CPDM in search for a " brave" man to lead the party

Pr Joseph Owona has accused Cameroon People Democratic Movement`s leadership hopefuls of lacking the courage to speak out on big issues.

The former general secretary of the presidency in Cameroon and Education minister has urged those in the secret race to be bolder on topics such as leadership alternative and corruption and to appeal more to the Cameroon public rather than focusing on the people who will choose the new leader.

Many today are battling to replace Paul Biya, who will be standing down following his long and disreputable reign as the national chairman of the party. Pr Maurice Kamto, Gilbert Tsimi Evouna, Laurent Marie Esso, Ibrahim Talba Malla, Rene Emmanuelle Sadi and Philipe Mbarga Mboa are on the race to become the next national chairman of the party.

But Joseph Owona said the contest has yet to attract much public interest and the party constitution should allow militants to express their views and also encourage them to stand for the leadership contest as long as they can show that they are capable of conducting the 26 year old party to a real democratization..

Pr Owona said, the potential candidates don`t have the courage to speak up loudly and boldly about the future of the country.

He then added that the new leader of the party had to be prepared to take on the country future. The constitutional debate has been dominated by the opposition. Paul Biya is bulldozing his way forward with very little resistance from the opposition.Under the leadership of Paul Biya it is like living with a quack doctor selling a miracle cure

Cameroon people want to know who can be the real alternative to Biya departure and also what the party can offer. The public is tired of the party leader just saying no to things.

Pr Joseph Owona declined to back any of the leadership hopefuls but said he believed they could lead the party to victory at the next general election. He added " Paul Biya is a formidable politician but the candidates should stop thinking about  what he has done in the past and focus on what they can bring to the country". The new leader priority should be to reconnect with the real Cameroon people and for a long time Cameroon has needed someone to lay the harsh economic and social facts of life on the table..

Cameroon: A new beginning for the country as Biya`s 29yr rule is nearly ended

President Paul Biya agreed to quit as national leader of the Cameroon People Democratic Movement, (CPDM) after a long 36 months of discussions, negotiations and proposals and directions to end his nearly 30-year forced and unwillingly grip on power.

Paul Biya signed an international backed deal, to open the position of the national chairman of the party to challenges and encourage others members with capacities and abilities to lead the party to the future. It`s understand that young people who are active and involved in political activities around the party have been encouraged to show their intention to be at the top of the party.

Ill-feeling over his high-handed attitude began slowly but over the past few months, has grown.

Now every day brings a demand for the date to be set, to bring it forward and above all to explain precisely what the decision would mean for the party and for the country.

There is also a call for women to come forward and prove that they have what it takes to take control of the vehicle and confront the future challenges for the country. The departure of Mr Biya will led to the implementation of the reforms on the functioning of the Central Committee and the Politburo or the "Bureau Politique" of the party.

 Throughout, the CPDM remains silent except to deliver its usual bluster and tell people everything will be all right on the night.

The international deal has been backed by the Us, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Germany, Japan. Only at the moment China has decided not to join that agreement for his deep knowledge of the country internal affairs.

This disagreement from China for the last 36 months has had a big impact on the country national economy and finances. There are fears the political environment will struggle to regain people confidence after Biya exit from politic. Some investors have been forced to almost halve investment to help generate the cash needed in case there is an instability situation.

 China`s politburo thinks that the forced departure of Paul Biya will lead to a threat to national unity and destroyed what Biya`s regime for the last 29 years has been built in past years.

The news of the deal sparked in Us, UK, Belgium, and France mass celebration from those in opposition. Celestin Ngoa, an exiled journalist based in Us said the departure of Biya will mark a very important beginning that will allow people in Cameroon the much needed hope they can embrace a new future.  Some voters know the country is not that in a too bad situation even it is in an almighty mess by the CPDM. They will probably forgive the failure to achieve one of the big three promises and even tolerate a regime that falls short on two fronts if things are heading in the right direction.

The Us and other world leaders had battled to get the 78 year old " Democrat-Dictator" to agree to the International cooperation deal that will protect the country unity and social stability.

In Scotland, Hugh O`Donnell, a former Liberal Democrat  Member of the Scottish Parliament who quit his party after the alliance signed between the Lib-Dem and Tories coalition government in London, described the deal as one of the " turning of a new page in the history of Cameroon and that those in charge will do everything now to help the country and create a much more lovable and stable country where it will be good to see growth and prosperity and less and less destruction and abuses" before adding that " it will be good to see investors and investments directed to the country where there will be a real democracy".

Biya agreed and backed out three times before finally signing the handover. Alain Bihapap, young leader of the political group based in Birmingham and totally in support of Biya regime do believe that nations that negotiated Paul Biya exit  have arranged that there won`t be any trouble after that.

But for Brice Nitcheu, political and human rights activist based in London, it is understand that, those world leaders are covering for his alleged crimes.

... In US, there are concerns about the military supreme council role and their ability of ruling the country in case there is any disagreement between the government and the opposition parties. For over 28 years the military supreme council had prevented the country to collapse.

Biya who has ruled the country since 1984, will be the second president in the history to be forced to handover the power.

Cameroon leader will step down as coalition deal struck in

Paul Biya, the embattled Cameroon Head of State could resign before the middle of his third term in power after he agreed to form a new national unity government. Mr Biya will lead for a short period of time the new government which could be sworn in within the next couple of weeks before the end of the year.

