Frail Biya in a rare first hint of a successor

Cameroon`s President Paul Biya was due to return to the Research Foundation of Cardiology University of Geneva, department of Cardiology  couple weeks  ago as an outpatient for more scrutiny and an exploratory surgery to his heart about a recurrence of severe fatigue.

It is said that last week, sustaining a black out during a meeting with close senior government ministers led him to name a successor for the first time, in a sign that the disease may force and end his 30 year reign.

Fears Paul Biya is showing sign of serious and severe fatigue are growing inside his own inner circle of friends and close collaborators.

Biya had considerably reduced his public appearance and the message from the Prime Minister`s office is " comfortable and in good spirits" is the " boss" and " any unofficial statement about the state of the Head of State`s health would only as usual be a machiavellian rumour".

The entire government is under pressure to keep quiet about the " boss"`s health situation. It has always been the rule and millions of supporters have been kept without accurate information regarding his health, a matter of " high level of national security".....

Even though Biya on his private holidays most of the time in Geneva usually undergo routine tests about his heart condition and the level of his blood pressure, blood sugar, heartbeat and show signs of being in good spirits, nowadays he is getting actively reduced.

Unnamed relative last week revealed in a private conversation " our brother-in-law is showing signs of severe fatigue and has even reduced some family`s activities around the house.."

The 79 year old communist-liberal leader made what it looks like a surprised announcement to his inner circle of the army general`s council.from the Presidential Palace.

In the clearest indicator yet that health problems could spell and end his tumultuous 30 years in power, Mr Biya it is suggested, may have said that  party members and sympathisers should show their full support to the secretive and most reserved Ayang Luc,( pictured greeting President Paul Biya) the  incumbent President of the Social Affairs and Economics Council  , if a new election had to be held..

Cameroon: Biya expands global communication spy network

Biya`s administration is planning a major expansion of Cameroon`s international spy network, creating a new generation of undercover communication agents to get a better handle on critical issues such as corruption, violation of Human Rights, breach of the freedom of expression and the rising influence of activists against his regime in Africa, Europe and Us.

The country is to send hundreds of spies overseas as part of a plan to assemble an espionage network that rivals the civilian national central intelligence agency in size, marking a major expansion in Cameroon`s communication espionage network. The aim for this is to bring peace to the country. But the country is not a war.

According to Issa Tchiroma, "....lawlessness, breach of press ethics and corruption have robbed the country of peace and freedom and it is time to put things right and to bring back the good journalism, the responsible and accountable journalism..".  The real objectives for the conference here are to avoid the press to acting together in order to set up a system of robust regulation.

Corrupted publications are lining up to have their men being taken while the Cameroon national union of journalists is calling for a new press regulator without being compelled by legislation.  

According to an insider at the national conference on the state of the government`s communication policy being held in Yaounde until Friday, December 7, 2012, hundreds of editors have already spoken to Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who is the head of the communication department and leader of a political party without any representative at the National Assembly to agree to have their men in the network.

The expansion will change the complexion of the embassies` communication department body which is expected to end up with as many as over thousands intelligence communication collectors worldwide. The new recruits will follow and monitor critics in Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Tchad and many more in Africa, Belgium, Paris, London, Spain, Geneva in Europe, Ottawa, and others in Us. 

Biya`s administration is decided to have a grip on the communication and especially to those journalists who are critical to his regime. Paul Biya at 79 keeps going but those who fought by his side on April 4,5,6 1984 his closest associates in politics and his best friends pass on.

Cameroon: A possible way forward for an Independent system of regulation for the Press

Should Cameroon continue to have a strong-biased press regulated by a highly controversial 1990 communication`s law or for the first time ever strive to have a free press, a real free press away from politicians?

In Cameroon looking into the culture, practices and ethics in the press and the examination of the relationship of the press with the public, police, military-police and politicians, a lot can be said and also be done to set out boundaries in order to have a real free press accountable to the public. 

There is a huge need for a radical shake-up in the way Cameroon`s press has operated since it began. Hafis Ruefli, an outspoken opponent of Biya`s leadership is in favour of a properly accountable media complaints commission and explain on how the newspaper industry in Cameroon should be allowed to function and restore public confidence in the press.

The Cameroon Journalists Union (CJU) with his Press Complaints Commission created and funded by press freedom`s organisations has become infiltrated with government spies`s boys, spurned lovers and smears artists. Decency, privacy and old fashioned honour no longer mattered and at the end , the public were repulsed. 

The creation by the government funded of a fake national union of journalists ( members were all residents in Yaounde, political capital city of Cameroon) which followed was intended to restore public confidence in the press and avoid the division in the press`s family. 

But it was a chaos and once more the government has registered a failed regulatory systems. There has never really been a regulator even a  complaints mechanism under Biya`s regime and authority.

There is a need of a creation of a regulator which guarantee independence from ownership control. These minimum standards include civic society involvement and representation of the profession which is provided by all journalists organisations legalised and there won`t be any direct or indirect State involvement in the regulatory system. No publisher is forced to join.

