The President of the
Cameroon Renaissance Movement, Maurice Kamto is picking holes with President Paul Biya who has never found time to visit the soldiers who are fighting against Boko Haram and regrets that the country lacks a veritable cultural policy.
In his 2015 end of year address he calls on Cameroonians to go register on the electoral registers. The Cameroonian electoral code stipulates that registration begins on first of January and ends on 31 August every year.
Can Prof Kamto bring
the desired change in Cameroon?
Below is full address
of one of the Ministers (Prof Kamto was Minister Delegate at the Ministry of
Justice) who resigned from the Biya government in November 2011.
MESSAGE OF YEAR END 2015 FROM THE NATIONAL PRESIDENT OF THE
CAMEROON RENAISSANCE MOVEMENT (CRM), PROF MAURICE KAMTO
Fellow Cameroonians,
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My dear compatriots
from the inside and the Diaspora,
It is with the same
pleasure that I submit to what has now become a tradition: to speak to you in
this New Year's Eve, so that together we review the past year to better prepare
the future of our country.
The past year has not
been easy in terms of security. It was rich, sometimes challenging politically.
But it was also challenging for us on the economic, social and cultural
aspects.
On the security front,
2015 was marked mainly by continued barbaric acts of the criminals of the
terrorist sect Boko Haram on our border with Nigeria and in several towns and
villages in the Far North region including Maroua and especially the martyr
city of Kolofata, and other crimes by armed groups in the border with the Central
African Republic. Involved in a war we did not cause, we are fighting with
determination these terrorist groups that cause death in many Cameroonian
families and destabilize the lifestyle of our people.
Since the beginning of
these absurd attacks against our country, the CRM has continued to reaffirm its
unwavering support to our forces of defence and security, who are heroically
fighting for the Republic to remain standing, and to preserve the integrity of
the national territory.
With support from some
partners of our country and the support of the people, this year they won
unprecedented battles resulting in the death of a significant number of
terrorists launched against them and the release of many hostages. They, thus,
imposed respect by all of our brave National Army. The CRM, through me,
expresses its renewed appreciation and support to our defence and security
forces and welcomes the impetus of national unity and solidarity which the
people of Cameroon have demonstrated for their Army. While welcoming these
victories, we must remain more vigilant and keep away from triumphalism that
has led some to already proclaim the end of the war. A war is over when it is
over. Not before.
It is particularly
shocking and seriously damaging for the image of our country, that while our
brave soldiers are fighting on the front, we learn, almost daily in the media,
about various cases of embezzlement of significant amounts of public funds.
Without denial or clarification from any source whatsoever, the CRM party
invites, once again, the Government to do everything possible to shed light on
these cases, and let befall the rigors of the law on all those people whose
responsibility would be established, as it would violate the code of honour and
ethics so dear to the Armies. This is the only way for the nation to maintain
the morale of soldiers.
In addition, the CRM
regrets that the Head of State, Chief of the Army, has not, so far, found it
necessary to go and pay a visit to those wounded in hospitals or to go and pay
deserved tribute to soldiers who found death on the field of honour, nor to go
to the conflict area to demonstrate his irreplaceable presence, compassion to
the bereaved families. The CRM will continue to challenge this unacceptable
attitude as long as necessary.
That’s why his own
advisers and other staff troubled by this attitude, inexplicable in view of the
gravity of the situation, dared a rough photomontage showing the President of
the Republic, at the Army Headquarters in Yaoundé, on February 6th, 2015,
paying tribute to the 39 soldiers killed on the front, even though he was
officially in a "short private stay" in Geneva. This situation is now
politically untenable for the Head of State, for his responsibility vis-à-vis
the nation. Explanations pertaining to his calendar, or awkwardly trying to
make us believe that all actors of civil society, civil servants and government
officials who act in this war do so, in his name and place, no longer resist.
Just like the farce of "the time of the President" which ends up
making him a God, helping neither himself nor Cameroon.
My dear compatriots,
At the end of the
legislative and municipal elections of 30 September 2013 and in the light of
the many wild frauds and other irregularities that had marred the vote, the CRM
had submitted to the Government and ELECAM some provisions of the Electoral
Code it is urgent to revise for the credibility of our electoral system. In
November 2014, at the 3rd Ordinary Session of the National Assembly, the CRM
had filed, through his Member of Parliament, a bill to amend and supplement
certain provisions of the Electoral Code. This proposal received no response to
date.
The CRM and many other
political forces are demanding, among others: the establishment of a single
ballot in the absence of integral biometrics; ELECAM reform, in particular its
composition, to include representatives of political parties; the prohibition
of the distribution of voter cards by ELECAM on the voting day, the requirement
that the results records given to representatives of candidates in the polling
stations be authentic in the same way that the copy given to ELECAM; the
revision of the Constitution to allow voting at 18 and the introduction of
compulsory voting in Cameroon. It is in this perspective that the CRM has
initiated an awareness campaign called "SAVE
PEACE IN CAMEROON BY REQUIRING THE IMMEDIATE AND CONSENSUAL REFORM OF THE
ELECTORAL CODE FOR FREE, TRANSPARENT AND DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS ". This
campaign will continue as long as a response will not be given to this demand
for reform, which is a claim shared by Cameroonian citizens of different
political opinions.
