Emmanuel Kendemeh
6 May 2008
The reintroduction of multi-party democracy in Cameroon in the early 1990s, has cleared the clouds that hitherto covered the gold in politics. Many Cameroonians now find taking part in active politics as a way of attaining financial, social empowerment, personal aggrandisement and attracting development to their places of origin. The new found democratic culture whose major component is respect for human rights and freedoms, has given the possibility to Cameroonians of all walks of life and different strata of society to aspire for positions in the political domain through which they can contribute to managing and running public affairs.
Politics nowadays is no longer the domain reserved for the educated and mostly elite but to all who aspire to participate in taking decisions that affect the country's life, mostly in return for financial and social advantages. A critical analysis of the country's political landscape since 1990 show more women militating in political parties and using their militancy to occupy leadership and management positions. Taking the National Assembly as a key illustration, there are more than 20 female Members of Parliament in the ongoing eighth legislative period.
Dr Adamou Ndam Njoya's party, Cameroon Democratic Union (CDU) has shown a leading example in women's empowerment as two women and two men share the party's four parliamentary seats. The main opposition party, Social Democratic Front (SDF) in the current legislative period has one female Member of Parliament out of the 16 seats they occupy in Parliament, a mark difference from the seventh legislative period when SDF had 21 seats with no female Parliamentarian. The ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) has also shown that women have a privileged position. Hon. Rose Abunaw Makia is one of the Vice Presidents of the House and Hon. Emilia Monjowa Lifaka is the Vice CPDM parliamentary group leader.
Cameroon's National Assembly and local councils are a microcosm of the country with people from all professions, academic levels and social status being voted Members of Parliament, Mayors and deputy mayors as well as councillors. The restrictions on traditional rulers from some parts of the country from taking part in active partisan politics with the argument that they are "the fathers of all political parties ",are but history now. The law permits all Cameroonians to vote, be voted for and occupy any position in the political landscape.
As such, Fon Angwafor III of Mankon is the First Vice President of the CPDM, Fon Doh Gah Gwanyin III of Balikumbat, Ayah Paul Abine, a second class chief in Akwaya Subdivision are household names in Cameroon's National Assembly milieu. Some traditional rulers are also members of the Central Committee of the CPDM.
The presence of economic operators is more and more witnessed in politics. For instance, Fotso Victor has been the Mayor of Bandjoun Council for many terms of office,
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SIR, l want to ask if this person pubilching this TRIBUNE is a Cameroonians?If we can talk of multi-party democracy, did Cameroon have democracy in 1990s, sorry my dear brothers and sisters if can tell the nation the truth, Cameroon not yet have democracy, it is still a one party system that we are still understand in Cameroon. l´m very sorry to talk about a man who is older to be my father but on politics he is a big fool, let with FON ANGWAFOR 111 OF Mankom, there´s a saying which said what an elder can see why stand you the junior can´t see it why on top of the taillest tree in the forest.l don´t think Angwafor has feelings for his own town and the people leaving there,l don´t even know the politica school that he attended, is it soon difficult for biya pual to find some one who is educated on politic to be his vice? lt is a big disgrace to see that a well know man like fon Angwafor who think that he as traditional ruler of the centre town of NW PRO. is also a corrupt, pual biya have put you people in his basket that he can do any thing with you, as far as he will show you money, you people are there to work for the nation not for yourself. l´m very, very suprise to come acrose a name call Fon Doh Gah Gwanyin 111 of Balikumbat still as a member of the centre committee of CPDM party, so it has gotten to this point that biya can´t see somebody into his eyes and tell him that you are not supost to be here, this man that killed his own brother in law in the market centre in Balikumbat with so many witnesses is still a member of the ruling party.l can see that pul biya has push this country right to the end.Now we need to wake up from sleep and tell biya that cameroon can not be rule by killers, that we need you to go alive or stay and you will see what will happen to you. l think cameroon is one of the most corrupted country in africa, that no one knows his or her right.