CPDM at 30: path way covered in Boyo, future prospects.

The Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement, CPDM, Party clocks 30 years this March 24, 2015 since the party was founded in Bamenda on March 24, 1985 born out of the Cameroon National Congress, CNU.

 The party which has been at the driving seat of political life in Cameroon for the last three decades now, was put in place at a time there existed just a one party system in the country. 

The path covered by the CPDM in Boyo division can be traced back to the days when what is today known as Boyo existed as Fundong subdivision under Menchum division. The creation of the party in 1985 came at the time Boyo, by then Fundong subdivision had as representative in parliament Hon. Fuguo James from Fonfuka Bum subdivision. He was in parliament up till 1988.

The spirit of the CPDM in Boyo ignited with the election of late Francis Ngam Chia from Fundong subdivision as section president in Menchum after he defeated J C Kangkolo.

Though the CPDM was the only party at the time, its national chairman Paul Biya in a move to test the popularity and measure the strength of the party decided that elections be organised. With the parliamentary elections of 1988, militants who desired to run for the post of parliamentarian from each constituency submitted their names to the central committee for scrutiny. In a constituency where more candidates manifested interest to run for the election, two lists were constituted( white and kaki) and the militants voted to choose their representatives. It came to past that with the 1988 legislative election the two candidates who were contesting for the lone place reserved for one parliamentarian in Fundong subdivision constantly fed the Central Committee with ill information about each other. The Central Committee finally rejected the two candidacies and requested the SDO for Menchum at the time Fai Yengo Francis to propose somebody who could represent Fundong subdivision in parliament. The choice of the SDO fell on Ndim Albert Waingeh who was then principal of the lone Government Secondary School in Fundong. His proposal was validated by the Central Committee that instructed Francis Nkwain, at the Minister Delegate in charge of Relations with Assembly to furnish the Committee with details about the proposed candidate. This was done and that is how Ndim Albert Waingeh came to be appointed Member of Parliament on the CPDM ticket in April 1988.

A presidential decree in 1992 gave Fundong subdivision the status of a full division called Boyo. The division had to be represented in the National Assembly by two parliamentarians as opposed to one when it was still Fundong subdivision under Menchum. With the coming of multipartism in 1990, where the Social Democratic Front, SDF, party came into the political scene, President Paul Biya and National Chairman of the CPDM in 1992, in a bid to experiment democracy applied for the shortening of the mandate of parliament which was to end in 1993 and parliamentarians voted in favour of it. During the 1992 parliamentary elections largely boycotted by the SDF nationwide, the CPDM continued to have an upper hand. The two candidates from Boyo on the CPDM ticket, Hon. Ndim Albert Waingeh and Francis Ngam Chia sailed through to parliament.

The progress of the CPDM in Boyo division as from 1992 after the elections suffered a serious setback as houses of people identified to be militants of the ruling party were burnt down and their property destroyed by militants of the opposition SDF. The destructions were systematic from Mbingo right up to Fundong where the government later intervened. The damages caused during the incidents were evaluated at FCFA 3billion.

Many CPDM militants, who feared for their lives as a result of the violence, backtracked and the spirit of the party in the division was gradually dying down. The aggressive nature of the SDFeven came to a point where those who identified themselves with the CPDM where driven from certain traditional gatherings.

 That explains why during the 1997 legislative elections, the two parliamentary seats in Boyo went to the SDF party and even the councils were taken over by the SDF. The CPDM in a move to rejuvenate the party and bring its administration to closer to the population created basic party structures in the various constituencies.

The spirit of the party started coming back and that is how as from the year 2000, some young elites who failed to see the so call change preached by the SDF started turning back to the CPDM.

Between 1997 and 2007, the CPDM in Boyo was relegated to the background as the SDF stole the show. Thingswere gradually changing up to 2007 when the people of Bum defiled the odds and voted the CPDM to run the Fonfuka council with Wanlo John as the first Mayor of the ruling party for Boyo. The same trend continued in 2013 while Fundong joined the train to also vote the party of flames to manage the affairs of their council with Denis AwohNdang emerging as Mayor.

The senatorial elections held in 2013 produced a senator for the division, Wanlo John, from the ruling party while another late senator Francis Nkwain still of the same party went to the senate on appointment.

In 30 years, the CPDM in Boyo has had three mayors, three parliamentarians, two senators and one Minister. A progress report card that can be rated average.

Since it becomes difficult to separate the ruling CPDM party from the government, one can say that the party has contributed to some level of social and economic development through infrastructure, health facilities, schools, road network which to a very large extend is still insufficient.

Going by the above analysis, the party’s growth in Boyo division has not been a smooth one as some opinion still holds that the party has slowed the country’s development with the rampant corruption and abuse of power. This however cannot be completely ruled out, but the fact that the party in some subdivisions of Boyo have visionary and development oriented militants like the present Fundong council Mayor Denis AwohNdang is pulling people aboard.

The CPDM in Boyo has not recorded the best mark in 30 years and will therefore need to work very hard if they must win more militants. This can only be achieved if self interest motivated militants are given leadership positions as the case ha been in the past. In areas where victory has been secured, party hierarchy and militants there need to guard against disunity and have a focus and as well present credible and worthwhile candidates in elections if their desire is to consolidate their position.