Conducted By Francis Wache
In his traditional end of year/New Year address to the nation, the Head of State, Paul Biya, on December 31, awakened sentiments in Cameroonians with regards to certain pronouncements he made on national issues.
One of the most burning issues that provoked reactions in many is the President's endorsement of the call by some CPDM militants for the amendment of Article 6.2 of the Constitution. Another concerned salary increase.
Among other things, the President identified three key priorities for
2008, which include economic growth, raising the living standards of
the people and the fight against corruption.
The various reactions of politicians, opinion leaders and Human Rights activists touch on some of the issues he raised.
2008 Will Be A Rough Year For Cameroon - Fru Ndi
Mr Biya told Cameroonians nothing. What he said in his New Year speech was just a repetition of what he has been telling the people - with water in his mouth - for the past 25 years. Now, what intrigues me is how Biya believes that what he did not do for the last 25 years he will now be able to do thanks to his changing of the Constitution…cover the embezzlers.
Don't forget that, before the July 22 twin elections he called on Cameroonians to give him a crushing majority. Now after getting the huge majority he wants to use it to change the Constitution.
Candidly, I think that is going too far. Consequently I am calling on all civil servants, on all Cameroonians, to stand up as one man and resist this attempt at a Constitutional revision. By the way, Cameroonians know what they have stood for over the years. They also know what their children died for.
Tell me, with all this embezzlement going on, how many Cameroonians really enjoy what we have in this country? If Cameroonians stopped protesting, it was because the Constitution limited the President's term of office and Cameroonians were convinced that, come 2011, people would have the opportunity to go out for campaigns and bring about change either with the change going back to the CPDM or to another political party.
All we are saying is that
Cameroonians should be given the opportunity for alternation in
governance. But the way Mr Biya is going, there is no hope for change at all. That is why I believe that 2008 will be a rough year for Cameroonians;
a year of deceit. That is why I call on Cameroonians to emulate the
examples of Ivorians and Kenyans to fight for their rights; to fight
for the future of their children.
Cameroon May Go The Kenya Way - Hon. Paul Ayah Abine
The President's speech, in my opinion, 
was routine. The only new thing
was in respect of a constitutional revision. I regret that I took him
for his word because, when he said [in a France 24 interview] that his
term of office was not a current issue on his agenda. I imagined that,
the President, as a man of respectable standing, meant what he said.
So, I embarked on explaining that those who were asking for the revision of section 6.2 of the Constitution, allowing the President to have an indefinite term of office, were fanatics because, our National Chairman, himself, had said he had more pressing issues to deal with.
But I came to discover that, in fact, I was mistaken in telling Cameroonians that those who were calling for an amendment were fanatics. In actual fact, the President was telling the world one thing whereas he meant the opposite. Understandably, that put me in an embarrassing situation. It is regrettable that we can let the world believe that Cameroon has a certain stand such as announcing that we are going to Lisbon and, in the end, not going.
Or, saying that an amendment is not a priority whereas, in actual fact, it is the opposite. I think that it does not augur well for the image of our country on the international scene. As I said before, the rest of the things that were said, to me, were routine - including the issue of salary increases. What was said about salary increases was very unspecific. What was said could be proved to be just the opposite.
I don't see how we can envisage the possibility of a salary increase or readjustment. This cannot be taken seriously. To sum up, it was a very big embarrassment for me to realise that the thing that was not a priority [constitutional revision] has, all of a sudden, come to be at the forefront.
I think that, if the President's speech were not recorded, he would not have delivered it the way he did. If he'd seen the situation in Kenya he would not have delivered the same speech. Because, don't forget, Kenya was a model in East Africa; Ivory Coast a model in West Africa; Cameroon a model in Central Africa. Every thing now is in turmoil. I have a lot of apprehension for Cameroon.
I certainly cannot advocate chaos but I can see Cameroon virtually following the footsteps of those other two countries. I believe that 2008 would not be the best of years for Cameroon.
I have admired Honorable Ayah for long now. He is an open minded Politician and a very straight-to-the-point person. How i wish all Politicians were like him then Cameroon would have been a better place as in the days of President Ahidjo.
Kenedy Epie
Helsinki, Finland
Posted by: kenedy Epie | Monday, 07 January 2008 at 02:25 PM
Fellow cameroonians it is really time we turn our backs to people of the 60s and set a vision for our country. We cannot imagine the independence our grandparents sheded blood for has been seized by a Betti clan.THERE IS NOTHING TO DISCUSS OR CONTEMPLETE ABOUT ARTICLE 6.2. ANY PARLIAMENT THAT SANCTIONS ANY AMENMENT UNDERMINES IT'S CREDIBILITY. I PROPOSE CAMEROON PARLIAMENTARIANS APART FROM AYAH WHO I VERY MUCH RESPECT SHOULD BE SENT TO NIGERIA FOR LESSONS AS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NATION RATHER THAN PAUL BIYA. THE PARLIAMENTARIANS SHOULD ACT IN A SIMILAR MANNER LIKE THE NIGERIAN PARLIAMENT THAT BARRED OBASANJO TAKING THE THIRD TERM IF THEY HAVE THE NATION AT HEART. The Beti's will not tell us what to do with our country. Is high time Biya steps aside so that we set an agenda for our country. THEY HAS MISLED THE COUNTRY FOR 25YEARS. WHAT IS HIS VISION FOR OUR COUNTRY
Posted by: KISITOR NGONG | Thursday, 10 January 2008 at 06:05 PM
Fellow cameroonians it is really time we turn our backs to people of the 60s and set a vision for our country. We cannot imagine the independence our grandparents sheded blood for has been seized by a Betti clan.THERE IS NOTHING TO DISCUSS OR CONTEMPLETE ABOUT ARTICLE 6.2. ANY PARLIAMENT THAT SANCTIONS ANY AMENMENT UNDERMINES IT'S CREDIBILITY. I PROPOSE CAMEROON PARLIAMENTARIANS APART FROM AYAH WHO I VERY MUCH RESPECT SHOULD BE SENT TO NIGERIA FOR LESSONS AS REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NATION RATHER THAN PAUL BIYA. THE PARLIAMENTARIANS SHOULD ACT IN A SIMILAR MANNER LIKE THE NIGERIAN PARLIAMENT THAT BARRED OBASANJO TAKING THE THIRD TERM IF THEY HAVE THE NATION AT HEART. The Beti's will not tell us what to do with our country. Is high time Biya steps aside so that we set an agenda for our country. THEY HAS MISLED THE COUNTRY FOR 25YEARS. WHAT IS HIS VISION FOR OUR COUNTRY
Posted by: KISITOR NGONG | Thursday, 10 January 2008 at 06:06 PM