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CRTV’s Sunday morning programme Cameroon Calling caught up with Ni John Fru Ndi after the audience with the head of government and had the following interview:
Your meeting with the government is the highest level of talks yet between your party and the government at least publicly made known. What do you make of that meeting with the prime minister?
John Fru Ndi: The Prime minister and head of government invited me on the instructions of the head of state that the SDF should come make their own proposals on the 11 man-team that will lead NEO. I went there with my own team to make our own proposals and still make and reiterated our observations on what we think, the National Election Observation should be. We made this dear to the Prime minister to forward to the head of state.
You have often accused the regime of bad faith. What in the opinion of the SDF has changed to the extent that you decided to come and talk with the government this time?
J.F.N. Nothing much bas changed. But we thought that while we are accusing them of bad faith, we should continuously point out what we think is wrong because our members of parliament put in private members bills about what they thought NEO should be or look like, this was thrown aside and instead of this being looked into, they went ahead to adopt their own bull which only involves the consultations which they are doing now and the prolongation of the term of office of NEO which we think these are not the modification that the SDF asked.
Meeting with the head of government is quite an opportunity and we would-be suspect that you did not discuss only your proposal for NEO world to members. What else did your discussion with the Prime minister cover?
J. F. N. Well, we had to limit ourselves to that and also made our proposals of members we think should be in NEO and we did make it clear that we do hope the modification be made before the new members are appointed because there is no need appointing people who would not have the powers, the autonomy, who would not be free to do what they want and still have the minister of Territorial Administration very involved in organising elections and saying one thing on the field and NEO doing the other. So our parliamentary group did propose that they want NEO to be empowered, supervise and carry out the registration of voters and other things and for them to have the financial autonomy to carry out their activities the way it is required of them.
You might have made your recommendations as to who you would like to see among the 11. Would you like us to know if you are satisfied with some, with all or non of the former team?
J.F.N. We did make out proposals and the Prime minister wanted to know, but I told him that it was a secret that I have given him and I don’t think that my team knew because it was supposed to be in confidential. If need arises that we publish such a List in future we do that but for now we keep it a secret. But we think that we selected people of integrity, people of good standing in the society, people of good faith, but if the Prime minister or the head of state would see with us and take some or all the people that we proposed, I think that it would go a long way to help but as I said earlier unless, these people are given the power that they need, I do think that it would be something that would work. Nominating people is one thing and empowering them to work is another.
When you talk of empowerment, we would think of the present laws which have been operating and the results obtained on the field have probably not been the same. For example if we take the North West province the SDF has generally won using these same laws. So what is the secret of the North West province?
J.F.N.: The North West province won in that everybody from the voters to party officials were on the field fighting to make sure that they protect their votes. But, in some of the areas, well people fought but not putting in as much effort as was put in the North West and that in some places, some people didn’t see their names and took it laying low and in some places they took the divisional officers for their words when they said all was okay. But I want to call on Cameroonians to register, vote and make sure that they protect their votes and not say they have voted. I think, in the North West people fought well. I remember the case of Menji where they got our List leader well beaten when we won, the DO ferried gendarmes from Dschang to clear our militants out of the Council to seize the council for the CPDM. But we are praying that in future it should be an issue where militants do not only register to vote but should be able to protect these votes.
When you talk of fighting this may frighten some Cameroonians because your party has been accused of being violent. What do you mean when you say Cameroonians should not only register but fight to protect their votes. You mean exchanging blows, or how do the people in the North West fight?
J.F.N.: We are all Cameroonians and we are aware of the ballot box stuffing and people carrying ballot boxes and running away with. I do not think that any body who sees somebody whether a minister or secretary general or who even cames a ballot box and running, Cameroonians should fold their arms and watch them run with a ballot box. We are saying that if they come accross such a person or situation they should seize the ballot box and of course you cannot seize a ballot box from a person and the person gives you a smile. There must be something like a scuffle. We are not saying people should go and box themselves but when they see an irregularity whether it is being carried out by an SDF militants, CPDM, UNDP or any party or body at the polling station, such should be checked. People come out with double registration, multiple voting cards and vote over and over, whether the person belongs to which party, they should be checked.
At the moment we are talking the Minister of state in charge of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation, Marafa Hamidou Yaya, is on the field presenting the government’s plan of action regarding presidential election due this year. To what extend does the plan he is presenting fulfil the aspiration of the SDF?
J.F.N.: I do not think that his visit on field is fulfilling the plan of the SDF or the plans of the Cameroonians people. Luckily for us the provincial chairman for the Centre was with him at the congress centre in Yaounde. When asked a simple question about computerising the electoral process, he retorted that the SDF should first computerise their militants before they come to teach the government any lesson. They are telling you that the opposition or SDF has no lessons to teach the government but this computerisation can be done. If it has happened in other places why can it not happen in Cameroon ? We have organisations and friendly countries that are willing to help Cameroon even the UN have indicated they could come in and give us their help. I think his going out on the field is only to intimidate people and unteach what we are fighting to make sure the regime implements.
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