffin of Fon Doh with the inscription: “Doh Gah Gwanyin Rest In Peace, RIP.” After parading the coffin through the main streets of Bamenda, it was later set on fire at the City Chemist Roundabout.
After the Friday rally, Fru Ndi told the press at Ntarikon that if government fails to punish Fon Doh, it means government is an accomplice in the crime.

With reports from Caroline Nfon, Noella Nangah, and Commy Musa, (UB Journalist Students On Internship)

Comments

[Princwill]

When i comes to the cameroonians, I see signs of selfishness, selfcentered etc.

SDF wants to go out of this coalition for one candidate why ?????????

This shows how most of this opositions are not fighting for the interest of the country but for their self interest.

What is the reason for 250 parties in cameroon of which they can not still change the country?

we need all the opositions to come together and send biya away this time.

This time if the oposition failed to come together and change the country, we will go behind all the oposition leader first before the biya.

Do u see what is happenning in north Africa? Because the opositions has joint together with the people to form one and kick out this dictators. What is happenning in cameroon?

We have to follow same. Biya is the next to go after Egypt president. we don't need this people in power.

Cameroonians are calling on all the oposition leaders, the armies, police etc to come together and change comeroon. this year is a great year of history to African. this year is a great year of change in African. this year is a year of development in african and and year of beginning of democracy in African and cameroon at most.

We are calling on all the cameroonian to carry out a peaceful protect for biya and we are calling on the whole world to joint. we are equally calling for the Arm forces in cameroon to joint cameroon for peaceful change.

you will believe me that in a country of democracy, no president will stay in power for 30 year. Except he is a dictator.

Cameroonain, wake up from sleep. it is stupid to see that youth were celebrating youthday today when they do not have a future.

Oposition leader, we want to hear from you guys this time. we want to see that you come up with one coalition leader to stand for president and not all this parties. stop being selfcenter.

To the youth and cameroonians in general, if you want to get a better future, go to the street and protest for your right peacefully.

[Gan Charles]

The government has relied on this lack of unity amongst opposition parties to divide and conquer. There is no reason for the opposition parties to form a coalition outside of parliament. Are forming a coalition to present one unified candidate for president in the upcoming elections? If so it is bound to fail because the egos involved. What we need is a grassroots movement without any leader, no political party - just people power!