Can a " divided opposition" write a new chapter for Cameroon?

The question of which opposition leader will face Paul Biya in next week presidential election has been blown wide open, after the main opposition leader will have to face his previous campaign director, Bernard Muna who is now considered as the " heavyweight opposition candidate" to enter the race.

Ni John Fru Ndi, leader of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), the main opposition party with seats in the parliament looked in danger of becoming the latest contender to see his campaign disturbed by his brother Bernard Muna, from the English speaking Cameroon. Fru Ndi is the only opposition leader who has been since 1992 the close rival of Paul Biya and since then has lost and regained his popularity on the ground.

Paul Biya still leading the party 26 years after his last controversial presidential election in 2007 and " expected usual victory". This is a far better moment for Paul Biya and the Cameroon People Democratic Movement (CDPM) party than seemed possible in 2008 when a stunned and somewhat hostile group of politic bureau watched the national chairman amend a provision of the constitution to allow him to run again in 2011 for presidency in Cameroon. Paul Biya has survived since 2008 and even won some of his critics.

Is Paul Biya making a real impact on the country at large? The polls, tough, showed that his " performance" wasn`t noticed by the opposition in general. Next week election is CPDM`s chance to get once more public attention where a large number of the population has no access to proper and clean water and enough food to eat, where there are no jobs, youth unemployment is rising, police and military police still harassing and abusing people, corruption and embezzlement still at the heart of the administration and the country, soaring prices and less is being done to stop or to fight against that situation.

Paul Biya and his contenders are all hunting for policies to appeal to the 85% of the population who no longer feel that the government care about them and also think about alleviating the suffering and the poverty in which they have been left with no option and alternative and is scared and worried about the future.

 About jobs creation, Paul Biya is the only one to make his political campaign announcement whilst opposition leaders have nothing at the moment to offer except that all contenders today are promising to break the closed circles of Cameroon.

It is true that Cameroon had reached the time and a moment where the entire rule-book had to be changed. John Fru Ndi from the SDF, Adamu Ndan Njoya for the UDC, Jean Jacques Ekindi, Bello Bouba Maigari from the UNDP are the only leaders with representatives in the parliament today whilst others have never ever won a single seat in the House. 19 contenders for the presidency race have never won a popular vote and today just seek to convince voters that they can bring that change, million are expecting in Cameroon.

Opposition leaders and Paul Biya are all in the same time promising a " new bargain in Cameroon economic and finance system and on the sustainable development strategies" and to ensure responsibility from top to bottom. But it is time now to break up vested interests that hold the country back...All of them today want and aspire to write a new chapter for Cameroon...

Biya is abandoning young people

Unemployment is rising. Jobs fall. The attractiveness of education rises but the government has refused to lift the cap on the number of jobs to create.With a financial capability to create at least 1 million over his 28 years in power, only 25 000  jobs position were politically created. Biya`s administration has failed to secure young people future.

Young people today in Cameroon who are unemployed are on the edge to go out on the street, with the inevitable effect of disruption, troubles, uprising and possible riots. 

 Young people who had the least to do with causing economic and financial instabilities are now paying the highest price.

Biya`s regime protected the army generals and their close relatives and those who steal from the government and many of them, especially ex-government ministers diverted cfa tens of  billions while writing off the young. It has abandoned a generation of potential hard working young people.

The supply of young people graduated from state owned universities and private has grown while demand for them in the jobs market has totally collapsed under Biya`s previous governments. 

The real risk today in Cameroon is that if the government cannot show any ability to deliver and youngsters who think or could imagine they had no opportunities, then they will have no option than to react very angrily and take over the streets to express their anger against the government.

The next government or whosoever will be elected in October Cameroon next president will need new policies targeting young people and also they must reduce the cap on university fees so young people are or will be in education rather than on the streets without a purpose.

Acho Muna in pledge to stop Biya`s regime

Bernard Acho Muna since the 28th  of May 2011 has vowed to block Biya plans to run again for president in Cameroon deepening a bitter row within the divided opposition coalition. 

