The Median Newspaper

Feb. 2020 Twin Elections:
CPDM Investitures Spark Protests Here & There
-Biya’s circulars torpedoed in Y’de 1, Dja & Lobo, Nkam, Mayo Sava etc
By Ashi Kwobo in Yaounde

CPDM Scribe, Jean Kuete

Once again the preselection and selection of CPDM candidates for the February 2020 twin elections has not gone through without complaints and protests. Like was the case during the investitures in 2013 and during the reorganization of party structures in 2015, militants in many sections of Paul Biya’s party complain that the process was marked by corruption, manipulation, scores settling, scheming and all forms of divisive antics.
    “Elites of the CPDM have missed another occasion to do the right thing to foster strength and real cohesion within the ranks of the party. This time again they did not miss the opportunity of using the party to settle personal scores. Many that were appointed to conduct the investitures in different sections of the party did not miss the opportunity to position their wives and girlfriends, family members, friends and protégés, and all these just in a bid to maintain their control over political actions in these areas,” complained a militant of the Yaounde 1 section, who noted that with such divisive antics, the grassroots masses are left with no option than to revolt or jump the boat and join other parties.
    “Many CPDM militants are even planning a sanction vote on the party,” revealed the militant, noting that the ranks of disappointed and frustrated militants is only increasing by the day and rival opposition parties can be sure of a field day during the up-coming elections.
    Talking about the Yaounde 1 council were three lists were presented headed notably by the sitting mayor, Andze Andze Emile and Clementine Essono (WCPDM Section President of Nfoundi 1), militants blocked the investiture process, insisting that it should proceed by way of election to get a consensus. They insisted that the presidential circular giving guidelines for the investitures must be respected to the letter.
    It should be noted that not even President Biya’s party base, the Dja and Lobo division, was spared the complaints and protests that sanctioned the faulty investitures. Here, militants also decried observable manipulations and injustices in the process.
    The tension and protests were idem for the Nkam division in the Littoral region, where CPDM Central Committee member, Prof. Messanga Nyamding, denounced distortions in the process of selection of candidates by those in charge of supervising the investitures.
    “It was total disorder in the Nkam division. The circular of the National President was completely torpedoed and shoved aside. A group of ill-intentioned militants, mafia men, people who are no longer with President Biya but who mask themselves with face caps carrying the inscription of CPDM on them, did everything to spoil the selection process,” complained Messanga, regretting that the CPDM hierarchy has once again empowered mafia men and mercenaries who have hijacked and spoiled the selection process.

    Messanga Nyamding says that if care is not taken and if these ‘intruders’ and mafiosos are allowed to have their way, then he fears they could bring down the regime or even provoke war in the country.
    “The rain of protests coming in from almost all the sections of the CPDM is explained by the distortions in the party at the base caused by mafia networks that have once again hijacked the process of selecting candidates for elections.
    For his part, Jean Baptiste Atemengue, Vice President of the CPDM section in Ngoumou, noted that the presidential texts regulating the investitures were clear and good, but some misguided party elite refused to apply them just because of their self-serving and selfish motives.
    “It just needed for the president’s directives to be respected and the conflicts and protests to be minimized. Unfortunately, this was not the case in many sections of the party,” regretted Atemengue, who feared that the CPDM may lose much ground to the opposition if care is not taken.

Potential guests of TCS Plot against CPDM
    According to informed observers, if Biya’s directives were torpedoed in many sections of the CPDM during the investitures it was because some present and former managers of public money, whose files are being studied at the Special Criminal Court, abbreviated TCS in French, did everything to either be invested for parliamentary election so as to enjoy immunity as MPs, or they plotted to spoil the process outright if just to bring down the regime in place if just to get avoid going to jail.
    Having forcefully infiltrated the ranks of the CPDM, these former ministers, GM, directors, DAGs, treasury and taxation managers etc bought their way at the Central Committee and got themselves or their acolytes appointed to manage the investitures at the base.
    With these persons or their sponsored agents likely to enter parliament after the elections, they are already hatching their evil plot to frustrate the regime by blocking important bills or advocating amendments that would further put the regime at a tight corner.
    Also aware of the government’s policy to reinforce decentralization through the transfer of important funds and competences to the councils, many of these dishonest and thieving officials did everything to get their names or those of their agents infiltrated into the council lists just so that they can lay hands on the decentralization funds once they are disbursed from Yaounde. Some are also poised to become regional councillors once the regional council elections are called anytime next year.