I’m English Cameroon for a united Cameroon says issue of Anglophone president is a distraction
Dr Benjamin Akih
Against the argument that it is time for an Anglophone presidency after over 60 years of Anglophone rule in Cameroon, English Cameroon for a united Cameroon, led by Dr Benjamin Akih, thinks the issue should not take priority now. For him, Anglophones should constitute a voting bloc focused on federalism and transparent, competitive elections which would eventually be the springboard for the natural emergence of an Anglophone president.
In an op-ed titled: “Voter registration, anglophone voting bloc, and ending francophone distractions”, Dr Akih argues that just like the African Americans who make up about 13% the population of USA used the power they had gained within the Democratic Party to produce a presidential candidate in Barack Obama, Anglophones too can use the 20 percent they represent in Cameroon to produce a president after showcasing their abilities and building political alliances.
The activist regrets that the separatists who oppose voter registration and voting are basically campaigning for the CPDM. Following is the op-ed in its entirety:
Voter registration, anglophone voting bloc, and ending francophone distractions
Dear brothers and sisters,
We thank God Almighty for the gift of life and for giving us this beautiful country, Cameroon. We share in the pain of those affected by the destruction of this country by selfish and corrupt individuals. It is our duty to collectively work toward making Cameroon better for everyone.
Today, we want to emphasize the need to intensify voter registration during the remaining weeks of August. We also react to some critical comments regarding our recommendation to the people of former Southern Cameroons to form a voting bloc. We also call on francophones to avoid their favorite distractions and focus on mobilization toward the presidential election of the century next year. Cameroon belongs to all of us. Together, we are the sovereign of Cameroon. We can only effectively defend our sovereignty if we organize and effectively participate in political life. We need to embrace the wisdom in the words of Pericles of Athens: “We do not say a man who takes no interest in public affairs is a man who minds his own business. We say that he has no business being here at all.” Cameroon cannot be liberated and improved by foreigners. God’s intervention in this beautiful country is through the active participation of all the sovereign people of Cameroon in political life.
1. Political parties need to intensify voter registration in the remaining weeks of August.
1.1. The voter’s register should attain a minimum of 8 million registered voters by August 31st. If sufficient mobilization is carried out, we can attain a cumulative total of 800 000 – 1 million new voters for this year.
1.2. This rapid increase is thanks to the activity of opposition parties, since it is clear that the regime and ELECAM seem to prefer a sparse voter register for their electoral fraud alchemy. The first step in our fight for competitive and transparent elections is therefore massive voter registration. In conducting this campaign, we must ensure that all regions benefit from this expansion of the power to jointly exercise our popular sovereignty.
1.3. The opposition is called upon to convince discouraged citizens that their votes will be counted and defended. This is a challenging task, given the cynical attitudes caused by the shameless scale of fraud at ELECAM. In response to the massive voter registration, it is alleged that the ruling party and ELECAM are equally taking measures to only register pro-CPDM voters or fabricate identities for voter registration. It is the responsibility of opposition parties and investigative journalism to expose these unlawful and shameless acts.
1.4. For 2025, we should endeavor to attain a total of at least million new voters by June. The voter’s register should stand at 9 million or more.
2. The best way for the people of former Southern Cameroons to protect interests and promote constitutional democracy in Cameroon is to constitute a voting bloc.
2.1. The people of former Southern Cameroons, also known as Anglophones, are largely under-represented in the voter’s register. Separatists advise them not to participate in elections. Those who look forward to participating in elections are distracted by various goals. But we know by now that separation is not possible, and that federalism is the best form of state that can protect their interests. This federalism must be monitored and protected after establishment. Constituting a voting bloc on federalism and protection of their core value system is the best strategy.
2.2. Some Anglophones dismiss this idea of a voting bloc on grounds that elections mean nothing in Cameroon. It is their duty to make sure that elections do mean something. If we cannot defend elections, we may not be able to defend the right of Anglophones to live anywhere in the country. This point is important because at least 4-6% of Cameroonians living in East Cameroon are Anglophone. Anglophones are about 20%, but residents of Northwest and Southwest make up about 16%, based on the last census. Of these, at least 2% are from former French Cameroon. So, it can be said that of the 20% Anglophones in Cameroon, 14% live in former Southern Cameroons and about 6% live in the East. Most of these are young people.
2.3. A voting bloc makes sense if it is at least 5% and if elections are competitive and transparent. These issues are therefore all combined. Anglophones need to be at the forefront, fighting for a level playing field, opposing any tricks by the regime to disqualify competitive candidates as is common in mostly Catholic countries and colonies in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. If opinion polls reveal relative strengths of presidential candidates, a weaker candidate will naturally promise good reforms to catch up with the front leader and the front leader will do same to stay ahead. But this only works if the people can defend their votes and ensure that election thieves are punished.