He portrayed himself as the Cameroon Nelson Mandela who came in power and just complete one term in the office after been released from prison. Mandela is 20 years older than him and taking his credentials for a campaign in a country like Cameroon where now more and more are hoping for a younger head of state rather than another " old man" in power could be complicated for his campaign team.

 But Bernard has never been a political prisoner in Cameroon and even detained for his views as well. 72 year old Barrister in law and former Deputy Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and also former president of the Cameroon Bar association said  the ruling party ( CPDM) has used the political machine of the one party state to deny Cameroon a genuinely free society underpinned by free and fair elections, the respect of all aspects of human rights and an independent judiciary..

His comments came after the launch of his website campaign where the team is looking for donation in order to run the campaign and produce the campaign material. 

Son of the former Cameroon speaker of the House under the former ruling single party Cameroon National Union, Salomon Tandeng Muna, the barrister in law promised if elected as president of Cameroon, to draw up a new constitution and carry out needed reforms in the administration of the nation and taking in consideration the specificities of the multi-ethnic-tribal-cultural society that Cameroon is. 

According to him such constitution which shall be adopted by the people by way of referendum shall specifically contain a provision that shall oblige any change or amendment of constitution to be equally effected by way of another referendum.

There is no plan or intention of nationalize industries or companies that are operated in the country also no information about where the money for this plan will come from. Will he renegotiate all the previous agreements signed by the constitutional outgoing president and his government, there is no sign of answers for this questions.

If elected the former Deputy Chief Prosecutor will lead a government of transition for a period of single term of office during a period of five year and shall not seek re-election or to renew his hold of office as president of the Republic of Cameroon

Acho Muna has a plan and the question is when are we going to see this really implemented in the country where there is lack of indication on where the money will come from or even where and how the government under him will create financial gain to motivate the country economic and financial system .For the moment there is no information about how many political parties have endorsed his candidacy for the presidential election.

And also the political process and vision of his party are totally different from the main " anglophone" or English speaking leading political parties in Cameroon with the Social Democratic Front and the Southern Cameroon National Council who are fighting for the division between the British Cameroon and the French Cameroon.

This is just the beginning of a huge interesting political battle in Cameroon where the game has already been played behind closed doors..

Helping Cameroon to succeed is Britain`s cause too

The foreign secretary William Hague rushed out a statement before the next presidential election official campaign open next month, pledging to take coordinated action where necessary to prevent serious disruption before and after the election in Cameroon.

If authorities in Cameroon do not observe fundamental rights and reform, they will lose in the long term and so may Britain, warned Hague.

William Hague said " we support democracy, human rights and economic freedom because they are universal.." and " the idea of freedom cannot be confined behind bars, however strong the lock.

 There will be no long-term stable future for the country without political and economic reform, which will not be achieved without support from the outside world"

For those in opposition, the foreign secretary reminded them that the absence of quick and easy answers does not mean that there is a comforting alternative available to patient and determined engagement with the country.

Britain recognizes that it is indisputably the legitimate right of the people of Cameroon to use peaceful means to demand greater political and economic freedom, although what this will mean in practice will vary markedly from region to region. It is also strongly in our interest,  said the foreign secretary, that " Cameroon `s people aspirations are fulfilled and also that Britain must do what its can to help the country become more democratic over time, because our fortune is linked to it as thousands  of  British jobs are linked to trade  and commerce with the wider Central Africa region and the country "

The UK-coalition government " will not stay silent where repressive regime seek to crush legitimate aspirations from the population, but will press for necessary, legal actions to hold them account". Britain, concluded the foreign secretary, " will continue to work and lead other international action at the G8, EU and UN and to offer practical support to reforming governments through our own Africa Partnership Initiative."

 

Call to scrap Cameroon`s human rights and freedoms watchdog

Cameroon`s human rights and freedoms watchdog should be scrapped because it contributes very little to meaningful equality and human rights promotion in the country. Lots still to be done and CFA millions spent on luxuries whilst human rights abuses are rising in an appalling situation..and no place to create a fairer Cameroon.

