Amending the constitution for one man!

Paul Biya has intimidated the people, who have clearly expressed their opposition to his life presidency scheme, in order to push through his selfish constitutional review project in parliament. But he should know that threat has always instilled obedience only temporarily

By Tazoacha Asonganyi in Yaounde

Following the recent upheavals in Cameroon, the regime got the people’s message very clearly: that the people do not want the constitution to be amended to give Paul Biya the chance to continue to hang on come 2011! The regime having got the message turned its repressive apparatus full gear. First, hundreds of those arrested during the upheavals were summarily tried and thrown in jail.

Second, the armed forces were poured into the towns and highways to harass and humiliate citizens on a daily basis to frighten them off any further prospect of open resistance.

Third, having locked up the media houses that usually allowed contrary views to be expressed, the government-controlled media were used to play the broken record of the regime that the point of view of barons of the CPDM on constitutional amendment is the point of view of all Cameroonians.

Fourth, the «ambitious» G11 was silenced through the so-called «operation epervier».

Fifth, on the same day that the government bill for the amendment of the constitution was sent to the assembly, the minister of justice held a press conference to drum up the dissuasive news that
hundreds of those who were arrested during the upheavals have since received heavy jail terms!

Following this intimidation of the population, the regime has hurried what it has been longing for to the National Assembly, so it is now sure that Article 6.2 of the constitution will be amended to remove term limits! The amendment is for the sake of one man: Paul Biya.

Since the will of the people has not been respected, the regime should know that threat has always instilled obedience only temporarily. Lasting authority only comes from respect: of the people’s will, of the people’s point of view, of the people’s aspirations. They have made it known that the way Paul Biya is going is not the way they want to go!

National and international opinion expected that the voices and counter voices we have heard about amending the constitution of Cameroon were calls for Paul Biya to step forward and provide a solid, firm and unshakeable foundation for our country and thus heal the rift over constitutionalism. He has failed to rise to the challenge. He has failed to put the interest of
the country before his personal interest. He has failed to realise that it is the collective interest
that is the national interest, not his personal interest… The people have recorded these failures as open provocation!

It is clear that Cameroonians are divided over the issue of the constitution. History will remember that during nearly three decades at the helm of state, Paul Biya refused to seek compromise - common ground on which monuments to progress in our country could be built.

In all of what is going on, he seems to give the impression that what happened to the first all
powerful president Ahmadou Ahidjo is haunting him. Having realised from the fate of Ahidjo that men are never anything but men, be they large or small, street sweepers or presidents, he is fully aware that he himself is only «powerful» because he is head of state, executive president and commander of the armed forces, not because of some supernatural force that he has.

He seems to be frightened with what he was capable of doing to Ahidjo, «father of the nation» whom he served so loyally. He knows that in our African jungle of power struggle, «loyalty» is a meaningless word! Anything can happen when the sources of power evaporate with quitting the presidency, so better to hang on!

In wishing to hang on, he has included a constitutional amendment that states that «acts
committed by the president of the republic in pursuance of articles 5, 8, 9 and 10 (of the
constitution) shall be covered by immunity and he shall not be accountable for them after the exercise of his functions»!

With what is going on with «operation epervier», this type of provision is frivolous to say the least.
Having taught us that the constitution of the country is a piece of paper that power mongers can toy around with at will, he knows that putting such a provision in the constitution can be a nullity. With the fate of articles like 6(2) and others, we now know that merely enumerating constitutional provisions on paper is not to guarantee them; they are not worth the parchment they are written on if they are so easily abrogated and unenforceable...

This other amendment to meet self-interest further undermines the power of the constitution in Cameroon, and so weakens the foundation on which the country is built. The constitution is supposed to be a binding force, a spring that provides life to the nation. The main challenge today is to ensure a stable future for Cameroon by completely changing the whole governance
system that makes the constitution vulnerable to abuses by governments and self-seekers. We need a constitution, a supreme law of the land that cannot be modified by factions according to their whims and caprices.

Following the departure of Paul Biya from the stage in 2011, we need to build a totally new foundation for Cameroon. Changing the political system and the institutional set-up he created to preserve his power will set the stage for a constitution based on the will of the people; this will release their talents and energies for the building of a strong and prosperous country.