Martin A. Nkemngu
18 March 2008
interview
Honourable, you are one of the Vice Presidents of the National Assembly and you are certainly aware of the current debate on the reform of the constitution. What have you to say about the subject?
I am in total support of the revision or the modernisation, as I can call it, of the constitution because some sections of it are already obsolete and need to be modernised or revised to keep up with the happenings of our modern world. The much talked-about section 6.2 that has to do with limiting the mandate of the President of the Republic. To me I take it in another way from what people even say. To me; I feel that the President is elected by a universal suffrage just like parliamentarians and the mandate of parliamentarians is not limited. A parliamentarian can remain in parliament for life if the people continue to vote for him. Every five years he is allowed to contest again. There is no limitation. For example the Rt. Honourable Cavaye has been there for long because his people continue to vote for him. I myself am doing my third term because the people have been voting for me. That is why Hon Mbah Ndam of the SDF is doing his third term in parliament voted by the people. Why should the mandate of the Head of Sate be limited? If they people don't want President Paul Biya they will vote him out and vote someone else to become President. That is why I say it is the ballot box that speaks.
There is a feeling that article 6.2 is targeted for revision in order to allow President Paul Biya to continue in office. What do you say to that?
They are making a mistake. It is a very big mistake. President Paul Biya is present Head of Sate and he has all the goodwill for this country. He is trying to modernise it as I said earlier. Tomorrow he might not be there. Nobody is God. We don't know what God has for all of us tomorrow. The president is making it to match with other countries and to me I tell you other countries that have limited terms should even copy Cameroon's example. If the president's term is limited the country might miss having a very good president and go in for a bad president. As I said, it is the ballot box that speaks, let the candidates continue testing their popularity at the polls. When you talk of democracy it is the ballot box. It is not appointments. Nobody is going to appoint Biya. Biya will be there with other candidates. The electorate of Cameroon will have to decide who their president will be. It can be Biya or it can be someone else. More to that, ELECAM is going to come; that is an independent electoral commission. The Prime Minister is already having consultations. So whoever wins, wins through the ballot box. As President Biya said, he is going to be the winner; he is the leader of the CPDM. We of the CPDM we are going to make campaigns to make sure that our candidate wins. SDF should also make campaigns to see that their candidate wins, CDU and any other parties. The ballot box will have to speak.
Is that the only section of the constitution that you think deserves to be looked into?
I see some other articles like article 6.4 which stipulates that when the Head of State is incapacitated or in case of a vacancy the president of the senate when it comes to existence or the president of the national Assembly takes over for 40 days and organises elections during those 40 days. Between you and me; is it possible to organise elections in this country in 40 days? Akwaya for example, ballot papers don't even get there when we even have three months to run elections the ballot papers can not get there. Ballot papers can not get to those enclave areas. That article has to be revised. Article 15 stipulates that the members of the national assembly will be made up of 180 members. Our constituencies are growing. 180 is too small. They need to increase to 200 or even more. We are always having problems in constituencies. For example, I come from Mamfe Central and has two sub-divisions and I am parliamentarian for Upper Bayang and Mamfe Central. We always have a problem because of that lone seat. If they can increase the constituencies so that Upper Bayang has a seat and Mamfe Central has one seat because the constituencies are growing. Neighbouring Lebialem has only one parliamentarian. They can give Lebialem two or more parliamentarians just like other areas in the country. We want more so that the work of the parliamentarian should be effective. We should do the grassroots work so that our population should really feel the impact of a parliamentarian. If you have two sub divisions to a parliamentarian, I have 70 villages under me and big villages. So it is very difficult and yet there are always problems with primaries. So if we can have as many parliamentarians as we have many sub divisions because right now the administration is getting very close to the population by creating more sub divisions. We should also get closer to our electorate by providing more seats in parliament to our constituencies.
You say that there should be a revision of the constitution. Some people think it should go through parliament. Some people think it should be a referendum. Others think it should be through a constitutional conference. How do you think that this should be done?
I feel it should go through parliament. Parliamentarians are representatives of the people. We were not sent to parliament by appointment. We were voted by these very people that will vote during a referendum. We are the voice of the voiceless. So whatever our populations say is our stance. For me, the Manyu people want a revision and I am their mouth piece when parliament is concerned. So does the South West. So we are in 100 percent for the revision of the constitution. Not just only article 6.2. A complete review and even more articles included. It will benefit the whole country and not just concentrating on articles 6.2, 6.4 or 15.
But why revise a constitution which is not yet entirely applied? There is no senate, there is no constitutional council and regional councils do not yet exist.
