By Atia Tilarious Azohnwi
Campaigns ahead of the October 7 presidential elections in Cameroon kicked-off Saturday, September 22 through the width and breath of the country and in the Diaspora. It was characterised by bans, bullets and bloodshed.
Residents across major cities and towns in the country woke up to see campaign posters and banners of candidate Paul Biya – the posters and banners of the CPDM candidate are also displayed across the conflict-hit North West and South West Regions.
This year’s race to Etoudi has witnessed a significant drop in the number of candidates, nine in total unlike in 2011 that had 23 candidates. The candidates include Biya Paul (CPDM), Garga Haman Adji (ADD) Kamto Maurice (CRM), Cabral Libi Li Ngue (Univers), Akere Muna (PFD), Matomba Serge Espoir (UPSR), Adamou Ndam Njoya (CDU), Ndifor Afanwi Franklin (MCNC) and Joshua Osih (SDF).
Kamto dares Douala IV DO
The DO for Douala IV issued an order banning the planned rally of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement party flag bearer, Maurice Kamto.
Ekoa Mbarga Jean-Marc cited the non-respect of article 93 Section 3 of the Electoral Code which states that the administrative official must be notified for any meeting at least 24 hours to when it is scheduled.
He said there is no space for such meeting to take place given that a request for an authorisation got to his office late. But Kamto defiled the DO’s high orders and staged what turned out to be a crowd-pulling rally. Maurice Kamto and his ally Christian Penda Ekoka promised supporters that basic salary will be increased from FCFA 36,000 to FCFA 50.000 when Kamto is president.
Yang, Musonge rally CPDM troops behind Biya in Bamenda, Buea
Prime Minister, Head of Government Philemon Yang conquered fear and launched CPDM campaigns in Bamenda. He was at the head of a CPDM delegation in Bamenda September 22 to launch campaigns for Candidate Paul Biya. Yang, Head of the North West Regional CPDM Campaign Team, and the Permanent Secretary of the CPDM Mezam Divisional Coordination, Paul Atanga Nji defiled an injunction placed by separatists that campaigns would not hold in the North West and South West Regions.
Addressing militants of President Biya’s CPDM at the Bamenda Congress Hall Saturday, PM Yang advised them to avoid public gatherings and to carry out door-to-door campaigns. PM Yang described other candidates as novelists and the incumbent as the most experienced candidate who can move the nation forward. The campaigns went on hitch-free, though many Bamenda city-dwellers elected to stay in-doors.
Yang installed the following to champion CPDM campaigns in the seven divisions of the North West Region: Waingeh Ndim Albert – Boyo, Fai Yengo Francis – Bui, Shey Yembe -Donga Mantung, Wallang Richard – Menchum, Mbayu Felix – Mezam, Mbah Acha Rose – Momo, and Uphie Melo Chinje – Ngoketunjia. Meantime, CPDM campaigns in the South West Region were launched in Buea on Sunday, September 23 at the Buea Mountain Hotel by ex-Prime Minister, Peter Mafany Musonge. The launch was attended by an impressive number of militants and sympathizers of the ruling party.
Fru Ndi, Osih fire up supporters in Littoral, West Regions
Joshua Osih of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) party accompanied by SDF National Chairman Ni John Fru Ndi stormed Njombe in the Littoral Region promising supporters he will be the first president of the country to visit Njombe.
Osih visited eleven other localities, stretching from the Littoral through to the West Region. He was received late Saturday night in Dschang by anxious supporters. Blood flows in Kitiwum as campaigns kick-off Locals in Belem, situated few kilometres from Kitiwum in Kumbo are in grief after seven young men were shot dead on September 22 purportedly by security forces. Those killed were suspected to be separatist fighters. The details of what happened are not known, but pictures emerged suggesting that some fo the men were round up alive and later shot.
Locals have continued to escape from Kumbo as the town and neighbouring villages have been at the centre of skirmishes recently between security forces and pro-independence fighters. In the past six months, dozens of civilians and security forces have been killed as the Anglophone crisis deepens.
Movement in Ndop paralyzed, gunshots in Bafut
The bridge linking Ndop, from Bamali junction in Ngoketunjia Division was destroyed Friday night paralyzing movements along the stretch. Access into Ndop town remained grounded as a result. Cars and motor bikes which left Bamali were not able to get to Ndop. But security forces have been working to restore a return to normalcy. Meantime, Bafut was hit by hours of gun exchanges between security forces and pro-independence fighters. Locals say they started hearing gunshots Friday night till early Saturday morning. It is believed that the military dealt a heavy blow on the separatists.
SDF, CRM, UNIVERS supporters go physical
On day two of campaigns Sunday, we learnt that some party supporters exchanged blows in Edea and Bandjoun. Donacien Kengne, Secretary of the Bandjoun SDF Electoral District is said to have been assaulted by a certain Barrister Fokam, a supporter of Kamto’s CRM party. We are told that a similar fight erupted in Edea between Kamto and Cabral Libii’s supporters as the latter launched campaigns in the area. It is not known what might have been the cause of the fights, but it is not uncommon to witness such during the electoral season.