2018 Presidential elections-Cameroon: Opposition still undicided over single candidate to face Biya

Gathered around the "Alternance 2018" movement, the opposition parties had planned to nominate a candidate in March to take their vote in the election. The initiative has so far gone comatose

"Alternance 2018", a movement of the civil society created by Florent Ndzana, proposed to organize in March the very first primaries of the Cameroonian opposition. But his initiative remains, so far, a far fetched dream

The opposition remains deeply divided over the choice of a single candidate for the 2018 presidential election while the Cameroon People Democratic Movement (CPDM) celebrated on March 24 its 32 years in power.

According to the chronogram adopted by the civil society movement "Alternance 2018", it was on March 15th that the primaries had to begin with a view to choosing the Cameroonian opposition candidate in next year's presidential election .

The date of 15 March has come, but was not respected when due. 

"The primaries are still in sight. We have run into many administrative barriers and  the reluctance of some people. However, the leaders of the parties have  agree to organize the primaries to designate a Cameroonian opposition candidate, "said Marie Jeanne Abega, regional delegate of the" Alternance 2018 "movement for the central region of Yaoundé.

According to her, a dozen opposition political parties and as many civil society organizations have already signed up to the 2018 Alternative movement.

A move that calls for a massive vote in favor of a single opposition candidate to overcome the CPDM, the ruling party for 32 years in Cameroon.

History recalls that the failure of a single opposition candidate had already been recorded in 2004.

John Fru Ndi, president of the opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF), rejected the choice of his opponent Adamou Ndam Njoya of the UDC.

Fru Ndi had been eliminated because he did not speak French, one of the official languages of Cameroon. A criterion that is still contained in the declaration of candidature proposed by the Alternance 2018 movement to the leaders of the political parties of the Cameroonian opposition.

Nevertheless, since 2004, the main political forces of the opposition are divided on the idea of a single candidature.

"The actors who currently dominate the main opposition parties have so much mistrust and distrust among them," said Cameroon political scientist Njoya Moussa.

Added to this is the fact that John Fru Ndi's party does not want to share his leadership.

"In the opposition, the SDF believes that any regrouping of political formations must be done around it. However,  critics say this is the behind the  the failure of the opposition in Cameroon, "adds the teacher Njoya Moussa.

The position of the SDF has not changed on this principle of natural leadership.

"The SDF assumes and deserves its political place in the opposition,"  a memeber  of this party tells Camcord

The political hunt to the old guard of the opposition.

For its part, the union for the brotherhood UFP of Olivier Bile, adheres to the initiative of Alternance 2018 to nominate an opposition candidate for the 2018 presidential in Cameroon, but under one condition.

"We are political actors who want to bring a new dynamic to the future. It must now begin with these primaries, which for us constitute a non-negotiable condition, "affirms the president of the UFP,

The Cameroon people party of Edith Kah Walla welcomes with less enthusiasm the option of presenting a single candidate of the opposition.

"It is important to have credible elections in Cameroon. An election with two rounds clears of itself, the candidate that the opposition will support. But the current regime does not want a two-round presidential election, "said Edith Kah Walla, president of the Cameroon People Party.

With so many differences, some Cameroonians are skeptical about a single opposition candidacy during the 2018 presidential election.