The CRM invites all
political forces, interested civil society organizations and the entire
Cameroonian people to engage with him in this peaceful Republican campaign we
initiated to save peace, through democracy, in our country.
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At the same time, our
party is convinced that in this respect, a concerted approach is the most
efficient way, on a subject where national consensus should not be hard to
reach. In its Republican approach, the CRM addressed a request for a meeting
several weeks ago to the Prime Minister, Head of Government, and to the
President of the main political party of the country, the CPDM, for discussing
with them the urgency of a consensual reform of the electoral code. We are
still expecting their replies.
In any case, I said
and I repeat: the President of the Republic, Head of State, because of his
unique position in our institutional system is the single person to trigger the
indispensable reform of our electoral code. He should do so, in honour of his
office, for the political legacy he wants to leave to posterity, for the
democratic progress of our country and the peace of the Cameroonian nation to
which he is so attached.
Economically, the
country recorded a growth rate of 6%, close to the rate of last year. This
growth rate shows a certain resilience of our economy in the face of adverse
international environment marked by the fall of commodity prices which
Cameroon's economy is still largely dependent on. But we are still far from the
7% growth rate targeted by the Government since the adoption of its strategy
paper for growth and employment in 2010, and has never approached. This rate of
6% is still too far from the double-digit growth all experts say is essential
for at least a decade to allow our country's economic take-off. In these
circumstances, the objective of the Government's economic strategy, dubbed
"Emergence 2035" will remain an illusion.
Agriculture, which should
be the driving sector of the national economy due to its interaction with all
other sectors is the subject of soothing speeches rather than a clear strategy
with clearly defined objectives. The only sector of farming with a target
figure is that of Cocoa. The Government announced that this industry will
produce 600,000 tons of cocoa in 2020, tripling the current production of
around 200, 000 t. This is serving illusion to Cameroonians because this
tonnage will not be reached in view of the increase in cultivated areas. The
country's leaders delude the people of Cameroon with windfall figures, as with
large posters showing highways, bridges, ports, dams that we would have liked
to see completed across the country. We are still waiting for aluminium production
in our country to increase from 90, 000 t to 300, 000 t; the beginning of the
construction of the fertilizers factory, and so on.
Regarding the
management of public finances, the progression of debt in our country remains a
concern. At the end of 2015, public debt stand at CFA Francs 4,000 billion
representing nearly 25% of our gross domestic product (GDP). It is true that
this level of debt remains below the 70% threshold used as a criterion for
convergence in the CEMAC zone. Yet, let’s keep in mind that our debt has been
reduced to this level because of the significant debt relief obtained in 2006.
But we are now seeing an increase, at a breakneck pace, of public debt of the
country, especially over the last three years, with an increase of almost 30%
between 2014 and 2015.
Indeed, one of the
major problems of Cameroon's public debt is the question of its effectiveness.
Because of the laxity of the Government in the management of borrowed funds,
Cameroonians usually support loads of unused debt.
Another major problem
of the Cameroonian economy remains the business climate. It is not attractive.
Cameroon is in free fall in almost all the global rankings on the facilitation
of business. Thus, it is ranked among the 20 economies most hostile to business
development. Instead of dealing with the issue head on, the Government stands
against organizations that publish these rankings, challenging their
methodology and shout to the plot, as if these barometers were only for our
country. At best, it declares its good intentions, multiplies false
announcements and lets the bad habits continue.
Thus, like many
important issues, the system of economic zones has been in the drawers of the
Government for two years. This administrative slowness is not without consequences
for the attractiveness of our country. In recent days, in fact, many companies
do not know exactly laws pertaining to their activities. If nothing is done
soon, our country could face a vast movement of business relocation.
This is time to recall
that our economy cannot thrive with the level of corruption confirmed by
independent organizations. That our country is the second most corrupt
countries in Africa is not good for its economy nor its image. This is an alarm
bell and the Government should agree to improve the situation, rather than send
the evangelists of the Regime in the media for invectives and wild accusations.
The economic success
of our country depends on specific ambitious structural reforms to boost
private sector activity and diversify the economy through a more conducive
business climate, free from endemic corruption and the establishment of
appropriate funding mechanisms in order to boost growth in a sustainable and
inclusive manner. The economic progress of Cameroon will also depend on the
development of the digital economy to make it an essential part of our industry
and on our capacity for innovation. It is about exploring the new opportunities
offered by information and communications technology for the development of a
knowledge economy and of a cultural economy. Furthermore, it is shown that
investing heavily in the digital economy can help to improve the
competitiveness of all other sectors of the economy.