 According to the Cameroon constitution, the newly appointed Prime Minister will have the duty to form the new government and then will submit his first draft proposal to the Head of State for approval and then the President elected will have to officially confirm the new cabinet team. Philemon Yang,( photo down) was the mastermind of Paul Biya victory for October 9, 2011 presidential elections and there is no guaranteed information or a sign that he will keep his position in the cabinet as  Prime Minister and the Head of the Government.

But in Cameroon, the " luckiest" man is chosen  by a closed team of president`s advisors and then will be " forced" to work with a team of cabinet`members in which " he" has no real power of control on them except the " supervision" power of the daily government business. At the end it is Paul Biya who is the only " accountable" and " responsible" and the one to share and wear the blame of any government policy failure.

 Last week in Yaounde, the capital city of Cameroon, Paul Biya, according to an insider sources, held secret crisis talks with some opposition leaders and  they will meet again next week to discuss the finer details of the new national unity government.

There are new comers in politic that will join the cabinet and some old faces as well to help implement the new government agenda for the next 7 years.

 Some will have to prepare the next year general elections. Acho Bernard Muna could be the next Justice secretary or the Justice minister to join the cabinet and Garga Haman , could make a come back in the government with a secret mandate to rebuild a strong union with the North and the Far North region of the country behind Paul Biya.

 At the moment it is not clear how long the acting Prime Minister Philemon Yang will last as head of the government. A coalition of opposition parties represented in the Parliament is already in discussion to name his replacement. It sounds like a difficult task for them as they have no real power at all in the Parliament and could only " suggest" who could be the " best man" to lead the new national unity government.

 It is believe that France, Us, Britain, China, Japan, Italy and Israel had given Paul Biya until the end of November 2011 to explain how it will form a unity government so it can receive the " financial support that is crucially needed to boost the national level of investment and create growth and wealth in Cameroon for at least the next 5 years..". 

The new government could secure the social and political stability in the country and avoid any organised strike action from the unions and a new year of discontent in Cameroon. 

This year will mark the end of British existing bilateral commitments in Cameroon,but the coalition government in Britain  will continue to support Cameroon through the UK`s increasing share of the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the European Commission  and other multilateral programming. 

The UK still have all eyes on the country forestry sector as it is considered as " vitally" by the government and also for the future generations. Paul Biya insisted last week he has enough support to pass urgent reforms to fight off financial, political and social disaster the country could be heading to in the next couple of months. 

In the Parliament, the Cameroon People Democratic Movement, Paul Biya`s party has the number to " push through measures he promises will rein in new encouraging and decisive initiative for the future of the country". 

The crisis of corruption between members of the " Bureau Politique" and " Central Committee" of the party and the regime, the members of the previous governments, the police, and the Army has brought huge reverses for the entire regime in Cameroon...It is time to act now or there is a real risk that the whole country could be pulled into a social and financial storm.

Cameroon to lose British-Aid for his anti-gay legislation

In Cameroon homosexuality is a criminal offence. Britain now has decided that British aid to Third World countries will be slashed if they persecuted gays.

 Cameroon is at risk of losing dozen of  millions of pounds of taxpayers  cash for the development and improvement of his justice system and its  independence, because it has been funded by the British government under a cooperation program.

David Cameron made the announcement during a meeting last week in Perth with leaders of the Commonwealth. Cameron`s position is that if no reforms are made to the constitution in order to respect people freedom of choice and human rights then no aid to be sent to the country.

The Prime Minister said taxpayers`cash would only be handed out with strings attached in future. The move will help according to some political analysts, to appease Tory backbenchers angry that foreign aid is going up as public services are facing cuts.

In some African countries, homosexuality is a criminal offence. Many gays around African countries members of the Commonwealth where homosexuality is a criminal offence are being persecuted, then prosecuted and jailed under unfair trail and some even killed or burnt alive by a bunch of  so called anti-gays criminals.

In Cameroon  homosexuality is a criminal offence and punished by the law. 

The country still using an old legislation inherited from the French and had never ever decided to bring a real change in that law while in France the same law has been improved and new ideas have been brought in. 

In France with the same law, gay men are allowed to live their live as everybody else and enjoy their life, while in Cameroon they are being persecuted and prosecuted. The English speaking Cameroon side of the country now might have the opportunity to push forward their French  fellow compatriots to rewrite that law in order to keep their relationship and ties with Britain.

The Prime Minister David Cameron said he hoped that withholding financial help would encourage governments to look at ways to bring a real change in their constitution in order to allow people to express their feeling and also to respect the Human rights.

Alice Nkom a female attorney took the lead long time ago in Cameroon to fight and challenge the law in order to protect the rights of the gay men accused by the government of  being in breach of the law. Alice Nkom is pushing for a change of the law that will enable gay men in Cameroon to enjoy their life as millions like them around the world do. She successfully won a legal battle against the government will of keeping in prison 17 gay man accused of breaking the law by practising the homosexuality. 

Recently she launched a Facebook campaign to raise the awareness of the brutality of the behaviour that the government in Cameroon was using to intimidate gay men and also to crack down their activities around the country to the International community. She is looking for a support in order to bring that real change needed in Cameroon in order to change the law.