2025 Presidential Election: Why It Will Be Imperative For Cameroon To Have A Gov’t Of Transition, After The Biya Regime.

 Why it is also better when somebody from the civil society is President of a transitional government

From all indications, it will be imperative for Cameroon to go through a period of political transition under a government of transition, after the 2025 presidential election, or better still, after the Biya regime. We are talking here of transition after the presidential election. The Period of Transition or a Transitional Government is very important, especially for a country like Cameroon, which has been under the rule of one political party since 1966. The party which started as CNU (‘UNC’), that was created in 1966, and then transformed into the CPDM (‘RDPC’) in 1995 (the Ahidjo – Biya regimes).

It is indisputable that the CPDM Government or regime has brought Cameroon to its knees in all domains. Cameroon needs genuine change. A genuine change, that veteran politician, Djeukam Tchameni, insist, should start with the reconstruction of a solid and good foundation for the country.

This will  entail to  put in place a good Constitution for the country, put in place a good Electoral Code or Law that can guarantee the holding of free, fair and transparent election., put in place reforms that will make business climate or environment in Cameroon attractive, put in place Laws or texts that guarantee press freedom and freedoms of speech,  put in place Laws, texts or institutions with the powers  to ensure that all embezzlers of public funds face the full weight of the Law, put in place not only institutions to denounce corruption, but with powers to also ensure that those who involved in corruption face he full weight of the Law, and so on.

A good Constitution will among other things, avoid a situation where the President of the Republic has excessive powers like is the case with the current 1996 Constitution. A good Constitution is not designed for a particular President, like the 1996 Constitution which was designed for President Biya.

Duration Of The Period Of Transition / President Of The Transition 

Across the world, when the opposition and civil society organizations in a country, come together and agree to designate a candidate for the presidential election, the programme they adopt is that of a government of transition.  They also fix the duration of the period of transition.  In most cases, the period of transition is three or four years.

Generally, an opposition alliance will opt for a credible personality from the civil society as candidate of the opposition platform, and the person to be the President of the government of transition, if the alliance or coalition wins the presidential election. The main reason for the preference to have a candidate from the civil society, who thus is not a militant of any political party, is to avoid a situation where one of the political parties in the opposition alliance will have an advantage over others, if one of its members was to be the President of the Transition.

It should be noted that normally, members of the government of transition, are appointed from all or most of the opposition political parties, and civil society organizations that constituted the alliance or the opposition platform that put up the candidate that won the election. These are all things that are discussed, agreed or adopted by the alliance of opposition parties and civil society organizations, before the election.

The Period Of Transition

Thus is the candidate of an opposition alliance that has adopted a proggramme of a period of transition in Cameroon were to win the 2025 presidential election, the three or four year period of transition will mostly focus on reforms. The programme of reforms will hopefully focus on the Constitution, the Electoral System, the Business or Investment Code, Human Rights, the Business Environment, Taxes, and so on. There will have to be a limitation in the mandate of the President of the Republic.  A real or genuine Independent Electoral Commission will be created.  All these will lay the solid foundation for democratic country; a  country where free, fair and transparent elections will be guaranteed, a country where human rights  are resected, a  country that attracts foreign investors, a country where those involved in corruption and embezzlement of public funds will be severely punished to deter others, a country whose economy is able to create jobs, a country where businesses are not killed by high taxes, a country where  self- employment is encouraged or motivated, a country where  the  natural resources serve the interest  of the country and its people, a country where there is a fair distribution of the national cake,  a country where there is justice, and where the government understands that  justice is the best guarantee for peace and security.

 The programme of the transitional period, or of the transitional government, is mostly to carry out important reforms in the country, and thus lay a solid foundation for the country to march forward in progress, peace and patriotism. The period of transition is not about constructing double carriage roads, seaports, airports, and so on.  These types of projects are for the political party or parties that will come to power after the period of transition ends with the organization of a democratic presidential election.  Of course the Government of transition ensures that normal activities of the State go on. The different ministries will daily carryout their normal activities.  The Government will ensure the proper functioning of hospitals and schools, road maintenance, provision of basic necessities to the population, and so on. But big projects will be for the new ruling political party or government that will come to power after.

