Kayiska Hopestone

English version: On this November 6, 2023, marking the 41st year in power of President Paul Biya, it seems like the perfect time to recall the words of @CelestinMonga from 33 years ago! Yes, it was in issue number 209 of Le Messager on December 27, 1990, that was already writing te: "A Rigged Democracy." This missive led him, along with the editor-in-chief of Le Messager, to a stint in the New Bell Central Prison. Happy reading! Open Letter to Paul Biya A : Rigged Democracy By Célestin Monga Mr. President, like many Cameroonians, I was shocked by the outrageously condescending, paternalistic, and pretentious tone you used when addressing the people in the National Assembly on December 3rd. How can you dare to say to 11 million Cameroonians, "I have brought you democracy..." in a country where every day, the most basic human rights are violated, where the majority of people have nothing to live on, while a small clique of opportunists shamelessly shares the country's wealth? What democracy are you talking about with such emphasis? Have you ever set foot in New Bell, dear President? What "freedom" have you brought to a country where 98% of the urban population lives in slums, without access to proper healthcare, adequate nutrition, or even the ability to assert their rights? What do your speeches and slogans mean to the tens of thousands of people (mostly young children!) who sleep in the gutters of Douala every night? What kind of "rule of law" allows any obscure policeman to arrest whomever he pleases without being held accountable to anyone? Are you genuinely proud of this Cameroon where the judicial system is subservient to the executive power? Are you, as the Chief Magistrate of the country, proud of the current Cameroonian justice system, which primarily convicts those who failed to corrupt the courts? ... If I were in your place, I would be far less triumphant. And the recent session of the National Assembly, grandiosely named the "Session of Freedoms" by your most zealous propagandists, will not bring social justice or well-being to the poor. This is for many reasons that you are more aware of than I am: Parliamentarians from a single party are not qualified to organize multiparty politics and competition. How do you plan to organize pluralistic elections using an electoral law tailored for a single party? CPDM (Cameroon People's Democratic Movement) has thoroughly infiltrated all branches of the state, the military, traditional chieftaincies, and all local power structures. Furthermore, it has colossal material and financial resources (whose origins everyone knows), which will distort the political landscape of the future. The institutional framework in which this country operates is rigged: it is not normal for illiterate parliamentarians to secretly vote on laws that will shape the future of an entire nation. In any democratic country, the texts submitted to Parliament are published well in advance, allowing elected representatives to consider them seriously, and the public to know what to expect. The verification of the constitutionality of laws is currently hindered by the cumbersome procedure for referring cases to the Supreme Court: only the President of the Republic or, under certain conditions, the President of the National Assembly can bring cases before this honorable Court. However, in practice, since laws are never passed without their consent, it is unlikely that they would bother to verify their constitutionality afterward. All major social groups are currently excluded from the discussion; whether it's the youth, children, women, the unemployed, students, or farmers, they are never given a voice, and each aspiring politician arrogantly bets on their behalf without even knowing their problems or consulting them. It is therefore urgent, Mr. President, for politics to cease being a perpetual circus and truly become the arena for popular ambitions. To achieve this, it would be necessary to abandon the hollow and simplistic slogans that clutter the front page of Cameroon Tribune every day and allow those who have interesting things to say to speak - and I can assure you that there are many such people in this country. The era of the "fathers of the nation" is long gone. Cameroonians are not children you have deemed "ready for democracy." They are a people whose creativity has been stifled by thirty years of obscurantism and who finally aspire to manage their own destiny. Now more than ever, a national dialogue bringing together all political sensibilities is imperative. Your party, the CPDM, does not have a monopoly on ideas. Do not mistake the patience shown by Cameroonians so far; they are capable of both the best and the worst. Postscript: Finally, I would like to point out that we may be the only country in the world where passed laws are not even published in the Official Gazette as required by the Constitution. This is because the national printing press, which is responsible for this, is in a state of inactivity. Is this really acceptable? Célestin Monga is an economist at a bank in Douala. (Le Messager issue number 209 of December 27, 1990, p.5) - **Thanks to Jean Bosco Talla for the source.**