Can Christine keep the IMF in good "custody"?

Since its foundation in 1947, the IMF has always been run by a European, while the World Bank is usually headed by an American and all this in the strong arena of men and now it could be the real change with Christine Lagarde...

The 55 year old female French finance minister who put her name forward to replace Dominique Strauss-Kahn could become the first ever female to lead the International Monetary Fund.

 The move could also open doors to others International Financial organisations to accept female to lead their organisation, the World Bank could there be on the list.

The French has already the backing of the EU. During the G8 summit in France, Obama didn`t officially approved  that he is supporting the French but show his full support of having a female as a managing director of the IMF. Lagarde is on the way of becoming the first-woman to be managing director of the IMF in its 65 year history.

The real challenge now is to find whether Lagarde can carry the flag of emerging markets where ministers claim that the obsolete unwritten convention of appointing a European undermined the legitimacy of the Fund.Lagarde has already collected the 32% of the votes represented by the European Union.

The enthusiasm of a woman in the top job is well placed, although one might ask why when emerging nations are looking for the same top job now there is another French candidate. With the 16.7% of America votes on hold, Christine Lagarde is now the virtual unbeatable candidate for the top job at the IMF, despite the trifling matter of a judicial investigation...

Can Philemon Yang urge banks to lend more to consumers?

Cameroon Prime Minister Yang Philemon might have already discussed new measures with the entire cabinet to cut the budget deficit, in an effort to convince lenders and investors, the country can deal with a debt crisis without falling into a political trouble and social unrest and even restructuring.

There is no guarantee that the country can cope with a sudden social unrest as the cost of Cameroon borrowing soared to a new highs.

 Following ratings agency Standard and Poor`s decision to put Cameroon on a B and stable B, on a stable credit watch, economists are not yet anxious over political divisions in the country after a recent disorganized and disunited street`s demonstrations against austerity and the risen of the food prices as well.

While  it is true that the economy will almost certainly start to grow again in the coming months, there will still be major headwinds with the outcome of the next presidential election.

But according to the Prime Minister office, the debt restructuring is not under discussion and the government is working according to instructions received by the Head of State, President  Paul Biya.

The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank together  have already approved the actual government fiscal plan and the 2011 budget.

There is a CFA100 billion internal debt that the government needs to pay back without negotiations. The opposition has no alternative plan for that as it has been reduced to a single minded minority in the Parliament and the government can just do whatever its wants without a solid opposition. The Prime Minister office believes that the gouvernment economic policy is right and ant suggestion otherwise is incorrect

Consumers and businesses continue ahead of the election to pay off debt and borrow less, figures from the Cameroon Bankers` Association show that there are CFA billion available in Banks and the government is doing nothing to encourage Banks to lent more to consumers and the demand remains weak.

Sdf and Cpdm " run like dictatorship"

An ex-influential member of the National Executive council of the social democratic front ( SDF) and now president of the Cameroon People`s Party, branded the Cameroon People Democratic Movement and the Social Democratic Front, the two mainstream political party in cameroon " a dictatorship" after defecting to launch a newly created political party. According to official sources, that party is the 55 the registered to run for the next presidential election and has been given the reference N/372/D/MINAT of the 29/12/1991. The so called braveheart lady is standing for election against Paul Biya with courage and real ambition.

Kah Walla, the 46 year old ex-student for the  Saker Baptist College in Victoria, now Limbe in South West- Cameroon and the second female candidate after Marie Louise Eteki to run for the presidency at the next presidential election, accused both the  Cpdm and the Sdf of wagging campaign her for signing a secret letter opposing the government intention to open doors to the Sdf member long time ago without the party`s permission.

Kah Walla has been for long time one of John Fru Ndi female`s advisor during the political instability in cameroon before leaving for USA where she decided to become one of the female presidential candidate.

In the past the letter signed by Kah Walla while sdf member has called for a campaign to defeat the policies of the government. Since defecting the main opposition party, Kah Walla has been trying to work out another new vision for the country leading by a female rather than a man and also researching solutions for internal problems.( debt, financial deficit in public finances, corruption, injustice, unemployment, lost of trust in public service and good governance)

At the moment there is no financial capability information available from the party in order to assess the capacity of the party to offer that change that is needed at this time in Cameroon and also to go round the country in less than 5 months of the election.

The party would have to pay now a cfa 3 million  fee to be paid as surety for the registration for running for the presidency.

 And according to the law, the money will only be given back to those who will receive a total of more than 5% of the total vote and for those who will receive  less, nothing will be given back. There is no clear information about her campaign manifesto and what she will propose to the voters before the election. One of the insider close to John Fru Ndi who required the anonymity said that, the chairman took Kah Walla`s intention and decision to run for the presidency as a personal affront as she couldn`t do that when in the party before.  Kah might have received financial backing by anonymous donors and also those in exile in Us specially.

Press attack on candidates and specially female during presidential elections are not a new phenomenon in Cameroon politics. "We can agree that Paul Biya and the Cpdm for 29 years in reign have failed to implemente their manifesto and it is time now for them to leave and let others with experience and political will and vision to conduct cameroon through growth and prosperity," said with conviction Kah Walla."

Coalition government to be divided wider after elections

Splits in the Coalition government in Cameroon will be wider than ever regardless of the outcome of the next presidential election, one of the special advisor of the most senior acting cabinet minister admitted yesterday.

The country must seize this golden opportunity during the next presidential election to send a firm message to this coalition government that is inflicting pain on ordinary people while self-evidently enjoying the status of high office.

 After visiting many constituencies around the country, he said that the acrimonious campaigns had amplified the differences between the main party, the Cameroon People Democratic Movement (CPDM) and those that form the coalition.

 As if to illustrate the point, Bello Bouba Maigari, leader of the of the National Union for Progress and Democracy and actual transport minister in the coalition government and Issa Tchiroma Bakary, the communication minister and leader of his own political party have confronted their colleagues from the main party over different issues also over the Cpdm conservatives`personalised campaign for the next presidential election.

 Sources described that members of the main party often send the wrong campaign message to their electorate in their constituencies without having to discuss with them first of what messages are they going to send to people around and also what solutions for their problems are they going to provide.

 On the ground some members of the government often urge voters to size the historic chance to change Cameroon`s future and dimension and  even call on voters to hammer the party in coalition and give the main party the vote. And this is why parties in coalition government are not very happy.

  Amadou Ali, who is the most senior cabinet minister in the government and acting justice minister once suggested that if the next presidential election will dramatize or amplify the fact this coalition government is composed of different parties and the Cpdm is the progressive party in this arrangement, i don`t think that is a bad thing in the long run.Coalition

 But other parties in the coalition are not really happy by the way the main party is acting and conducting his election campaign without informing members of their intention and action.It is wrong what they are doing said, one of the special advisor of the justice minister, Amadou Ali.

 The Cpdm is viewed as a progressive and also a conservative political party by those in coalition and they said that it will be difficult to see any change happening while they are still in power and holding the majority of seats in the Parliament.

 The polls predicts a win for the Cpdm but supporters of the change and the total change of the regime in Cameroon say they could still clinch it. There is an anti-conservative majority underground in Cameroon that is afraid of any kind of retaliation from authorities in case they express what they really want.Only a fairer election will make that more likely to be expressed.

 But a source at the presidency said that there will be no reason to expect the coalition government to fall apart over after the next presidential election and the Cpdm is looking to gain more council seats during the election.