CAVOD Condemns Biya's Bid To Revise Constitution

By Walter Wilson Nana

Most Cameroonians and civil society organisations have been reacting, negatively, to President Paul Biya's intention to amend, Article 6 (2) of the Constitution.

COVOD officials at press briefing

At a press briefing, Wednesday, January 16 in the conference room of Cameroon Cultural Centre, Buea, officials of Cameroon Alliance of Voluntary Organisations for Development, CAVOD, chastised Biya's moves to endorse what it said is coming from a tiny segment of the President's own party.

"Those calls, emanated from a negligible caucus that is demonstrably unpopular even in its own base and considering the low voter turn out at the last legislative elections, the nation runs the risk of seeing them validated, with the support of less than 30 percent of the electorate," CAVOD said.

According to CAVOD, amending Article 6.2 would deny a vast majority of Cameroonians the right to participate in the making of a major decision, with far-reaching consequences. "It's at variance with the government's avowed commitment to the letter and spirit of international instruments, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UDHR, in its Article 21 (3)," Joseph Chongsih, one of CAVOD's official highlighted.

Victor Epie Ngome, the CAVOD Coordinator argued that, even in the event of any such amendment, CAVOD deems a review of Article 6. 2 unwarranted, especially as applied to the incumbent Biya, who has been in power for more than 25 years. "CAVOD is talking about principles of governing the nation and not an individual," he said.

Ngome found the "selective implementation" of the present Constitution, notably the by-passing of the Constitutional Council, tantamount to a constitutional coup d'etat. That, he said, is why "the selective amendment to suit the designs of the incumbent, would amount to unacceptable tinkering with the fundamental law of the land."

Chongsih made a clarion call for Cameroonians to make their voices heard through all lawful means. "In the face of the current threats to the fundamental instrument of our existence as a State, it behoves the people of Cameroon, in whose hands lie the sovereignty and destiny of the Nation to employ every avenue to make their voices heard on the issue of hastily, planning the revision of the constitution," he said.

He explained that it is left for Cameroonians to choose their leaders. CAVOD, however, is out to inform the people on the implications of changing the Constitution as well as educate the public to exploit all legal means in opposing it.

Chongsih described the decision of the Governor of the Littoral Province, issued on Wednesday, January 16, to ban all demonstrations and meetings in the province, till further notice, as acting illegally. "That's going against international conventions," he stated.

Comments

[Glenn Wilson]

Now that it looks like Biya is hanging around forever, I'm guessing you could all do with a much needed laugh. (click below)

Comedy “Paul Biya for Life“

[kenedy Epie]

Not only COVOD is condemning the machinery already at work to keep Mr Biya in power though in his feeble physical state. Every right thinking Cameroonian is doing this. The regime has a set of unpatriotic aids in place as administrators ( Governors, DOs, etc ) whose missions are to sustain the regime while they steal away state funds. It is a shame that in an independent and civilized country like ours a single individual in the name of Governor will seize the rights and freedom of the populace as what is happening in Litoral Province. One thing is clear here. Whatever these people do today will hunt them or their generations tomorrow. The worse crime is betraying a nation. The over ripe fruit they are sustaining up that tree must have to drop to the ground to rot one day and so soon of course. No one can cheat nature we know.
Kenedy Epie
Helsinki, Finland