The Minister of Communication, Rene Emmanuel Sadi, has frowned on Cameroonians who, he said, have taken pleasure in insulting President Paul Biya and state institutions.
In a release on Thursday, Emmanuel Sadi said the fact that the country’s constitution and laws guarantee freedom of expression does not mean citizens should take advantage of it.
“Cameroonians can express themselves without any constraint, approve or disapprove of the actions of public authorities, and make known their points of view on all issues relating to the life of the nation,” he said.
“However, the freedom of which we are proud today more than ever before should not give anyone the latitude to attack the institutions of the Republic or the honorability of those who embody them, prominent among whom is the President of the Republic, His Excellency Paul Biya, who was freely and overwhelmingly elected by his fellow citizens,” he added.
The Minister said it is unacceptable for “compatriots, be they political party leaders or opinion leaders, to use irreverent, insulting, or even offensive language about the person who is legitimately and happily presiding over the destiny of Cameroon.”
The Minister’s outing comes after another statement from the National Communication Council threatening the sanction TV stations which allow their guests to insult and defame others.
Minister Sadi, on the other hand, believes there is an upsurge in the use of abusive language against the institutions of the Republic and their representatives within the public space.
He said the government strongly condemned the language that some citizens indulge in with impunity under the guise of democracy, flouting both decorum and the laws and regulations of the Republic.
Cameroon, he says, sees itself as a democracy and a state governed by the rule of law.
“We owe this major development of our country in the area of freedoms, after long years of monolithism, to the will and resolute commitment of the PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC, HIS EXCELLENCY PAUL BIYA,” he said.
He added that, after several decades of political experimentation and the coming-of-age, Cameroon can today commend itself on the remarkable progress made in freedom of expression.
“The proliferation of press organs, radio, and television channels, the multiplicity of political parties that operate freely, as well as the freedom of tone, stand out as one of the undeniable characteristics bearing witness to the effectiveness and vitality of our democracy,” he stated.
He, however, called on citizens to exercise restraint and a sense of responsibility on the part of all in exercising their legitimate right to freedom, which should not resort to outrage, insult, or contravene the basic norms of democracy and the rule of law.
