By RFIPosted on 02-10-2019Modified on 02-10-2019 at 11:38

In Cameroon, the major national dialogue continues until October 4 with 700 delegates working behind closed doors in the eight commissions on themes such as the return of the displaced, the judicial and educational system, and bilingualism and disarmament. ex-combatants. In the number eight commission, the most followed and the most important, on "decentralization and local development", the debates were rather heated October 1, according to several participants.

On October 1st, the question of federalism was invited in the debates of the great national dialogue in Cameroon.

" We have two cultures, two ways to govern. Only federalism can help us live together , says Cornelius Esua, archbishop of Bamenda, in the Anglophone province of North West. I know what's happening on the ground. I see how people live, how they react. We must not give solutions that will not meet their expectations. If we do something today that does not give the real solution to the problem, the problem will continue . "

For Patrice Amba Salla, former mayor of the Democratic Rally of the Cameroonian People (CPDM) and former minister, it is more necessary to implement decentralization as provided for in the 1996 Constitution, which has not been done so far.

" We must not have some of our populations decide that because they are uncomfortable, we have to cut the country in three. At this pace, everyone will come to claim a part of his country and we can not accept it, "he said, adding that word" secession "was pronounced" to say that we do not want not .

"Great hypocritical monologue"

The issue of transferring financial resources to local authorities in the context of decentralization has also been debated and the first controversies have erupted, particularly over the composition of committees.

" We denounce firstly the unilateral composition of the members of the commission, the hyperrepresentation of the party in power, ministers and former ministers and senior officials. We have the impression that everything has been put together in advance. So we are entitled to expect nothing positive because they will repeat the same things, and the methods will be the same, "says Jean-Robert Wafo, spokesman of the Social Democratic Front (SDF) of John Fru Ndi, who says he is very worried.

After the former Bâtonnier Akéré Muna, Alice Sadio of the Alliance of Progressive Forces (AFP) slammed the door in turn. " This great dialogue is only a great hypocritical monologue. We did not come to eat cupcakes, "she said. The former deputy of Douala, Jean-Jacques Ekindi, has also left. " I did not feel the magic of dialogue, " he says.

The spokesman of the great national dialogue, George Ewane, rejects these criticisms. " The commissionaires were not appointed, they were elected in the room and the Prime Minister said that commission members have the right to go on any commission ," he says. This is a false debate. We are Cameroonians. We are not here to do politics. We are here to find solutions to the problems that plague our two English-speaking areas in the Northwest and Southwest . "

► To read also : Cameroon: Can Biya defuse the Anglophone crisis through dialogue ?

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