2025 Presidential Election: Cameroon's "King David" up for challenge

David Awono's Manifesto for His Dream Cameroon

David AWONO’s

Manifesto to the Peoples of Cameroon,

- Traditional authorities,

- Religious, civil andmilitary authorities,

- All national politicians,

- Prominent opposition leaders,

- Cameroon Diaspora from all over the world,

- Dear youth,

- Dear fellow citizens,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We are characters in a film that has been in the making since the dark days of our country's accession to a sham of independence.

Consciously or unconsciously, all Cameroonians, especially those in power, play the

role assigned to them and then leave the stage. Behind the scenes is France, which,

since the proclamation of independence, is supposed to have left, that is pulling the

strings until the situation gets out of hand and the peoples of Cameroon become masters of their own destiny.

There is no doubt about the final outcome of this thrilling scenario. However, many are

still wondering whether our country is not on the brink of collapse. Such fears should not be outrightly dismissed.

- The war against the Boko Haram sect is raging in the Far-North.

- Secessionists are wreaking havoc in the North-West and South-West regions

of our country.

- And recurrent incursions by Central African rebels into Cameroon territory continue to claim lives in the East.

- Whether we live in a relatively peaceful region or not, we are all paying a heavy price for the above-mentioned multi-faceted crises.

- The consumer's shopping basket continues to shrink, to the point of becoming like a sieve whose perforations merge together at the exponentially increasing pace of the high cost of living.

- Unemployed young graduates have no choice but to make do, as best they can.

- Hate speech on social media is pitting community against community.

- The very foundation of the Republic is shaky. Things are going out of control! It's like a rudderless ship caught in the dizzying double vise of pitching and rolling with increasing force.

In view of this near-gloomy picture, you have every right to wonder. What magic will

our candidate, your humble servant, perform to get you out of this mess?

What can he do to get you out of this mess?

What glorious vision of Cameroon would your candidate for the 2025

presidential race like to share with you?To address these questions, let us first explain why it would be ill-advised for the current ruling class to contemplate any attempt to hold on to power. Why is it crucial to hand over the baton to a new national political elite?

SURVIVAL OF THE REGIME AT ALL COSTS?

Many fear the arrival of a new President at Unity Palace, on the grounds that he could bring about accountability. At a time when some sitting ministers are under judicial investigation, some are already picturing themselves in prison in this terrifying

scenario. It is therefore understandable that they would do anything to stay in office until their last breath.

Yet this political option would have far-reaching consequences. The future of an entire

country would be compromised for selfish interests. Generations of Cameroonians would continue to pay the price for the inertia of an old, tired and worn-out political class. This is a class that is completely disconnected from the realities and legitimate

aspirations of the people, outrageously spendthrift and more concerned with its own

way of life.

It is obvious that the first two characters in the political history of independent Cameroon more or less played into the hands of the colonial power, which curiously

refused independence to those who had vehemently demanded it, while apparently granting it to those who saw no need for it. This was obviously done with the sole unavowed aim of preserving France's interests. The new political class must have the courage to cut the neo-colonial stranglehold that is keeping the country in the dock.

We therefore need someone from innermost Cameroon, someone who is always close to the ground, because of his experience of the suffering inflicted on the average Cameroonian by the difficulty of satisfying his alienated food needs. A man armoured with the desire to break from the past.

For many observers, Cameroon is a time bomb. Ominous voices are predicting chaos

after President Paul Biya leaves office. We therefore need a leader with wisdom who

will be able to thwart all these looming apocalyptic scenarios.

The current political class has nothing to fear as long as it spares us any further unnecessary bloodshed at this

delicate moment. The Nation, through the person who will represent it at the helm,

must be grateful to it for a democratic and peaceful devolution of power.

Whatever happens in this election year, I still wish to believe that you, who are currently at the helm of power in Yaounde, will take a patriotic leap of faith and set in motion and

respect the institutional mechanisms provided for by our Constitution. This would be the best way of maintaining peace in our beautiful country. Please do not give in to those who are looking for loopholes to cause trouble, confusion and desolation. Power

cannot be handed over on a platter of gold; it must be snatched up! You therefore don't

have to serve it up on a platter of gold to anyone. Even the incumbent President or his

son! Hold free, fair and transparent elections.

THE CONFISCATION OF POWER IS THE ROOT OF ALL OUR COUNTRY'S ILLS.

It all starts with confiscated independence! France, cornered by the nationalists who

were urging it to leave, found a ruse to leave without really leaving, or to pretend to leave and stay in the end. The longevity in power of the first two presidents of the Republic was skilfully orchestrated.

