CPP SAYS NO! TO SENATE ELECTIONS - KAH WALLA

                                CPP SAYS NO! TO SENATE ELECTIONS. 
                                                          BY KAH WALLA

 NB: SEE REVIEWER NOTE BELOW

 1. The Senate, as currently conceived in our constitution is anti-democratic.
• The Executive appoints 30% of the Senate, ensuring that this institution will not be independent and cannot control the actions of the said Executive.
• The functions of the Senate as currently conceived do not provide a real added value for democracy in Cameroon.
• No reflection was conducted to ensure representation of marginalized groups (women, youth, ethnic minority groups, people with disabilities, etc.) in this chamber.
• The minimum age for a senator is too high given the average age of the Cameroonian population.

2. The process for the election of senators is anti-democratic
• The Senate is the chamber that represents the regions. Regional elections should therefore have been taken place prior to senate elections.
• The councilors who form the Electoral College are beyond current mandate, therefore completely illegitimate to elect what will be the first senate of Cameroon.
• The holding of senatorial within 6 weeks after 17 years of waiting is nothing other than political manipulation.
• With a non-consensual and illegitimate process for the establishment of the senate, there is no guarantee of peaceful transition in case of vacancy at the head of the state.
• Given the political history of Cameroon, we should elect our senators by universal suffrage to ensure effective representation of the people in this chamber

3. The current situation in Cameroon demands solutions to fundamental problems faced by Cameroonians, not the creation of yet another dysfunctional institution.
• The Senate is going to cost Cameroonian taxpayers at least 18 billion Cfa francs annually (each parliamentarian currently costs over 30 million Cfa francs per year on average).
• When 65% of Cameroonians do not have access to safe drinking water and about the same percentage of Cameroonians do not have access to electricity, when we are counting dozens of deaths in Cameroon with the space of a few weeks because of insecurity, when our borders allow thugs to hijack Cameroonians and our foreign guests at any given moment; 18 billion Cfa francs or more can certainly be used for more urgent and important projects for the well-being Cameroonians.


Reviewers Note:

I think as a writer and critic, I support totally the position of CPP.Cameroon is a failed state and everything about Mr.Biya is a big failure. If Mr.Biya is sincere, he should have organise Muncipal before senatorial elections. Considering that ONEL in 2007 fraudulently position these CPDM Councillors; Considering that Biya Paul appoints 30 percent of the Senators, the so called Cameroon Senate would just be a house of old fools full of Junk of Mr.Biya toys.This is another wastage of our Money......Its a sham

Bara Mark
Regional Coordinator, Cameroon Youth For Change
Pioneer Youth President Peoples Action Party