2.4. An Anglophone voting bloc built on federalism and defense of transparent elections is a gift to all Cameroonians. We are not saying that Anglophones will be the majority or winners. We are only saying that if elections are made competitive and transparent, two strong candidates who evenly split the Francophone vote of 80%, would compete such that one would like to win the Anglophone bloc vote by 60-90% anglophone vote share, thereby outpacing the other.
2.5. For these ideas to work, we must first register to vote massively. Separatists who oppose voter registration and voting are basically campaigning for the status quo.
Are Ambazonians campaigning for the CPDM? It seems that this is the case. Let them say so. Let them wear the party uniform. We must empower our people by making sure they have their voter’s card and are able to vote based on federalist considerations.
2.6. We do not think that the issue of an Anglophone president should take priority now. Anglophone presidents will emerge naturally. For now, we must fight for the institutions that can guarantee effective constitutional democracy and local government where Anglophones can show case their abilities and build political alliances. We have referred to the case of African Americans. They make up about 13% the population of USA. Because of the role of Lincoln’s Republican party in emancipation of slaves, those who could vote, tended to vote Republican until the expansion of civil rights. Because of the role of the Democratic Party in that fight, about 80-90% of this bloc today votes democratic. This has given them significant power within the democratic party. It took a long time to secure voting rights. But with these rights in place, Mr. Obama, a member of the community, was elected president. It is now also plausible that Ms. Kamala Harris, another member of that community, will be elected president within 10 years after the other black man left office. Given the anti-federalist nature of CPDM and the relative strengths of opposition politicians, we consider the issue of an Anglophone president to be a distraction. We need a voting bloc focused on federalism and transparent, competitive elections.
3. Francophones are fond of distractions, including demonization of democracy and political commentaries on issues of other countries or other trivialities. We have a crucial presidential election ahead; these francophone distractions should end.
3.1. Let us clarify that we appreciate all francophone brothers and sisters actively campaigning for voter registration and defending the rights of political parties. We are attacking the talking heads who seem to be in alliance with the regime. Their main objective seems to be distraction and justification of the shameless acts of this government of self-imposed election thieves.
3.2. To make our point clear, we will single out Prof. Mathias Owona Nguini, son of the man who introduced many subtle authoritarian reflexes into the current constitution. He is a “statologue”, “politologue”, “historien”, and lyricist of the regime. His commentaries on politics is an example of the Catholic political philosophy we have condemned so far.
3.3. Why are we talking about an individual instead of general ideas about how to fix Cameroon? Because these individuals propound the ideas that frustrate the efforts of Cameroonians.
3.3.1. Mr. Owona Nguini recently commented on the potential candidature of 92-year old Paul Biya in 2025. In keeping with the elitism and authoritarianism of the Catholic political philosophy he exemplifies, he plunged into poetical extravagance. Owona Nguini agrees with another Francophone griot, Eloundou, who has written a book titled “Paul Biya: hard disc”. Owona Nguini opines that Paul Biya is the living memory of the Cameroonian state. This is the consequence of autocracy. When the constitutions and the institutions it establishes are all subjected to the caprices of a dictator, a “republican monarch”, their longevity in power is mistaken for excellence by virtue of their memory and personality cult.
3.3.2. In the Anglo protestant world, many political scientists carry out data-driven research to inform strategic orientation of political parties. In the Franco Catholic system that enjoys dominance in Cameroon, this research is replaced by oracular performances. The griots gesticulate and make grandiose pronouncements based on a witch’s brew of conspiracy theories, sophistry, and other deep-seated biases. The said Owona Nguini operates a laboratory for theoretical and applied political science. He has recently captivated the francophone media space with a distracting debate on the Egyptian origins of the Olympic games. Football and the Olympic games have been good distractions from the urgent work of voter registration.
3.4. We call on our Francophone brothers and sisters to abandon these distractions. They should give up that variant of their French-inspired anti-Americanism which demonizes constitutional democracy. When we look around the world today, we cannot find a country colonized by a protestant european power where political parties are banned, candidates for presidential elections routinely disqualified, elections rigged, decentralized government vilified, and dictators admired. But where we find these problems, they are generally in French, Spanish, and Portuguese colonies with a repetitive pattern. What binds them is the Catholic political philosophy that is conducive to authoritarianism and centralized governments.
3.5. What Anglophones demand, namely federalism and effective constitutional democracy, is good for all peoples everywhere. The people are the authors of the contents of this federalism and constitutional democracy. There is no need to demonize such achievements of Protestantism. Let us avoid the distractions of conspiracy theories and oracular political science.
May God bless you and may God bless Cameroon as we fight to ensure that we exercise our popular sovereignty effectively and transparently.
English Cameroon for a united Cameroon
Serving the nation since 2017
August 9, 2024