Importance Of The Period Of Transition For A Country  

In fact, the importance of the period of transition cannot be overemphasized, especially in a country like Cameroon which has been down to its knees by bad governance for over four decades today. The government of transition will be comprised of members drawn from different political parties and civil society organizations, which constituted the alliance.  Such a government has the capacity and motivation to carry out real and concrete reforms for the interest of the country and its people, as it is not a government of a particular political party. Thus such a government does not work for the interest of a particular political party, tribe or whatever.  It will also be in the interest of all the political parties and organisations in the alliance, to see that good reforms are carried out.

The truth is that, even if an opposition party comes to power in Cameroon today, that party, will not carryout the type of profound changes required in certain domains like the Constitution of the country and the electoral system or Electoral Law.  The party will make mostly cosmetic changes in these domains.

This is because upon coming to power, the new President and his party will likely start looking at their own interests.  They will for example secretly prefer a Constitution like the current one, which gives the President of the Republic a lot of powers.  The party upon coming to power might no longer be interested in the limitation of the mandate of the President of the Republic, or on bringing back the mandate to five years.   The new President  of the Republic and his party  might now also want to maintain in place an electoral system, that can enable the ruling party ‘win’ elections and stay on in power for as long as possible. So, most of the changes done in the name of reforms, will be cosmetic.

“Our Own Time To Chop”

If the political party has a tribal background, tribalism will continue to flourish in the country, as the people of the ruling will think it is their own turn to chop. Besides tribalism, there is also the fact that when an opposition party gets to power, the militants of the party, especially the elites, think it is their own turn to chop. Militants of the new ruling party will want favoured in the awards of contracts, they will want to be favoured in recruitments, and so on. That is why one hardly finds a significance difference for example, in the way the ruling CPDM and opposition parties run councils.

At the rebirth of multiparty politics in Cameroon, the new opposition parties that emerged strongly criticized the way the CPDM was managing the councils. The opposition parties for example denounced the fact that CPDM mayors were using the council vehicles and other properties, to carry out or to host party activities. But opposition parties have been doing the same thing with councils they manage. This is why it is very necessary for Cameroon to go through a period of transition under a government of transition, after the CPDM Government or Biya regime, for important reforms to be put in place, or else there will be no significant changes even when an opposition party becomes the ruling party.

 At The End Of The Transition

Meanwhile, at the end of the Period of Transition, the alliance or coalition of opposition parties and civil society organizations will come to its end, and thus dissolved. The newly created genuine Independent Electoral Commission, will with the support of the government of transition, organize a free, fair and transparent presidential election. The President of the transition will NOT be a candidate in the election. All political parties that meet up with the conditions laid down by Law to be able to send in candidates for a presidential election,  will be free to send in their flag bearers  for the  election.

Also, a political party, especially a big political party, can also then create a political platform (coalition) to try to bring onboard some other parties to support its candidate at the presidential election.

When a new President of the Republic is then elected in the free, fair and transparent election, the President of the Transition will then hand over power to him or her, and rerun to his home with all the dignity or honour that goes with a job well done for the interest of the country and its people.

Alliance For A Peaceful Transition

In the countdown to the 2025 presidential election in Cameroon, the one opposition alliance that  has adopted a programme of transition, is the Alliance for a Peaceful Transition, an initiative of Prof Oliver Bile, National President of ‘ Les Liberateurs” (former UPF). Unfortunate the alliance is in crisis, following the withdrawal of some members. There are fears that the alliance might even end up collapsing.

As for the Political Alliance for Change which has as Interim National Coordinator, Hon Jean Michel Nintcheu, President of FCC, it is an alliance that was created to support the candidature of Prof Maurice Kamto, who is the National President as well as the presidential candidate of MRC. The alliance is thus not for a government of transition after the 2025 presidential election.