Politics
In Cameroon, the president of the Senate is rightly the constitutional successor to President Paul Biya. Article 4 of the Constitution of 18th January,1996 stipulates that in case of vacancy at the Presidency of the Republic, due to death, resignation or permanent incapacity, the president of the Senate takes over as the interim head of state until the election of the new President of the Republic. The President of the Senate, Marcel Niat Njifenji in the present state of affairs is the one who will succeed Paul Biya.
Following recent photos of President Biya celebrating his 83rd birthday, a lot of tongues have been waging on whether the president of the senate has the physical and moral strength to run a nation with very weak institutions? Some pro CPDM comedians hinted recently that age is a source of experience and wisdom.They added that if Senate president Marcel Niat were to succeed President Paul Biya, he will continue with what they described as "such great works" such as completing the construction of the port of Kribi, the building of many electric power plants in the country. Some even suggested that Marcel Niat was the right man for Cameroon's top job.
However, Jean Emmanuel Mpouma of the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (Manidem) opined that there was not nothing different between Mr. Biya 83 and Mr. Niat who is presently 82 years of age. A majority of Cameroonians are of the reasoning that, there 'will be no change in policy and governance if Marcel Niat becomes head of state since it will simply be a matter of reproducing the same system, whose defects, slag and dysfunctions have already been criticized for more than three deades.
A cross section of the Cameroonian youth in a recent opinion poll conducted by our Yaounde bureau said Cameroon can not emerge in 2035 with Biya or Marcel Niat as leader. Some constitutional law experts observed on state owned radio and television that the problem was the absence of a constitutional court and term limits. Issues such as how to interpret the basic law have also been raised. Whether Marcel Niat succeeds Biya or not, Cameroon is likely going to be another flash point in Sub Sahara Africa.
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- Ngwa Bertrand
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In Cameroon, the president of the Senate is rightly the constitutional successor to President Paul Biya. Article 4 of the Constitution of 18th January,1996 stipulates that in case of vacancy at the Presidency of the Republic, due to death, resignation or permanent incapacity, the president of the Senate takes over as the interim head of state until the election of the new President of the Republic. The President of the Senate, Marcel Niat Njifenji in the present state of affairs is the one who will succeed Paul Biya.
Following recent photos of President Biya celebrating his 83rd birthday, a lot of tongues have been waging on whether the president of the senate has the physical and moral strength to run a nation with very weak institutions? Some pro CPDM comedians hinted recently that age is a source of experience and wisdom.They added that if Senate president Marcel Niat were to succeed President Paul Biya, he will continue with what they described as "such great works" such as completing the construction of the port of Kribi, the building of many electric power plants in the country. Some even suggested that Marcel Niat was the right man for Cameroon's top job.
However, Jean Emmanuel Mpouma of the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (Manidem) opined that there was not nothing different between Mr. Biya 83 and Mr. Niat who is presently 82 years of age. A majority of Cameroonians are of the reasoning that, there 'will be no change in policy and governance if Marcel Niat becomes head of state since it will simply be a matter of reproducing the same system, whose defects, slag and dysfunctions have already been criticized for more than three deades.
A cross section of the Cameroonian youth in a recent opinion poll conducted by our Yaounde bureau said Cameroon can not emerge in 2035 with Biya or Marcel Niat as leader. Some constitutional law experts observed on state owned radio and television that the problem was the absence of a constitutional court and term limits. Issues such as how to interpret the basic law have also been raised. Whether Marcel Niat succeeds Biya or not, Cameroon is likely going to be another flash point in Sub Sahara Africa.
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- Ngwa Bertrand
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French President François Hollande says Moscow must stop supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as the West rejects a Russian-drafted UN resolution aimed at halting Turkey's military actions in northern Syria. “Russia will not succeed by unilaterally backing Bashar al-Assad. It's not possible, we all see it. Because there will be no results on the ground, there won't be negotiations and there will always be war,” Hollande told France Inter radio on Friday. He added that "there must be pressure on Moscow” so that it helps resume Syria peace talks. The latest round of talks between the Syrian government and the Saudi-backed opposition -- known as the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) -- which was being held in the Swiss city of Geneva, was suspended on February 3 after the opposition refused to attend the sessions. The next round was slated for February 25; however, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said on Friday that the resumption of the talks on the planned date is not realistic. On February 12, the International Syria Support Group (ISSG) agreed in the German city of Munich to seek a nationwide ceasefire in Syria beginning in a week's time. It also decided to accelerate and expand humanitarian aid deliveries to the country.
