By Mola Tennyson Luma Ekema
The wind of change is blowing across the world and Cameroon is no exception. Time has come when Cameroonians should grow wiser. Gone are the days of "Civil Disobedience" that ruined our beloved nation.
Cameroon became what it is only after the early 1990s when the country, for the first time, witnessed "Civil Disobedience" that was introduced by the so-called "Union for Change". "Union for Change" was the union of all meaningful opposition parties to fight against the ruling party, the CPDM.
They formed a union to make the ruling party prevail till now. How? None of the leaders was prepared to step down for the other. So, this weakness gave another chance for the ruling party to take the lead. Why do all political party leaders think they must stand for the post of the President during elections?
If they truly mean well for Cameroon and Cameroonians, they should each project an Obama to be President while they remain as chairmen of their parties to advise and formulate good policies that can help this country to modernity.
Whatever political party we belong, we should move ahead. It is not enough to point at an individual of a political party; but a party should take the lead to project a neutral candidate for the post of president, come 2011. If we mean good for Cameroon and Cameroonians it is not enough to always promise war. War is not our portion. We want change; meaningful change, not change for the sake of change.
Therefore, let's take the American model where they groom leaders and give them the opportunity to rule without fear or favour. We must learn from the last elections that took place in America where the looser embraced the victor and promised to give him the necessary support, so that their nation, America, succeeds. John McCain did not say the election was rigged, but accepted his defeat. If it was in Cameroon, there would have been hell.
This is the time for each meaningful political party that has a buoyant political manifesto to start convincing Cameroonians with it; we should not wait for 2011 only to begin putting blames on ELECAM.
ELECAM should be given the opportunity to be judged. Who is neutral in Cameroon? We cannot import neutral people who are not Cameroonians to manage our affairs. We should all put hands on deck to help the team put in place to do a good job rather than criticising them when they have not even started. Let's give them a chance.
Cameroon has to move ahead to democracy. We should see ourselves as Cameroonians working to modernise our country, Cameroon, not party. That is why I say let us emulate the American model. They talk America, not political party.
So, we should talk Cameroon, not SDF, CPDM or any other party. Only then shall the younger generation have a good future; not war that will destroy us the more.
Mola,
are you from the land that time forgot or you are one of these Japanese' still hiding in the wild forest of Borneo decades after the second world war had ended?
What wind of change is blowing across the world? You mean today's economic meltdown?
I would have thought, just for the sake of accountability, you will opt for the Parliamentary System of democracy! The British did away with Blair without elections, the Americans had to wait for elections being doing away with the albatross around their necks!
Personally, given the choice, it has to be Parliamentary democracy!
Posted by: Danny Boy | Wednesday, 11 February 2009 at 06:00 PM