What about the President of the Third Republic? Will he too stay in power forever? Not at all! Any person who currently covets power to confiscate or prey on it is not qualified

to lead a post-Paul Biya Cameroon! The stakes of the moment are so high that you must not choose the wrong person. The next President of the Republic must come into

office to restore the sovereignty of our people and put the country on the path to

sustainable development. To implement far-reaching reforms, without political

calculations, he will have to commit himself in the knowledge that he is ineligible for reelection. Once his mission is accomplished, he will have to leave power with his head high, at the end of a seven-year term of office! And why even seven years? Quite

simply to respect the current Constitution, which will be used to elect the new President. In my humble opinion, a seven-year term of office is more than enough for

the next President to fully play his role and hand over the baton.

Let us not blind ourselves. Cameroon has a serious governance problem, which is a direct consequence of power confiscation. Everything is concentrated in the hands of one man! To resolve this issue once and for all, we absolutely must review the functioning of Republican institutions, which are currently crippled by hypercentralism,

whose defects, like cancer metastases, are spreading throughout the State apparatus,

creating widespread social unrest.

 The separation of powers and the effective exercise of regional or State autonomy are therefore imperative. Legislative and judicial powers must no longer be subordinate to the executive, and regional and local authorities must be given the resources they need to drive local development.

In addition, the issue of the form of the State, so dreaded by the current regime, must not be sidestepped. Some of our fellow citizens strongly advocate federalism. Too much blood has already been shed in the war linked to this desire. Therefore, this issue should be addressed frankly and presented to Cameroonians, who will decide by

referendum. A new consensual electoral code should be drawn up with the participation of civil society and the opposition. The amended constitution should never again be like a piece of cloth that the incumbent president has tailored to his own liking, with the complicity of members of parliament, who support him. A referendum should be the only way to effect an amendment.

That way, the sovereignty of the people will be restored and fully exercised.

What glorious vision of Cameroon would your candidate for the 2025 presidential race like to share with you?

A GLORIOUS VISION OF CAMEROON

"If someone dreams alone, it's just a dream. If several people dream together, it's the

beginning of a reality!"Peoples of Cameroon,

Let us dream of a new Cameroon headed by a new President of the Republic in

October 2025; a new Cameroon built on strong institutions, led by men and women of

integrity at the service of a sovereign people.

Let us dream of a new country where the President of the Republic is a person subject

to the law; a new country where the Head of State can be summoned by the courts or the National Assembly to answer for his actions.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon where the executive does not collude with the

legislature and the judiciary to strip the people of all their rights; a new Cameroon where the three powers are parallel and distinct.

Let us dream of a new country where representative democracy is not a political scam;

a new country where the people are the masters of the game.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon where leaders are elected by the people and not endorsed by the system; a new Cameroon where legitimacy is the watchword.

Let us dream of a new country where the justice system does not take orders and where every citizen feels safe, because he is protected; a new country where justice is dispensed with complete independence and impartiality.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon where impunity is no longer allowed; a new

Cameroon where criminals are not allowed to move freely, but brought to justice to

answer for their crimes.

Let us dream of a new country where the republican army does not look like a private

militia on the payroll of a few individuals; a new country where the police do not behave like executioners towards defenceless civilians.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon where those in positions of power know and yearn

for the interests of the people; a new Cameroon where decision-makers are not so

obsessed with their own advantages that they harm future generations.

Let us dream of a new country where civil servants are happier to serve than to be served; a new country where virtue is promoted and vice is repressed.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon where the privileged do not crush the disadvantaged;

a new Cameroon where the great are a bulwark for the lowly.

Let us dream of a new country where economic contracts at the helm of the State are first brought to the attention of the people before they are signed; a new country where the plundering of natural resources for the benefit of private individuals and foreigners will cease; a country where future generations will no longer pay the price for the carelessness and greed of the ruling class.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon where national wealth once again becomes an

essentially distributable asset; a new Cameroon where opportunities are not the prerogative of a privileged few.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon where borrowing from international financial

institutions is the result of structured and structuring thinking; a new Cameroon where

government bonds are a tool for development and for redistributing the fruits of growth.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon where all the local councils are shareholders in all

the first-class public enterprises; a new Cameroon where local councils have the necessary means to conduct public policies with a view to accelerating local

development.

Let us dream of a new country where each local council has its own chamber of commerce and runs it properly; a new country where all local workers in the productive sectors are registered and shareholders in the corresponding local chamber of commerce.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon where the opposition is not trampled underfoot and

ridiculed when it is not muzzled; a new Cameroon where the opposition plays its role

as a counter-force and constitutes a proposing force that is taken seriously.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon where a thousand and one political parties are not

tangled up in power games; a new Cameroon with two parties, each open to primaries

to designate its candidate.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon where the debate on contradictory ideas is dispassionate and allows reason and truth to prevail; a new Cameroon where the

arrogance and complacency of the ruling class have no place.