According to the ISSG statement, the truce in Syria does not include areas held by groups designated as terrorist organizations by the UN Security Council, including Daesh and the al-Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front. Russia began its air campaign in Syria on September 30, 2015 at the request of the Damascus government. The air raids have expedited the advances of Syrian forces against foreign-backed militants operating in the country. Regarding Ankara’s escalating involvement in the Syrian crisis, the French president said it was creating a risk of war between Turkey and Russia. Ankara has been targeting the positions of fighters of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) and its umbrella group Democratic Union Party (PYD) in northern Syria for nearly a week in an attempt to stop Kurdish forces from reaching the Syrian border with Turkey, while Syrian forces have been making steady gains. Turkey is also among the few countries insisting that the only way to stop the war in Syria is to deploy ground forces in the Arab country’s northern regions. "Turkey is involved in Syria... There, there is a risk of war," Hollande told France Inter radio. "That is why the Security Council is meeting," Hollande noted.
The Security Council held an emergency meeting on Friday afternoon at Moscow's request to discuss Syrian-related developments, including the Russian-drafted resolution calling on the council to express "its grave alarm at the reports of military buildup and preparatory activities aimed at launching foreign ground intervention into the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic." It also called on countries to "refrain from provocative rhetoric and inflammatory statements inciting further violence and interference into internal affairs of the Syrian Arab Republic." The draft was, however, rejected by the representatives of France, the US and Britain at the meeting. Russia Deputy UN Ambassador Vladimir Safronkov holds a press briefing in New York after attending a Security Council meeting on Syria, February 19, 2016. (AP) "Russia must understand that its unconditional support to Bashar al-Assad is a dead end, and a dead end that could be extremely dangerous," French Ambassador to the UN François Delattre said ahead of the meeting. "We are facing a dangerous military escalation that could easily get out of control and lead us to uncharted territory," he added.
US Ambassador to the UN Samantha Power said Russia is "trying to distract the world" with the draft resolution, calling on Moscow to focus on implementing a UN resolution agreed by the 15-member council in December last year that endorsed an international road map for a Syria peace process. The resolution, adopted on December 18, called for a nationwide ceasefire in Syria and the formation of a “credible, inclusive and non-sectarian” government within six months and UN-supervised “free and fair elections” within 18 months. Syria has been gripped by foreign-backed militancy since March 2011. According to a new report by the Syrian Center for Policy Research, the conflict has claimed the lives of over 470,000 people, injured 1.9 million others, and displaced nearly half of the country’s pre-war population of about 23 million within or beyond its borders.
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- Ngwa Bertrand
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Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has won the East African nation’s presidential election, extending his three decades in power. Uganda’s electoral commission announced on Saturday that Museveni secured 60.8 percent of votes, while his main rival and opposition candidate Kizza Besigye garnered 35.4 percent. Besigye, who is currently under house arrest, rejected Museveni's victory, saying the poll was a “sham.” “We have just witnessed what must be the most fraudulent electoral process in Uganda,” Besigye said in a statement, calling for an independent audit of the results. The opposition candidate was detained several times over the past days.
Meanwhile, European Union observers criticized the poll, saying the East African nation's electoral commission is not independent, adding that the vote was conducted in an intimidating atmosphere. The electoral commission “lacks independence, transparency and the trust of stakeholders,” Eduard Kukan, chief observer for the EU mission said. He said the dominance of the political space by President Museveni's ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party “distorted the fairness of the campaign and state actors created an intimidating atmosphere for both voters and candidates.” The Thursday elections were marred by late delivery of polling materials, sporadic violence and a government shutdown of social media.
