Thursday, January 6, 2011

Cameroon 2011: Kah Walla's options against the Fru Ndi - Biya Coalition

With presidential elections to be held this year in Cameroon, the horse trading is now in full swing.
Paul Biya, the incumbent made the first few moves. He announced he will be going to Bamenda for the anniversary of the armed forces. Then he met with and shook hands with his erstwhile nemesis, Fru Ndi. Since then, it has been hands holding and Khumbaya singing between the two.

Don't be fooled. Fru Ndi actually has little to bring to the table. He is currently embroiled in a court case that has been shifted to the back burner so long as he plays nice with Biya. So, what may seem as Fru Ndi accepting Biya's overtures, is simply the icing on the cake. Biya essentially has Fru Ndi canned. The SDF has no option but to join Biya's next government under a coalition.

To consummate this new-found love, about two to three SDF bureau members will be admitted into Biya's next government, and handed inconsequential portfolios like the ministry of culture, or ministry of women's affairs. This is crucial, because this is the government that will be expected to rally the population and hand what would seem in the eyes of the international community, a slightly credible victory. For the Fru Ndi-Biya coalition in 2011.

So this leaves Kah Walla to fight these two elderly men who love power so much, preach democracy but don't want to relinquish leadership to a younger, dynamic and astute younger leadership to move Cameroon on par with nations like Ghana.

So, the best bet for Kah Walla, and the millions of disenfranchised in Cameroon may be if all major opposition voices aligned behind Kah Walla, to mount a counter-force to the Fru Ndi-Biya coalition.

It is no easy task, as the egos of some individuals will blind them to the ultimate goal which is to remove Biya, and weaken the Fru Ndi-Biya coalition.

It can be done. We just need to believe it can be done. Then register. Then vote for anything other than Fru Ndi - Biya. Life can only get better under another president.

Paul Biya and Fru Ndi belong to the 20th century. Kah Walla belongs to the twenty-first century.

Birds of the same feather will always flock together, and politics is no exception to this rule. They will still flock together, just like the autocratic Fru Ndi and Biya Paul, even when they are about to be voted out like may be the case in 2011 in Cameroon.
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Cameroon in 2011

On January 05th 2011, Paul Biya, president of the republic of Cameroon for the past 29 years received new year wishes from diplomats and dignitaries.

What stood out was the presence of erstwhile opposition leader Fru Ndi in the Unity Palace. As yours truly earlier remarked in this blog, Cameroon no longer has an opposition party. So 2011 marks the end of the SDF being an opposition party, leaving a large void in the political arena in Cameroon.

This year, expect "operation Epervier" to slow down. The arrest of Yves Michel Fotso proved the point that you cannot be too wealthy or powerful in an African state like Cameroon that operates under the radar of Western Watchdogs.

The SDF will enter the next government, with Joshua Ossih picked as minister over the contentious Mbah Ndam. Fru Ndi will wait for the application decree of the Senate and hopes to get a seat (and immunity) in that chamber.

Cavaye Yegiue Djibrill will remain speaker of the parliament. For those who think the North has been forgotten, take a quick look at the budget of the National Assembly. Cavaye is fine, and will rally his people together with Ahmadou Ali to vote for the CPDM coalition.

Peter Agbor Tabi will become prime minister, as some of the youth in Kupe Manenguba and Manyu become more critical of government negligence in the province. Professor agbor Tabi is soft-spoken, and commands respect among a large swath of the country. He also has a proven and hard to beat track record as chancellor of the university of Yaounde 1, and minister of Higher Education. He will bring in the South West vote.

The pending dam projects (about 3 major ones as of this writing) for which money has been raised will not start in 2011 as the country will be in full electoral swing.

2011 will also be the year when at least ninety percent of ministers will be seen dancing on TV to rally their constituents.

Cameroon will still resist efforts to have radar equipment installed to view and control air traffic around Douala and Yaounde airports. The reason will be no one wants to have a record of planes landing at sea and dropping off or picking up contraband destined for latin America. The skies will be unsafe for passengers, but someone at the civil aviation authority will be making serious money to block installation of such equipment.

Kah Walla will become the main opposition to the Biya-Fru Ndi coalition. She will lose the election but have a higher national and international profile for standing up to the two old men (Biya and Fru Ndi).

Hon. Ayah Paul Abine will continue his activism but will not gain traction. The press will randomly pick on his nuggets of wisdom such as pointing out that the restrictive rules endorsed by the CPDM could come back to bit them if they happen to lose power, but for the large part, he will stay a one man operation.

Atanga Nji will use money and other means to personally quell the SCNC activism. Expect secessionists to get wealthy overnight as they are bought over. The story of South Sudan is too real and too close. It could happen to the former West Cameroons and Paul Biya needs the oil money.

Happy new year all and May God bless our beautiful country - Cameroon!
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