Cameroon: How Lack of Internal Elections in Political Parties Undermines Democracy

While political parties in Cameroon are preaching democracy, with some clamouring for a regime change, most of them do not exemplify this democracy internally.

From the ruling CPDM party to the CRM, PCRN, UNDP, and UDC, party militants barely have a say on who becomes the party’s candidate for elections, as they usually fail to hold primaries.

SDF Exemplifying Intra-party Democracy

When the late Ni John Fru Ndi, the charismatic founder and first chairman of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) party, accepted a nomination from the North West regional coordination to be a candidate in the 2018 presidential election, he likely did not foresee a challenger.

Since the SDF’s creation on May 26, 1990, Fru Ndi consistently won the primaries to represent the party in presidential elections until his passing in 2023.

However, the build-up to the 2018 election brought a shift in dynamics.

Mounting Pressure for Change in SDF

By 2018, Fru Ndi’s advancing age and ineffective strategies against President Paul Biya’s long-standing rule led to mounting pressure from SDF militants for him to step aside.

While many were still comfortable with Fru Ndi as party chairman, they no longer saw him as the ideal presidential candidate of the SDF.

Despite this, Fru Ndi had a strong track record, consistently securing second place in presidential polls after Biya.

Primary Elections in Bamenda

In February 2018, the SDF organized primaries at the Bamenda Congress Hall.

For the first time in the party’s history, multiple candidates declared their intention to represent the party in the presidential race.

Then Vice Chairman Joshua Osih, a young, dynamic businessman, declared his candidacy.

Joining him was Hon. Joseph Mbah Ndam of Batibo constituency and Hon. Fobi Nchinda Simon of Bali, who also announced their intentions to compete.

Fru Ndi shocked party members by announcing at the opening of the Congress that he would not contest the election.

His decision marked the first time since 1990 that he would not run for president, signaling what many saw as democracy at work.

Fru Ndi encouraged the eventual winner to connect with the electorate.

Osih Becomes SDF Flag Bearer

As the primaries unfolded, Hon. Mbah Ndam withdrew before voting began, leaving Osih to face Fobi Nchinda.

Delegates from all 10 Regions of Cameroon overwhelmingly chose Osih as the SDF’s candidate for the 2018 presidential election.

Lack of Internal Elections in Other Parties

While the SDF demonstrated intraparty democracy by holding primaries, the same cannot be said for most other political parties in Cameroon.

For example, the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) has long invested life candidacy in Paul Biya, whom often refer to as the “natural candidate.”

This suggests that even if Biya ceases to be chairman, he would still be the party’s presidential candidate.

Other major parties, including the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM), the Party for National Reconciliation in Cameroon (PCRN), and the Union for Democracy and Change (UDC), also bypass internal elections.

In these parties, the leader or chairman automatically becomes the presidential candidate, depriving party militants of the chance to choose their candidate.

Implications for Democracy

Political scientist, Dr. Atia Tilarious, in his 2023 study of major political parties in Cameroon, argued that intra-party democracy remains far-fetched.

He argued that many political parties lack a base, ideology, or clear policies.

Some are described as “suitcase parties,” existing solely to collect state campaign funds or support other candidates during elections.

In a country where almost 400 political parties exist, only seven have a Parliamentary representation.

Dr. Atia points to the absence of internal elections within most parties as a significant weakness.

He noted in that parties cannot claim to be democratic if militants cannot periodically contest their leadership.

He commended the SDF for its efforts but criticizes others, including the CPDM, for maintaining intraparty democracy as a “myth.”

“When you look detailed, you realise there is something lacking. Intraparty democracy remains a myth,” he said. 

He noted that political parties are vital to democracy, serving as a bridge between the electorate and governance.

“A democratic society is one in which the masses decide who should be their leader. When you look at the Democratic landscape, political parties play a key role,” he said.

“It’s through political parties that the population aggregates their interests, forms policies, and ensures that political parties take power to implement their wishes,” he added.

However, Cameroon’s political landscape often fails to reflect this ideal.

Upcoming Presidential Elections

With presidential elections just months away, opposition leaders such as Maurice Kamto, Cabral Libii, Tomaino Ndam Njoya, and Akere Muna have declared their candidacies without holding internal elections.

While the SDF plans to hold a congress to choose its candidate, it remains unclear whether Paul Biya will run for the CPDM.

The CPDM texts, however, make Biya, who is the national chairman, the party’s automatic presidential candidate.

If Biya does not contest, it could signify a major political shift not only for the CPDM but for Cameroon as a whole.

Whether this shift would lead to greater democratisation remains uncertain.