2018 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: AKERA MUNA on Canal2 - La Grande Interview. WHAT HE HAD TO SAY.
I have never been this interested in politics in my entire life. The last time I showed any interest in political comings and goings was during the 2008 US presidential elections. Even then, my business in the matter was relegated to observation of how political discourse is done in the cradle of democracy. I was in America and history was about to be made with the first black man in the White House. By the color of my skin, I was concerned.
If you are classified in the youth category in this country, I believe this year’s presidential election in Cameroon is, should be, or will become your primary business. It has never been this imperative for you to engage in political discourse.
Most of you reading this today have known only one president your whole life. And meanwhile nature might have it that Biya should hang the boots at this age, we all know he might not be ready for any rendezvous with no longer being president. Even though it is almost established that for Cameroon to have a prosperous hereafter, it must be released from Biya’s yoke.
Unfortunately for us, our political system has modeled us into speculators - as in, we do not know when exactly the elections will be held. That Biya even mentioned, in his year end speech, that there will be elections this year is kind of a victory already for us and this year’s presidential hopefuls. We have come to expect somewhat maniac dictatorial political maneuvres from long serving African political leaders - the type that will make an administrative decree cancelling elections not so far fetched.
Any-Ha!
As it stands, I gather 5 candidates have declared their intentions. For now, we have seen movements in the camps of Maurice Kamto and Akere Muna who both addressed the nation alongside Biya at the end of the year.
I am watching closely and I hope to help you navigate their campaigns. I don’t want to get ahead of the candidates but beyond promises of structural reform, I will be looking for the vision each has for Cameroon. A lot is being said about fixing the malfunctioning government but that is not going to be enough for the president that will be receiving a country whose citizens have lost touch with it’s collective essence.
When I talk of vision besides tactics, I mean I want to hear things like “I will work to make Cameroonians more healthy and increase life expectancy” over “I will make healthcare more affordable.” You realize those might sound the same but they call for very different strategies and tactics. I mean I want to hear things like “Cameroon must take a place in the ranks of Africa’s best touristic destinations” over “I will fix our bad roads.”
That said, Akere was a guest on Canal2’s La Grande Interview - A program hosted by Jean Bruno Tagne two days ago and I will like to speak on a few things that came up - for the benefit of those who did not follow the program. My hope is that we begin to dissect each candidate’s ideas or views on how they will organize and run Cameroon as president. The goal is to help us make more informed decisions when we face the ballot boxes come when Biya tells us when.
AKERE ON HIS PROGRAM (IN GENERAL):
Tagne, asked Akere to speak on the program he will be using to gain our support, arguing that it seems Akere is banking on his personality and career profile more than an actual plan that will pull Cameroon out of the rubble. To this, Akere asserted that he has a plan which includes:-
- Zero tolerance for corruption - Providing Universal Health Care (Whatever that means) - Equal Treatment for all (End favoritism, tribalism, and all other isms) - Make sure Justice is seen to be done - Restructuring the civil/public service to reward hardwork
AKERE ON DUAL NATIONALITY
In his year end speech, Akere spoke of his plan to call on the diaspora to contribute actively in the rebuilding of Cameroon. To that, he plans to allow Cameroonians to hold more than one nationality and even promises to make it easier for Cameroonians that pick up other nationalities to travel in and out of Cameroon without unnecessary restrictions and red tape. Part of his program he says, will carve out a quota of public contracts that must be awarded to Cameroonians in the diaspora. His goal is to tap into the immense pool of knowledge that the current regime has alienated by its hostile treatment of Cameroonians who have tried to import their knowledge into Cameroonian industry. He reiterated this during the interview.
AKERE ON SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT
First let’s refresh our memories.
A system of government distributes power among different parts and levels of the state.The amount of power held by the central government determines the system of government a state has. There are three main systems of government used today: unitary systems, federal systems, and confederate systems.
A unitary system has the highest degree of centralization. In a unitary state, the central government holds all the power. Lower-level governments, if they exist at all, do nothing but implement the policies of the national government. In a purely unitary state, the same set of laws applies throughout the nation, without variation.
A federal system has a mix of national and state or local governments. The federal government usually trumps local governments in matters of defense and foreign policy, but local governments have a great deal of say over other policy areas. Sometimes, local governments administer national policies, which means that, in practice, the “national” policy varies a great deal from place to place.
A confederate system (kind of extinct) sits at the other extreme in terms of centralization. A confederacy is a loose relationship among a number of smaller political units. The vast majority of political power rests with the local governments; the central federal government has very little power. Local governments have a great deal of freedom to act as they wish.
Akere promises to adopt a federal system. He was however open on the fact that he is not sure on how many states/regions will be formed and on whether the anglophone regions will occupy a single state or two different states.
Finally
ON THE FCFA
When asked if Cameroon will continue to use the CFA or adopt its own currency he preferred to allow economic experts to inform his decision. It sounded like it is something he is going to have to look into but he insisted that there are a lot of economic consequences that will come with pulling away from the FCFA and it is a decision that should be made only after technical experts on monetary affairs spell out the implications.
Now to you.
What are some areas of concern that you will like to see the candidates touch on?
What are your views on some of the topics touched in this article?
P.S. Voter Registration reopened on the 2nd of January this year. Go Register.
- Tino Foy