Bishops’ Calls for Biya to Step Down Won’t Influence Voters’ Choice — René Sadi

The Minister of Communication and government spokesman, René Emmanuel Sadi, has responded to recent calls by some Roman Catholic Bishops for 91-year-old President Paul Biya to step down after ruling Cameroon for 42 years.

In an official outing on Tuesday, January 7, Minister Sadi stated that the declarations of these Catholic prelates will not influence the free choice of Cameroonians at the ballot box.

“The government deeply deplores the vehemence of some declarations focused solely on the presidential stakes and based on a misleading and inaccurate interpretation of the words of the President of the Republic,” said René Emmanuel Sadi in a press release.

He was reacting to statements from some Cameroonian bishops who called on President Biya to not seek re-election.

The country will hold elections this October, and the candidacy of President Biya has been a subject of discussion.

This was after the President suggested his desire to continue serving Cameroonians in his end-of-year speech.

Prior to the speech, the Archbishop of Douala, His Grace Samuel Kleda, said Biya’s candidacy was not realistic.

Similarly, the Bishop of Ngoundere, Mgr. Emmanuel Abbo, and the Bishop of Yagoua, Mgr. Yaouda Hourgo, in separate outings, called for change.

They castigated President Biya’s lengthy rule and asked the president not to seek re-election.

Rene Sadi’s Call for Peaceful Co-existence

However, René Emmanuel Sadi suggested that the bishops should steer clear of scrutinising the government.

He said, given the secularity of the Cameroonian State, both institutions ought to co-exist in harmony and peacefully.

Referring to the Catholic Church, Minister René Sadi said, “There is no conflict between the government and religious denominations.”

He added: “As a matter of fact, the government considers that the clear-cut declarations made by some religious authorities on the upcoming presidential election, which smack of pure speculation, are the sole responsibility of those authorities and can in no way call into question the relationship between the state and religious denominations, nor influence the free choice of Cameroonians, who will, when the time comes, make up their minds in all sovereignty and responsibility.”

On whether Paul Biya will be a presidential candidate in the election, René Sadi said it is the president’s decision to make.

“President Paul Biya has clearly stated before that, at the appropriate time, he will disclose whether or not he will be seeking re-election.”

Any controversy on Biya’s candidacy, according to Rene Sadi, is “unnecessary.”

He urged those who aspire to be president to prepare to participate in the upcoming elections.

“The government is closely working with competent structures to ensure that this election is organised in a serene, transparent, and peaceful atmosphere,” he concluded.