By Akere Maimo
As preparations heat up ahead of the June 2007 municipal and legislative elections, expectations are high though dismal as to which political party will grab the largest portion of the electorate. Pundits are busy polishing their political machinery and revising their dog-eared notebooks to keep pace with the changing political weather. “What difference would it make after all?” many desolate Cameroonians question in utter wonderment, owing to past experiences on fraught election results. Past incidence of electoral malpractice and other technicalities have led to voter apathy, scaring millions of Cameroonians from the polls. Statistics reveal that the overall number of voters has not gone above the 5 million mark.
It was certainly against this backdrop that the members of the renewed RDMC (Rassemblement Démocratique des Modernistes Camerounais) met in Yaoundé, Saturday, January 27, 2007 to set the pace for what they call a “Modern Cameroon” in which youths must be ready to overcome fear, know that it is their civic duty to vote and lead the country to prosperity.
With so much youthful exuberance, the National Bureau in the place of the Central College of the RDMC party headed by Derek Dzekwa Tangwa as National Secretary, Macondo Joseph Raoul as Judicial Adviser and Libii Li Ngue Ngue Cabral as the spokesman, rallied their peers in a 3-hour meeting at the Shadow Restaurant just opposite Djeuga Palace Hotel, to preach their solemn doctrine of modernism and democratisation. The three political actors mounted the podium and articulated on some of the salient aspects of the party such as the party’s goal, its ideologies and activities with overwhelming eloquence.
Top on the agenda was the effective kick-start of the 2007 session of the party’s activities and the changing of the name of the party from RCNR (Ralliement au Changement pour la Nouvelle Republique) to RDMC. According to a press release issued at the end of the meeting, the party gave itself the ultimate challenge to register about 3 million Cameroonian youths on the 2007 electoral list. It has as mission to go down the field and conscientise the masses to join the race of a successful elections year 2007, to encourage more than 60% of its militants, between the ages of 25-40 to participate actively in the 2007 municipal and legislative elections. They are also ready to reach out to the grassroots militants and break the myth of voter apathy.
Bridging the gap
According to the Derek Dzeka, the National Secretary, their party was legalised way back in 1995. They have been militating with the party for so long not until that they are renewing their commitment they believe in. Their active commitments in the political arena dates back to the 2004 presidential elections when they gave investiture to one of the major proponents of the Modernist concept, Chief Mila Assoute Pierre. The unfortunate rejection of his candidature was so shocking that RCNR decided to go into an incubation period.
“Within the CPDM, there was this trend that was eating the rungs of the party. There were certain members who taught the party should change its way of functioning, modernise its democratic status. You know, primaries had to be organised before Congress. That was never organised and there was no permission for that to happen. And these guys fought so hard they didn’t succeed…” he echoed.
Which interest did the RCNR have in these ‘guys’? Derek attempts an answer to this.
“These were people who had youths in mind and who fought so hard that youths should have their own place in the country…there is always that misconception that youths are not capable and considered lazy…That is why we are calling on the youths to gain conscience and if things have to change, they have to change these things,” he hammered. But he, however, maintains that the youths have to work hand in glove with their elders for a positive change.
Confusion of names
During the meeting, there was a hot debate relative to the new name to be adopted for the party. There were diverse opinions as to what name should be given the party. There was confusion between the words ‘Ralliement’ (Rally) and ‘Rassemblement’ (Movement). After all said and done, the later was chosen by vote. There were people who thought this second was simply a “chip off the old block”.
As for Derek, the problem is not that of the words or the names. "The focus should be based on the ideologies". Reason why they preach Modernism by bringing in new ideas and beating out the fear factor in youths and above all seeking solutions to the teething problems that Cameroonian youths face like unemployment, juvenile delinquency, social malaise and intimidation.
The way forward
Like every youth initiative or the fresh beginning of anything in life, there is much excitement and vaulting ambitions not until crises set in. So, is the renewed RDMC free from any unforeseen problems? Cabral, the RDMC spokesman sounds optimistic. “It is true that there is no society without a problem. So far, we have decided to solve the problem at the grassroots level...the problem that most political parties face. In Cameroon today, what kills most political parties generally speaking is the lack of real political dialogue between the various stake holders. It is true that there are diverse opinions, but once there is free expression we are sure of a positive change…” he intimated. Notwithstanding, the RDMC is making a clarion call to all Cameroonians of voting age to register massively on the voting lists.
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