Dr Mbile Peter
By Dr. Peter Mbile
If we could still read the “Destination Ticket” of the current occupant of Etoudi, it would not read CPDM; it would read National Party.
And if that name changed after the events between April 1984 and 1990, every honest Cameroonian knows why.
The first litmus test of political and intellectual honesty ahead of the October 2025 elections must be this: no Cameroonian alive can claim to be free from the conundrum that is Cameroon today.
If you follow the money, you can see exactly which Cameroonians have benefitted most from this long collapse, whether orchestrated or manipulated, since our derailed vision post 1972, towards a National Party. Let the records and results speak for themselves.
Today, as we approach yet another watershed moment, we must ask ourselves:
What does Cameroon need?
If we listen carefully to the omnipotent Biyaist, Professor Nyamnding, and his proposition of “Comment Partir”, even the Big Man seems to know change must happen.
But the real question is how.
Are we talking about;
A simple return to majoritocracy as proposed by the coalitions and political platforms?
Explicit Federalism as proposed by the SDF?
Fédéralisme Communautaire as proposed by the PCRN?
Or a continuation and “improvement” of the status quo as we imagine the CPDM proposes?
Whatever path we take, it must be clear what each vision offers, and what it risks. After all, the status quo was never the destination originally chosen by the party in power.
- *Status Quo, Hoping for the Best – CPDM*
The CPDM, as the ruling party since 1985, has steered Cameroon through decades of political centralism, controlled liberalization, and strong presidential authority. Its implicit 2025 proposition appears to be: stay the course, make incremental reforms, and maintain stability through continuity.
– Predictable governance and administrative continuity.
– Avoidance of disruptive political restructuring.
– Leverages existing networks for state functioning
– Perpetuates concentration of power in Yaoundé.
– Fails to address structural governance deficits.
– Risks further alienation of marginalized regions.
- *Explicit Federation – SDF*
The Social Democratic Front advocates for a return to a clear federation or a negotiated federal structure, where constituent states/regions control significant internal affairs, with the federal government handling defense, foreign policy, and monetary matters.
– Directly addresses the Anglophone crisis through structural guarantees.
– Decentralizes power, encouraging regional autonomy and innovation.
– Potential for improved accountability closer to citizens.
– Risk of political instability during transition.
– Potential for economic disparity between states.
– Requires constitutional overhaul and political consensus.
- *Communal Federalism – PCRN*
The Party for Cameroon’s National Reconciliation (PCRN) proposes Fédéralisme Communautaire, a system where governance is built from the ground up, with communes as the fundamental units of power, each having significant autonomy within a federal framework.
– Empowers local communities directly.
– Could reduce regional elite capture of resources.
– Strengthens grassroots democracy.
– Complexity in harmonizing national policy from multiple autonomous communes.
– Risk of uneven service delivery and local governance capacity gaps.
– Requires massive administrative reorganization.
- *Majoritocracy – Univers, Other Coalitions & Platforms*
Majoritocracy, as championed by Univers and allied coalitions, is a vision where the political system is restructured to give decisive governing power to the majority bloc while ensuring minority rights are protected, something akin to a first-past-the-post democracy but with reinforced safeguards.
– Could deliver decisive governance and reduce coalition paralysis.
– Streamlines decision-making processes.
– Encourages formation of strong, competitive political parties.
_Cons_ :
– Risks dominance by majority ethnic or linguistic groups.
– May not adequately resolve long-standing grievances of minority regions.
– Could weaken consensus politics in a diverse country.
*The real choices before us*
Cameroonians must demand clarity before October 2025, not just on campaign slogans, but on the actual governance architecture being proposed. It is not enough to vote for personalities; we must choose the blueprint for our national future.
The truth is, even the status quo was never the original end point. So, whatever we decide, whether it’s continuity, federalism, communalism, or majoritocracy, we should do so with our eyes wide open, understanding both the promise and the peril of each path.
History will not forgive us for boarding the wrong train again without first checking where it is headed.
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