Shortly before declaring Museveni the winner, Badru Kiggundu, the electoral commission chief, appealed for calm, saying “the outcome of an elections can either tear or build a country... as Ugandans let us be prepared to exhibit more tolerance.” Ugandan elections in 2006 and 2011 were marred by violence over the results, sparking widespread protests in the East African country, particularly in the capital, Kampala. Museveni, who came to power in 1986 after waging a five-year guerrilla war, is hailed by many Ugandans as providing decades of relative peace and economic stability.
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- Ngwa Bertrand
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The Douala police service has banned the distribution of any newspaper calling on President Biya to retire. The decision was made to prevent activists of the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (Manidem) from circulating a party publication bearing the message: "No to Biya's bid for the presidency in 2018".
Cameroon Concord's Douala bureau chief reported earlier that security agents have been deployed all over the streets of Douala confiscating anti Biya leaflets. The president of the Manidem group, Dieudonne Yebga in one of the press releases noted that Biya has the last chance to leave through the front door.
Copies of the Manidem newspaper were seized and destroyed from the hands of vendors who were selling at the Deido Roundabout.
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- Ngwa Bertrand
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A significant number of dignitaries within the ruling consortium of crime syndicates have escaped justice through the stress generated by prosecutors at the Special Criminal Court. Ever since the Cameroonian dictator launched the anti corruption campaign to stop numerous acts of embezzlement of public funds in 2000, many of those highly placed government officials arrested ended up dying in detention.
Apart from cases such as that of the late Ambassador Jerome Mendouga, the late Madam Françoise Foning escaped the Special Criminal Court "thanks" to an untimely death reportedly from the pressure that came from the Special Criminal Court. She was wanted by that body for embezzling about 5 billion CFA francs as she held the position of mayor of the Douala 5th district. At the time of her death, a criminal investigation had been opened against her.
Henry Engoulou, 60, former minister of finance arrested in 2010, passed away in 2014 at the Yaounde Central Hospital. He was detained in connection with a criminal matter that involved Franco-Cameroon Barrister Lydien Eyoum. Lydien Eyoum was accused of misappropriation of public funds amounting to one billion FCFA.
A former Secretary of State to the Minister of Secondary Education, Marie Catherine Abena was arrested and detained at the Kondengui central prison for stealing 250 million FCFA. She constantly claimed her innocence and staged a hunger strike to be heard by the CPDM authorities. Catherine Abena died on March 19, 2014 at the National Social Insurance Fund hospital in Yaounde.
One of the most pathetic cases was the recent disappearance of Louis Bapes Bapes, former Minister of Secondary Education. The late Bapes Bapes was wanted by the Special Criminal Court for mismanaging of funds budgeted for examinations and sports competitions at his ministry from 2005-2009. He passed away on February 5, 2016. We of this publication therefore see the Special Criminal Court as a CPDM AK 47.
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- Ngwa Bertrand
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Subcategories
Biya Article Count: 73
# Paul Biya and his regime
Explore the political landscape of Cameroon under the rule of Paul Biya, the longest-serving president in Africa who has been in power since 1982. Our Paul Biya and his regime section examines the policies, actions, and controversies of his government, as well as the opposition movements, civil society groups, and international actors that challenge or support his leadership. You'll also find profiles, interviews, and opinions on the key figures and events that shape the political dynamics of Cameroon.
Southern Cameroons Article Count: 549
.# Southern Cameroons, Ambazonia
Learn more about the history, culture, and politics of Ambazonia, the Anglophone regions of Cameroon that have been seeking self-determination and independence from the Francophone-dominated central government. Our Southern Cameroons section covers the ongoing conflict, the humanitarian crisis, the human rights violations, and the peace efforts in the region. You'll also find stories that highlight the rich and diverse heritage, traditions, and aspirations of the Southern Cameroonian people.
Editorial Article Count: 885
# Opinion
Get insights and perspectives on the issues that matter to Cameroon and the world with our opinion section. We feature opinions from our editors, columnists, and guest writers, who share their views and analysis on various topics, such as politics, economy, culture, and society. Our opinion section also welcomes contributions from our readers, who can submit their own opinions and comments. Join the conversation and express your opinions with our opinion section.