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My dear compatriots,
The past year saw no
significant improvement in key social indicators in our country. Poverty
remained very high, as is the unemployment rate, especially among young people.
As we announced, the disorderly recruitment of 25,000 young people in the civil
service has created more problems in most administrations concerned, especially
in state universities, without having a significant impact on unemployment
since, again, the private sector is and remains the main creator of jobs in a
modern economy.
The low purchasing
power of our people is one of the indicators of the difficult social situation
of our country. Many of those who are fortunate enough to have a job can barely
eat three meals a day, afford medical attention for themselves and their
families, or to pay for the education of their children. The Government must
seek solutions to this challenge by exploring several avenues, including that
of the actual reduction of state expenditures, which, as we know, became a
nightmare.
Even socially, one of the major threat for Cameroon remains its hospitals
which, by their level of poverty and dilapidation, cause more people to die
than diseases themselves. Schools and colleagues, abandoned to parents, without
teachers or with miserable staff, have become factories for illiterates.
This is the place to
alert about rampant school drop-outs in areas affected by the war against the
terrorists and other armed groups, particularly in the Far North region. This
is a situation that will have countless consequences for the whole of the Cameroonian
society in the coming years. It is a national urgency to bring back to school
pupils and students in the areas concerned. This should be a major concern for
the Government, which must tackle it with determination, to avoid the risk of
completely cutting one of the least educated areas of the country from the
national education system. I also recall that the Far North is one of the
regions of Cameroon with a very low level of access to water, sanitation and
hygiene services. According to UNICEF, in Cameroon, 54% of people in this
region do not have access to clean water, 35% to basic sanitation and 25% of
households defecate in nature, in open air, because of the lack of latrines.
This situation is unacceptable in a country with substantial resources such as
Cameroon. The Government cannot continue to make excuses for inaction and wait
for wells from our international partners in that area or in others. He must
take action. A stringent management of national resources makes it possible.
Culturally, the CRM
regrets the lack of a national cultural policy. The promotion of ethnic or
tribal cultures fostered by the encouragement of isolationism is at the expense
of building a Cameroonian cultural identity that transcends cultures of
different lands. It is time to open a national debate on the determination and
establishment of a Cameroonian national language, in addition to the two
existing official languages; to restore a National Cultural Festival which is
not just a juxtaposition of ethnic cultures; create a National Music
Conservatory, a national theatre, a National Academy of Sciences, Arts and
Letters, the Mecca of distinction for artists, men and women of culture etc.
This is an opportunity
to discuss an issue which, although highly political, arose recently over one
of our most prolific artists. He is a talented musician celebrated worldwide,
who contributes in his own way, to the glittering of the golden star of the
national flag. Invited for a decoration from the hands of the Minister of
Culture, he has not made the trip, posing again, dramatically, the issue of
dual citizenship and highlighting the contradictions of the Government on this
issue. Indeed, the celebrated artist was to receive the decoration as a
Cameroonian. Yet, he had to travel to Cameroon as a foreigner, because his
Cameroonian nationality was revoked when he accepted a foreign nationality. A
foreigner decorated as a Cameroonian: this is the contradiction. It is time
that the Government addresses this issue of dual nationality, not only to keep
a commitment made at the highest level to Cameroonians of the diaspora, but
also to give them the legal and diplomatic means to participate massively and
more easily to the construction of a country to which they are deeply attached.
This is an issue on which a national consensus is possible, including in
Parliament.
My dear compatriots,
Finally, allow me to
express the deep concern of our Party for the growing contempt of the rule of
law, and serious and repeated attacks on public freedoms in our country. This
is the place to denounce the violence on our militants on the outskirts of the
National Assembly on December 4th. The violence that are imposed on our members
in different regions of the country, is part of a political context where the
opposition, civil society, particularly the CRM and its militants, see their
freedoms of association and expression daily violated by the Regime that
exploits the administration and the law enforcement forces for political
purposes.
Unlike the CPDM whose
last renewal of basic organs have seriously disturbed public order in the
national territory, to the point of weakening the authority of the state in
certain places and cause, according to the media, the loss of human lives, the
CRM makes it a point of honour to scrupulously abide by the administrative
procedures for its meetings and public events. Yet, during this past year, all
of our public appearances have been grossly hampered by the regime. This must
stop! We will not give in to provocations, but we will not let ourselves be
intimidated! The Regime must let the CRM go to Cameroonians, the only judges,
to offer them its vision for our country, to discuss with them solutions to
their many problems for which the Government displays a desperate lack of
inspiration.
My dear compatriots,
Let me reiterate a
call when I'm about to present you my best wishes for the New Year: Come
January, go and register massively on
the electoral roll to participate to the sovereign selection, on due course, of
those to whom you will entrust the conduct of affairs of our country for years
to come.
I wish, each one of
you, personally, a Happy 2016. May it bring you better health, more happiness
and prosperity.
Long live Cameroon!
The National President of the CRM,
Pr. Maurice KAMTO.
Yaoundé, December, 29, 2015.
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