Let us dream of a new country where a custodian of ancestral power cannot be dismissed by an administrative act; a new country where traditional authority is not reduced to serving as a mere administrative auxiliary, manipulated for partisan ends by the regime in power.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon where no one will be harassed for their political or religious beliefs. A Cameroon where it is perfectly legitimate to aspire to social or political ascension, at whatever level, without being subject to reprisals or witch hunting.

Let us dream of a new country where everyone feels better off than elsewhere; a new

country where the diaspora is not forced into exile.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon where isolation is not punishment inflicted on some communities because of their past or present political positions; a new Cameroon where all the regions are linked to each other by motorways worthy of the name.

Let us dream of a new country where Ebolowa in the South is linked by motorway to Maroua in the Far-North. A new country where Bamenda in the North-West region is linked by motorway to Bertoua in the East region.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon in which Tiko has the renowned airport that it should have had at the end of the pretence of independence; a Cameroon where a modern motorway runs along the coast from Campo in the Ocean Division, in the South Region, to Ekok in the Manyu Division, in the South-West Region.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon whose industrial development is built on real tech

hubs.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon where public funds are not squandered; a new

Cameroon where spending is balanced and rational.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon where dreaming is allowed; a new Cameroon where

the children of the country dream together and where dreams foster development.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon where the age of retirement is sacred and where young people are supervised and prepared to take over; a new Cameroon where the profound aspirations of the youth are taken into account.

Let us dream of a new country where the youth can develop their full potential; a new country where our youth, reputed for their dynamism and talents, can liberate their

fertile imagination and let their genius blossom.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon where the hundreds of billions invested in youth programmes have a real impact on their daily lives; a new Cameroon where the youth who have benefited from support manage to create solid and stable businesses that employ other people.

Let us dream of a new country where promotion to the position of General Manager of a public corporation is achieved by means of a call for candidates, a pre-selection process and a scrutiny by the National Assembly; a new country where the elected representatives of the Nation have a free hand to open parliamentary enquiries if there is any suspicion of embezzlement.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon where the rights of consumers are protected; a new

Cameroon where citizens are not left to the mercy of business tycoons.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon where high-speed broadband is a reality; a new

Cameroon where communication is an open window to employment, education, health and security; a new Cameroon where excellence in the digital economy is a framework

for sub-regional economic leadership.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon where merit is rewarded during the lifetime of our heroes and legends, and then celebrated even more posthumously; a new Cameroon where the geniuses and the valiant of the Nation do not die slowly.

Let us dream of a new country where work is not a luxury reserved for the privileged

few and where incompetence has no place; a new country where the taste for effort

and the love of a job well done are cultivated.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon where our linguistic diversity is an asset; a new Cameroon where each ancestral language employs and nourishes the community that speaks it.

Let us dream of a new country where every child speaks the language of his ancestors; a new country where our languages are equipped to adapt to the changing world.

Let us dream of a new Cameroon where every citizen speaks at least two national languages; a new Cameroon where everyone speaks at least the language of their

ancestors and Cameroonian, the minority national language imposed on all.

FROM DREAM TO REALITY

Let us move from dream to reality. Let us rise as one and take power in October 2025.

How can we do it?

We can do this through a kind of peaceful revolution. You do not need to take to the

streets to express your discontent. There is no need to ransack buildings or damage

roads that are already in a pitiful state.

You also do not need to attack the forces of law

and order who are there, day and night, to protect us and our property.

But rest assured, we have a formidable tool in our hands: the Kamerlingua mobile

application. Your candidate in the 2025 presidential election has designed and set up

a platform that aims to create jobs in all the country's language communities.

The app is designed to offer text, audio and video content in all our ancestral languages, with the aim of giving every citizen the chance to reclaim their language

and culture.

What's more, the Kamerlingua application creates market value for our languages in a

national market with international ambitions.

A formidable development and

construction tool for the people of Cameroon!

I invite Cameroonians from North to South and from East to West to massively embrace this mobile application of national interest if we are to close the chapter once and for all on this forty-year-old regime that has put us through untold hardship. In a

very short space of time, this tool will enable us to meet our need to return to our roots and to have the means to implement our policies. And this is not all! Register, en masse and on time, on the electoral roll so that you can make an informed choice when the time comes, in the secrecy of the polling booth!

People of Cameroon,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Today, we are facing our common destiny. What kind of Cameroon do we want for ourselves and for our children?Let us mobilize in 2025 to give our country one last opportunity.

In lieu of the gloom and despair that characterize the end of this regime that has lasted far too long, we are offering you the ticket of hope and emancipation.

Let us choose a new Cameroon; a Cameroon on the path to sustainable development

and prosperity!

Long live the peoples of the mountains, plateaux and plains!

Long live the peoples of the forest, savannah and steppe!

Long live the peoples of Cameroon!