Memory Lane (May 16 – 17, 1991): Opposition Parties Launch “Operation Ghost Town”

By Dibussi Tande

On May 12, 1991, 22 political parties and 10 human rights associations, including the Yaounde University Students' Parliament, met in Bamenda to discuss the political situation in the country. In their final communiqué, they gave  President Biya 14 days to reconsider his stand on the National Conference, and issued the Bamenda Plan of Action which announced a two-day nationwide Ghost Town campaign (also known as operation dead cities) on May 16 and 17.

On May 16, the Ghost Town campaign effectively began, the first to be jointly organized by the National Coordination of Opposition Parties and Associations (NCOPA), which would soon be known simply as "The Coordination." The Grand West (i.e., the Littoral, West, Northwest and Southwest provinces) and the major towns in the Grand North (the Adamoua, Far North and North provinces) effectively went "dead" while the three pro-Biya provinces of the East, South and Center remained "alive" with offices, markets, stores, and other businesses staying open.

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Comments

[Princwill]

This is a good step by the National Coordination of Opposition Parties and Associations (NCOPA)

I will strongly advice them to joint their heads together for the coming election. The only solution to sent Biya out is for all the Oposition to work together and present one candidate.

With this Grand West (i.e., the Littoral, West, Northwest and Southwest provinces) and the major towns in the Grand North (the Adamoua, Far North and North provinces)if the oposition works together, we are very sure change will be in cameroon.

Oposition leaders in Cameroon, if you love cameroon, if you are working for a change in this our beloved country, if you want Biya to step down now, then put your heads together. I know there are some selfcentered people but at this time we should keep it aside.
Here is one tipe:
opposition parties should join together to get a fair and independent ELECAM and secondly, they should get a single candidate who will at the end form a transitional government for either 6, 12 or 18 months with the responsibility to revamp the constitution and other structes like an independent electoral commission and finally organise elections. This is then the time that any person even dogs can candidate. Only one thing count. The mojority votes wins.

[emanu]

Mr Princewill, this article is a historical piece titled "memory land" and refers to events that occured 20 years ago in 1991. So the creation of the NCOPA cannot now be "a good step" for the opposition. The coordination was dissolved in 1991. There is no unified opposition organization today

[J. S. Dinga]

Good and timely reminder as the nation faces another period of uncertainty.

A good relay race consists of a team where the first runner hands the baton to the second, and then the third and fourth till the race is won. It can happen that the first or second runner makes a misstep; it then behoves the third and subsequent members of the team to make up for the mistake and go on to win. It cannot be an option for subsequent runners of the race to content themnselves with harping on the errors of the early member of the race. Thus our unrestrained sing-song about the past - colonialism, neocolonialism, Foumban Conference, mediocre political leaders, failure of Ghost Towns etc etc can never ever get us to where we wish to land. We must grow bigger than this cliche flinging stage and come up with new ways of tackling the age-old problem of our emancipation, drawing inspiration from the mistakes earlier congeners made.

Sir Albert Einstein is known to most of us only in connection with his Theory of Relativity. But the wise man also left his imprint on the social and political landscape in giving us an insight into what insanity is - doing the same thing over and over and expecting a diffferent outcome. We cannot conquer this problem merely by this monotonous "Biya must go" cliche that is virtually worn out like a broken record. New tools are called for.

During his maiden visit to Africa, US president Barack Obama picked Ghana and defended his choice by saying that Ghana was favored above all other countries for setting the good example of developing and deploying strong institutions rather than strong men. Yes indeed, our salvation will pass through strong institutions, not strong men. And so it should dawn on all of us that strong men who simply give a nod of their heads or make a stroke with their pens or pull on the trigger with their fingers to reduce us to nought are not the panacea.

If the African Union is going to implant Peace Keeping army on our national territory, it seems to me that the National Assembly of the people's elected representatives ought to be in the know rather than just "hearing" from others about it. It is an aberration to import an army of foreign journalists, lodge and feed them with hard-earned monies of Cameroonian tax payers for the simple reason of varnishing the president's image in preparation for the on-coming election, all because local news media are considered derogatorily as "feuilles de choux" (cabbage leaves). Cameroon's national assembly, Cameroon's private and official press and lots of other institutions need to be made strong to thrust the nation forward. That is the type of climate that will attract foreign heads of state, investors or responsible foreign partners interested in our developmental efforts. Can this be too much to ask?

[essay writers]

thanks a lot. a lot of interesting things

[Sanjo George]

J.S. Dinga writes:
"It cannot be an option for subsequent runners of the race to content themnselves with harping on the errors of the early member of the race. Thus our unrestrained sing-song about the past - colonialism, neocolonialism, Foumban Conference, mediocre political leaders, failure of Ghost Towns etc etc can never ever get us to where we wish to land. We must grow bigger than this cliche flinging stage;...."

