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Cameroon: Sawa Chiefs' Stance On Constitutional Amendment Uncertain
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The Post (Buea)
22 February 2008
Posted to the web 22 February 2008
Joe Dinga Pefok
Sawa Chiefs in Douala, February 18, jointly signed a release expressing their fears and regrets that the city is turning into a battleground over the much-touted amendment of the 1996 Constitution.
The Chiefs, who prayed for a return of order and peace to the city, stopped short of openly taking sides on the controversial constitutional revision bid.The Chiefs, who at the 2007 twin elections openly supported the CPDM, said that street protests are not the best option.
Following a wave of public criticisms against Chiefs who signed the release for what was perceived to be their support for the constitutional amendment, the Chief of Deido, Ekwalla Essaka, claimed on February 19 that they are not politicians and should be left alone by the critics. He insisted that the Chiefs did not take sides in the release.
Chief Essaka said their concern was about the disorder and serious threat to peace in Douala for a couple of weeks now over the issue of constitutional amendment and not about who stands where in the debate.
There is so far an atmosphere of uncertainty and a big disagreement amongst the Sawa Chiefs as to where they stand on the issue of constitutional amendment.While some of Chiefs support the CPDM side that wants the constitution, especially Article 6 (2) reviewed, others are against the idea.
That is said to be the reason why the Chiefs who are always known to quickly come out with communiqués to take sides with the CPDM regime on burning national issues, have this time around surprised many as they have not come out with a common statement on the constitutional amendment.
There are allegations, for example, that the Paramount Chief of Canton Bell, Prince René Manga Bell, has so far stood against the planned constitutional amendment.One of his subjects, Laurent Esso, the Secretary General at the Presidency, is, however, said to be relentlessly working hard to convince the Chief to support the CPDM position.
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It would be recalled that it was the same Esso who succeeded in 2004 after years of struggle, to get Prince Bell to declare support for the CPDM, for the Chief had always insisted to assume a neutral position.
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