When you talk about the senate and the constitutional council, I must say we do not know what the days ahead will look like. The Head of Sate is very constructive. He has a sense of direction. He had said that he is going to put all these institutions in place. We don't know what he will say tomorrow or the next day but whatever happens, I think he is the captain of the ship and the he knows the direction to which he is sailing. We should just be patient and see what happens.
Any last word?
I am appealing to Cameroonians that there is no price for peace. They could see the short rebellion that took place and the amount of damage that happened which can not be repaired. Life lost cannot be replaced. Even if structures burnt down can be replaced it will not be immediately. So I am appealing to all to be patient. Many countries are envying Cameroon. If you look at the whole sub region, Cameroon stands out tall because of peace. We have a captain who is President Paul Biya. We have given him that confidence. Let's wait and see and support him because he has all good intentions for this country. Let him take us ahead. There is no price for peace.
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Again another one has come up !!! Hon Abunaw just doesn't even reflect before opting to side with his mentor. I don't even doubt it because she was first of all in the UNDP party and had to change wings to the CPDM just for her personal reasons.
If she says " I think the president is elected by universal suffage as paliamentarian and she sees it good that the limits should be erased under a revision, why then since her stay at the glass house has she not brought up that point? The constitution clearly limits the mandates… [Read Full Text]
My friends,
I am as disgusted by the assertions made by Abunaw and permit me say the following.
1) That Rose Abunaw belongs to that group of heartless and ruthless self-indulging Cameroonian politicians who see politics as a means of survival.
2) That she is by no means representing the people of Manyu (the bags of rice given to wet the lips of the dying Manyu citizens is no guarantee) of your support for the Mamfe man.
3) That I recently traveled to Cameroon and can assure you the Manyu man has no place in the political diatribe of Cameroon… [Read Full Text]
Madam Honorable thank you. Are you a stranger in Cameroon? since when has ballot boxes been speaking in Cameroon? You sound so loud, I think you have just joint the dance group listen well to the rhythm and correct your foot steps. Its not too late, you are still dancing to the old tune. The Cameroon of today is not the one you are thinking. Even those you are in support of are already packing their bags and ready for a journey of none destination. If you are still there singing about the revision of the constition you are… [Read Full Text]
Mme vice president, you now have the power to save Cameroon but for selfish reasons you wont! wen we break into strife, you will be the target all of you singing biyas praise and killing our fatherland will be the very first target and you will tell us where you will hide, we are both out of Cameroon and in Cameroon!Cameroon Obosso!
This is one of the most bizzare and stupid response to an issue considered to be so important to the entire nation. Madam Abunaw Rose so called, i wonder whether you need a reality check. How can you so shamelessly stand up and say with any fear or reservation that yopu are the mouth piece of the people of Manyu? In a country where you say democracy exisit you call the President the leader of the ship. I am so saddened by utterances like this, You of the CPDM are not MP's today because you won the peoples vote its… [Read Full Text]
This is one of the most bizzare and stupid response to an issue considered to be so important to the entire nation. Madam Abunaw Rose so called, i wonder whether you need a reality check. How can you so shamelessly stand up and say withourt any fear or reservation that yopu are the mouth piece of the people of Manyu? In a country where you say democracy exisit you call the President the leader of the ship is that Democracy or dictatorship. Stop exposing your ignorance. I am so saddened by utterances like this, You of the CPDM are not… [Read Full Text]
For some unknown reasons after more than two decades in power Biya feels that he still can do something for the country. This is an insult to the people of Cameroon or Kamerun. The constitution as it stands does not allow him to run again and he should leave it and the office when his term expires. Obansanjo tried and failed in Nigeria this should serve as a lesson to Biya. Those who want to perpetuate this regime are very short sighted. Biya's departure who open the door to others to compete in an open system because there won't be… [Read Full Text]
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ABUNAW IS JUST ANOTHER SPIN DOCTOR, THATS THEIR RELIGION IN THEIR RDPC, MAFIA CLUB. ABUNAW DOESNT SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PRESDIENT AND A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT. ITS THAT A FORM PF ABNESIA? EVERY THINKING BEEING WORLD WIDE KNWOS ITS NOT TRUE, THAT PRESIDENT IS THE ONE WHO HAVE THE FINAL SAY OF THE GOVERMENT AMD PARLIA/SENATE DEBATES ISSUES, AND AND ALL HAVE TERM LIMITS. ALL ARE SUPPOSEDLY ELECTED BY THEIR PEOPLE. BUT FRENCH CAMEROUN CONCERN, IS KNOWN WORLD WIDE NOT AS A PEACE FUL COUNTRY BUT THE CONTRARY… [Read Full Text]