Mr. Dinga made some good analyst here, but what I would like to caution him about his analysis about Cameroon's future is the fact that no one in this generation wants to critize the regime just for critism sake. Of what use would coming up with good solutions be for a country that nothing matters in as far as a regime of this magnitude exists. There are thousands of Cameroonians living overseas at this moment, with skills that could change that country in the next few years, if only the regime changes hands, but of what importance are these skills for a regime that sits tight with no chance for those who would like to see changes?
So unless or until when this regime changes hands, Cameroonians would keep critizing it.
especialy with constructive critism.
But even when the regime changes hands, what I know about countries that have advanced, especially those practicing western-sytle democracies, is the fact that the press would always be at hand critiquing what it beleives are the foibles of such societies. Therefore to relent in constructive criticsm, even if the regime in Cameroon changes hands, would be a disfavor for the progress of the country. The only problem arises when those who critize are not contructive. Constructive arguments are instruments that move every society.
And as far as Cameroon is concerned, the atmosphere calls for critism. What does one expect that for country, fifty years after its independence, with only two presidents, including some that have been in politics for those fifty years, that Cameroonians shouldn't keep launching critisms about the regime?
What do good ideas mean for a man like Biya? Nothing. Biya has to go for any meaningful progress to take place in Cameroon. I have watched Cameroonians return home, including renowned professors in their field, only to come rushing back to Europe and America, because the system back in Cameroon sucks.
What I've noticed following Cameroon's politics are two things: There are those who don't have the very thin skin and cannot stand critisms, and there are some who are plain shameless and would embezzle government funds or kill fellow citizens, without any remorse. And Cameroonians have been driven into fear by these two groups of people, but the day those who pick up their pens to critique these two groups of individuals are silenced, then we are in for more trouble.

[John Dinga]

Good friend, my write-up was clear. It certainly did not in any way uphold criticism for criticism's sake. I pointedly alluded to the preference of strong institutions over strong people and even volunteered two important examples - the Natinal Assembly and the press. i probably should have added also the neutral electoral body that can organize an election from registering voters up till declaring results. Won't it be nice if we did like all other modern democracies by declaring election results on the spot? Why should Yaounde be telling constituencies who will represent them instead of the other way round? Transparency requires results to be made public on the spot one or two hours after polls close instead of trucking them to Yaounde where they are doctored and announced weeks later, with peoples' hands being tied and all! Am I lying? Is that not why we are marking time on the spot year in and year out?

Yes indeed, we are all victims of those who have grown larger than life in the present dispensation, frustrating well-intentioned fellow citizens who return home with a genuine desire to make a difference. This is only possible because of our centralized set up that disenfranchizes dynamic elements in the country. It makes nonsense of the notion of "No Taxation Without Representation". Only human beings working in concert can reverse an odious system of governance that stymies collective growth to favor individuals. I hope this placates those who see only empty criticism in the earlier write-up.

[famba]

People now have opposition fatigue, in the sense that they have reached the limit of their resources. Activists who were in their 20s when they begun are now in their 40s with new responsibilities. They are ready to let the course of nature take things to the right point where the rupture will occur with a small push.

As an indication of opposition fatigue, CPDM is organizing in the USA. 10 years ago, they would not have been able to show their faces in public. It does not mean anything, because most people do not care about them and are quiietly going about their daily business. They are on exile and the majority will not return until conditions change either by the hand or nature or by man. Be patient. Stay abroad and build y our education and wealth. That was true of Ghana, which floundered for more than 30 years in the darkness, So shall we too.

[J. S. Dinga]

Dear "Famba", I wish you were wrong. The worst that should happen to a great country like Cameroon is to suffer from what you aptly call "Opposition fatigue". Humanity should be constantly renewing itself and adapting to the times if collective survival is to be guanteed. That is how we got here and, I believe, that is how we are going to move ahead.

Yet I am optimistic. Not a single mortal man can halt Divine will. In spite of the gloomy predictions, Ahidjo left the scene, yet Cameroon continued to thrive; so also will today's wind blow over our triangle. Some day Cameroonians will wake up and realize that strong institutions (the press, neutral electoral body, the courts, national assembly, regional governments) are by far better than strong individuals. It will happen before our very eyes. I consider it a very ephemeral phenomenon that Yaounde's government delegate, for example, should boastfully spurn the press, dislodge people wiout relocating them, all because, in his own words, he has nobody but the president of the Republic to whom he renders any account.

Have faith and let us continue to dig deep and come up with good debates and ideas,even as doomsayers dribble us with their wares. I believe that the answer to our problem is not that far. Look at Haiti. Out of Hiaiti's many philosophers, political wizards, financial gurus and all, they picked a musician to lead their country. Actually in picking one musician, they turned against another more popular musician contender for the very post of president of the Republic. Was it magic? Of course not; the simple explanation is that they played by the rule. Wyclef Jean was not resident on the fatherland. Some day, Cameroonians too will realize that there is virtue in playing by the rules of the game and then turn their backs to master dribblers who keep stymying our progress.