Barrister Felix Agbor Nkongho (Balla), President of the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa (CHRDA), says the next Cameroonian leadership should embody the true aspirations of its citizens.
As the country gears up for the presidential, municipal, and legislative elections in 2025, Balla’s remarks have sparked significant discourse on the future direction of Cameroon.
“As we prepare for the third republic, we need to start focusing on the kind of transition that will be needed to build a country that will reflect the wishes and aspirations of most of the citizens,” Balla wrote on Thursday, June 13.
President Paul Biya, 91, who has been at the helm since 1982, has not yet declared his intention to run again.
His prolonged tenure has led to growing calls for a leadership change that better aligns with the populace’s needs and desires. Militants of the ruling CPDM party however desire to see Biya contest next year’s polls.
Balla highlighted three potential pathways for Cameroon’s transition, the first being Internal Reform.
This, he said, involves the current regime initiating its own reform process, similar to Mikhail Gorbachev’s Perestroika and Glasnost in the Soviet Union. This approach hinges on the belief that the regime can transform itself from within with the guidance of a reformer.
Balla also talks of the possibility of a replacement. Advocates of this approach argue that change can only occur if the incumbent regime is decisively defeated in an election, through a popular uprising, or by other means. This pathway suggests a complete overhaul of the current leadership.
The third pathway for transition is displacement. This involves a co-managed transition where democratic forces and the autocratic regime share power. Balla suggests this may be the most realistic option given the regime’s longstanding grip on power.
Power-sharing would aim to satisfy regime supporters while allowing for democratic reforms.
“…one has to be realistic. After more than half a century of an automatic regime, it is clear that there will be a need for power sharing to please apologists of the regime,” he said.
Balla’s insights come amidst widespread speculation regarding President Biya’s successor.
With Biya’s long rule potentially coming to an end, rumors have surfaced about his son, Frank Biya, stepping into his father’s shoes.
The emergence of the “Frankists Movement”, which prominently features effigies of both Paul and Frank Biya at public events, has fueled these speculations.
Many believe this movement might soon evolve into a political force, advocating for Frank Biya’s candidacy.