In Cameroon there is a need of  an independent regulatory body, independent from the government and the industry that will really protect free expression and free press, ensure high standards of journalism, fully defend journalists who protect their source, provide a right of reply, be backed by the ability to impose sanction such as fines, have the authority and ability to regulate all commercially-driven press.

It will be good to have such unions or organisation that can play a huge and an important role in maintaining  standards and standing up for ethical journalism. Hafis believes it is possible and can be done.

However, any conversion from sinners to saints would be short-term and once public and political attention went elsewhere, it will be business as usual.

Cameroon: Women don`t make the front page, except in pictures

Treating women in a cruel and unfair way and not giving them the same freedom, rights, spaces as other people representation in the media in Cameroon under the current regime is just appalling and disastrous and discriminating.

Women are still sidelined and stereotyped on the front page of Britain`s newspapers, according to research published by Women in Journalism (WiJ). The results of the research and figures can be also be extrapolated to Cameroon.

Male dominated journalists wrote 78% of all front-page articles and  men accounted for 84% of those mentioned or quoted in them, according to WiJ`s analysis of nine national papers over four weeks earlier this year.

Predictable as the general results may seem, the research did produce some surprises, with the worst gender ratios on what many would consider the most progressive papers.

The most male-dominated title was the Independent, with 91% of its 70 front-page articles written by men. At the Telegraph the proportion was 89%, at The Times 82% and 78% at The Guardian.

But the Express had a 50/50 share and at the best quality paper, the Financial Times, the figure was 66%. Across all the titles, of people named in lead articles, 84% of those quoted or mentioned were men, most in a professional capacity. 

The 16% of women were disproportionately likely to be quoted as celebrities, or as victims.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there were higher proportions of photos of women-though most were celebrities.

 The  results of the study published by the Journal of the Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom, found not a single female politician or leader in the top 10 images used during the month in question.

And where powerful women were featured, the images were often unflattering. The were few pictures in which women looked powerful and serious.Francoise Foning, Mayor for Duala 5, Prof Asheri Kilo Vivian and the government minister Muna Tutu have featured in some rare front page.

 The same research can be used for Le Messager, The Herald, La Nouvelle Expression, Cameroon Tribune, Dikalo, The Nation, Le Jour, Mutations, Reperes, L`Action, Le Patriote, Germinal, L`Oeil du Sahel, Aurore Plus, The Messenger, L`Anecdote, Le Proces International,

 Le Nouvel Independant, L`Independant, La Nouvelle Afrique and many more strong male dominated titles where the image of the first lady Chantal Biya can be featured and appeared as the main picture many times during a certain period of time.

 Female government ministers are sometimes featured only when on usual government business with images of them in some unfortunnate face.

Prof Asheri Kilo Vivian and Ama Tutu Muna have never kept the front page of many publication and this is a kind of discrimination compare to their male colleagues.

Greedy Ministers and MPs have learned nothing about morals

Politicians in Cameroon have always been regarded as liars. The joke that you could tell when a politician is or was lying because his lips moved is as old as the hills, but the political cleasing corrupted operation by the incumbent President Paul Biya and  some of his ministers made a bad reputation worse. Far worse.

Since one of the most often used definitions of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result each time, it may be that there are at least 135 MPs who are insane.

Remember the African United Organisation Summit and the purchase of the presidential aircraft and the management of the purchasing power of some members of the government scandal..?

Couple of years ago a leak of  Paul Biya confidential weekly report brought the entire political class to its knees.

 Many members of the government and Members of the Parliament were and are....and remain decent, honest and hardworking.

But many others were and are exposed as greedy, dishonest and dishonourable. They were caught fleecing the taxpayer.

 Some committed basic fraud, pocketing money to which they weren`t entitled through abuse of their power. Others simply pushed the boundaries of legitimate purchase.

Some were jailed for fraud. Others stood down from public office and activities rather than to be kicked out not by voters at the moment but by the " Boss". Plenty are going to be kicked out when comes the 2013 elections.

As is always the way the bad eggs tarnished the entire group. But so extensive was the abuse and so widespread, that only few people were prepared to make the distinction between the corrupt and the honest Members of the government and Members of the Parliament...

This week it was revealed that there are 135 Mps who are directly connected with all those former government ministers who are in jail in Cameroon. It should be said that be connected to a Member of the government is not illegal or against the rules.

 But the connection itself can become illegal according to the rules. At this point it will be good for the entire opposition to request an Independent Parliamentary Standard Authority or Commission to be put in place in order to deal properly with all these mistakes and set the rules. 

The right honourable Cavaye Yeguie Djibril, the speaker of the house with an extended mandate term for 6 months might have some institutional questions to answer about the behaviour of some high rank members of his own political party and government who are now in jail since the launch of the political cleasing corruption operation headed by Paul Biya himself as supreme chief in command.