In a report, the civil society group. ACAT-Cameroon, says that the National Commission for Human Rights and Freedoms cost CFA millions a year to run. It also accused the commission of using statistics in an illogical way and of a narrow approach to social policy which is neither reasonable nor useful.

But Dr Divine Chemuta Banda, the chairperson of the National Commission for Human Rights and Freedoms rejected the claims and said its job is to start a debate on issues where we could see better outcomes for people suffering unfair disadvantages.

Based on Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, local human rights activists groups  insist that torture is never legitimate and that the dignity of all human beings must be respected.

The fight against torture has been responsible for the creation of the National Commission and therefore according to the local and international human rights group, and the failure of Dr Divine Banda`s administration to protect those who have been abused by the authorities should then force the total scrap of that government agency and save taxpayer some money....

The commission has failed to defend  all victims of torture and ill-treatment, both prisoners of conscience or common law, whether held by state or non-state entities.

In its report ACAT-Cameroon.described the commission`s goal of equality as impractical, saying it wishes that life outcomes be entirely divorced from politics. Since an editor died in prison in Cameroon, no independent report has been made public and the Commission has failed to act.

Lagarde to be " investigated" by court

The newly-elected head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, is to face a judicial inquiry into whether she was wrong to approve a large out of court settlement to a controversial French businessman Bernard Tapie.

Close supporter of Nicolas Sarkozy, Bernard Tapie was paid according to sources from the team in charge of the judicial inquiry, £249m from the French state in 2008 to settle a decade long court battle with the bank Credit Lyonnais, but a court has ruled that Lagarde`s decision should be investigated over concerns that she ignored expert advice.

In 2008 Christine Lagarde was the acting French Finance minister and Tapie was  the chairman of the football club Olympique de Marseille when the deal was passed between the French businessman and the state represented by the former French finance minister Christine Lagarde.

 Lagarde who was speaking last night after a meeting with Jean Claude Trichet in an attempt to calm fears over the debt crisis by announcing a return to its bond buying programme, confirmed that if there is or would be any judicial inquiry against her she will seek advice from her legal department and then she will comply totally with the inquiry without damaging the work that she is doing within the International Monetary Fund in dealing with the debt crisis within the Eurozone.

Camair-Co revenue falls as customers leave

Camair-Co lost a net number of customers in the second quarter but continued its upward revenue momentum, with tickets sales growing under 3% to an estimated less than £ 150m..and as it struggles against strong performances at its rivals and a reputation for poor customer service. Its revenue decreased 5%. The company does not disclose its profits until interim results in October. 

Camair-Co are not really a good team player company in the aviation business world as they are reluctant to provide financial information when asked to do so.

Its average revenue per user rose to £25 a month. The Cameroon national airlines company reported smaller losses for the first half of the year, boosted by more passengers demands for travelling.

Demands for travelling is growing but actually many more prefer to use Air France-KLM rather to travel with the company.

There are losses made in pre-tax and the management is willing to change that by offering more and more exciting and attractive tickets cost.

Air France-KLM losses widen after the company posted a £186.5m net loss for the quarter on July 27 as fuel bills rose and it took a knife to plans to offer more seats next winter amid mounting fears over the Eurozone debt crisis.

In the other hand regarding the fuel bills rising, Camair-Co appears reluctant of providing information about losses as the company also has been affected and badly affected by the fuel bills rising.

Europe`s largest airline by revenue said its operating loss widened from a year ago to less than £120m but predicted it would still be able to eke out a positive result for the year.

Revenue rose 8.7% to£7.028bn and passenger traffic rose 9.4%. But turmoil in North Africa and the Middle East and the aftermath of the Japanese earthquake, tsunami and nuclear crisis all combined to cause £ 113m in losses.

Camair-Co will be opening new destinations in order to increase revenue and also to improve the company financial capability.

  At the moment as one of the company`s mission is  to change the landscape of the air transport in Cameroon, in Africa and in the rest of the world, the management doesn`t seem to communicate too much even one of the insider said that the group recurring operating profit would still be higher than last year`s level for the year as a whole, helped by  a productivity improvement plan.

Camair-Co need to buy a specialist travel group in order to boost their revenue and that could also generate more money in from its international operations...