Kini Nsom
4 July 2008
Former US Ambassador to Cameroon, Frances Cook, has refuted allegations that she openly supported the leading opposition candidate, John Fru Ndi, during the 1992 presidential elections.
"I was absolutely misunderstood. Some people fabricated stories that I supported one candidate," the diplomat remarked in a chat with the press in Yaounde last week.
The setting was the US Embassy where journalists thronged to cover the launching ceremony of the James Baldwin Information Resource Centre on June 26.Mrs. Cook qualified the allegation levelled against her as the figment of the imagination of certain people.
"The goal of the US Embassy is to promote the concept of democracy and not to choose candidates whether they are from the government or the opposition," she said.She said she did not understand how her support for free, transparent, fair and democratic elections could be interpreted to mean that she declared support for a particular candidate.
Asked what her assessment of the democratic process in Cameroon was fifteen years after her departure from the country, Cook said much progress has been made.She lauded the proliferation of civil society organisations and NGOs noting that democracy is flourishing in Cameroon.
Hear her, "I think a lot of institutions that are being built bit by bit are going to contribute to the growth of democracy in Cameroon."She held that "democracy is not a destination, but a journey."
She said even the American democracy that is 250 years old, is still being perfected."We are still making progress, we are still making mistakes, but we work to try to perfect it and I think Cameroon is still working to perfect its democracy. It is a journey, a long journey," she said.
According to Cook, democracy in Cameroon remains a vital topic to her. She recalled: "I was in the hall the day President Paul Biya announced multiparty politics. So, I was right there at the birth of the democratic journey in Cameroon."
Going by her, Cameroon has gone a long way in building the pillars of democracy like the civil society, NGOs and a dynamic press.She said when she was in Cameroon; there were only a few newspapers. "Now many newspapers are allowed to publish," she remarked.
During her visit to the country last week, she said, she read at least five newspapers every morning. Having been in the country for only 48 hours at the time journalists were quizzing her, she said she could not fully appreciate the changes that have taken place in Cameroon in fifteen years.
Mrs. Cook wished to see government create an outfit that will truly give Cameroonians free, fair and transparent elections.She lauded the creation of ELECAM and said people are looking to see whether it will deliver the goods in the up-coming elections.
The former ambassador also appreciated the developmental changes that have taken place in Yaounde.Hear her: "I appreciate the pretty modern parks, gardens. It's a new page of Yaounde. The gardens glitter with flowers and trees. They make the whole place magnificent. The construction of the roundabouts and the US Embassy, it's a great change."
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