The opposition parties have been given a welcome opportunity to continually highlight the serious disagreement within the main political party in power, the Cameroon People Democratic Movement, (CPDM) over a hugely important matter, the economy and the good governance of the country. But the opposition stumbles from one disaster to another, all entirely of their own making.

 Gregoire Owona, Minister of Social Security and Labour yesterday reminded everyone why the entire opposition in Cameroon right now is still regarded in many quarters as the " nasty party".

 Pr Maurice Kamto, former government Minister and newly appointed chairman of a coalition of political parties (MRC) for the Renaissance of Cameroon,  with no representatives in the Parliament said, some in the government today have always been regarded as liars and nothing good and reliable can come from them.

In the wake of the purchase of the presidential aircraft, we`ve heard constant moans from Ministers and Members of the Parliament about how difficult life now is for them and their family.

 Their every step is monitored, they are treated as corrupt by nature and the bond they felt they once had with the public has been shattered.

Polls show that where as 78% of us today trust doctors and 36% for journalist and only 14% for politicians.

 It would be very interesting to speak to that 14% who might be some generous souls to continue to trust politicians or must be family related...Minister of Labour and Social Security, Gregoire Owona, a long standing Biya`s supporter might also have some institutional questions to answer about those of his colleagues who have been arrested and jailed for serious allegation of corruption, even they are still portraying their " boss" as a talented Head of State.

It is now time, they plead for us to trust MPs and government Ministers again and knowing that the rest of us are scrutinising every franc they claim..Every government minister and those who are in power today or in an influential position today will have his action scrutinised by the people.

Former Minister and a group of MPs reveal plot to oust Biya

The backbench rumblings against Paul  Biya`s leadership grew in volume last week with the launch of a new right-wing Cameroon People Democratic Movement  faction.

 An internal plot to oust him has  been revealed after a highly regarded former minister confirmed he was asked to consider a " stalking horse" leadership challenge against the national chairman of the party.

Pr Joseph Owona ( pictured ) said he has been approached to consider a leadership to challenge against the President.

He claimed the idea was brought to him by a group of former colleagues and Members of the Parliament, mainly from the North and the Far-North region of Cameron (Muslim) before the return of the President from his private respite in Europe.

 At the moment there are conflicting information about the response they received from the former minister. This is a familiar conflict between Paul Biya and Muslim brotherhood in Cameroon and it has been for so long impossible for the President Biya to make an official decision and a choice. Biya has been in a state of indecision.

 Some said the former Minister told them to  " get lost " and to "mind their business" where they are, while another suggested that he might need time to consult his inner group of advisers before making up his mind.

 At this time the President is locked in a battle with backbenchers over a planned mass rebellion on the way the government is conducting the judicial procedure of the " Operation Epervier".

 People are still questioning the ethical code of the way judicial procedures in the punishment of the embezzlement by former public officials is being carried out.

Pr Joseph Owona who was one of those former presidential`s general secretary, and also former Education Minister under Paul Biya presidency might have said " it was a silly suggestion that i dismissed. I told them to get lost. I was not having anything to do with it". The former Education Minister refused to name the plotters and said he had not been told on whose behalf they were agitating.

 The plot emerged as former deputy Justice Minister Pr Maurice Kamto (pictured above) has offered his resignation from the government and now leading a newly created coalition of political parties. Pr Kamto`s insider said " the new group would work alongside the leadership, targeting such policy areas as tax, public services and political reform."

Discontent voices appear to have been borne out of frustration that working alongside the coalition government, Biya`s administration and the party values have become diluted somewhat and need to be reinvigorated ahead of the next General Election in 2013

Opposition in Cameroon could push for a raise of living wage

Hafis Ruefli, the head of a political movement that is calling for a radical change of power in Cameroon and political mediator, brandished the most potent weapon in his policy arsenal, unveiling an attractive economic plan yesterday by suggesting that an apposition Government in Cameroon could encourage the introduction of a living wage much higher than the national minimum wage as the country, he said has a lot of financial potential to fight against the state of low-wage economy.

The political mediator praised the growing grass-roots campaign for an CFA 312.50 an hour living wage in the political and economic capital cities, Yaounde and Douala and CFA 212.50 an hour outside the capital in order to reflect the real cost of living.

 The mediator is the first one to make such proposal to a group of opposition leaders determined to create a strong coalition against Biya`s administration.

In reality the figures proposed by Hafis are significantly higher than the legally-binding less than CFA 156 an hour minimum wage.

His comments could pave the way for the coalition`opposition manifesto at the 2013 general election and 2018 presidential election saying that private companies winning government contracts would be forced to pay the higher rate if the coalition of opposition won power.

Senior Social Democratic Front sources said yesterday that no decision had been taken for the moment to join the coalition and also stressed that the party`s decision would depend on the state of the economy in 2013 and 2018.

Business leaders will be worried about the imposition of higher wage costs, especially if the economy is flat. The living wage could form part of Hafis`s anti-poverty strategy and the aim would be to boost wage packets by improving education, skills training and urging companies to pay more.