“Our Objective Is To Ensure That The SDF Remains Useful and Vibrant”

Mr. Chairman, the SDF just held a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting which you presided. What were the major conclusions of the meeting? 
We discussed on a variety of issues     relating to the life of the party and the nation. We arrived at several resolutions at the end of deliberations after considering the multiple challenges facing the party and the crisis in the North West and South West Regions amongst other issues. The party calls on the President of the Republic and his government to put an end to the war in the North West and South West Regions as soon as possible in order to stop the blood flow, and also for normal political, economic and social life to return to these citizens. Another resolution calls on Cameroonians in the diaspora who are enflaming the war in the two Anglophone regions to put an immediate end to these activities. The party also demands that the population of the North West and South West Regions be respected in the same way as all other Cameroonians and that their inalienable right to choose their elected representatives be restored as quickly as possible. We thank the people of Cameroon for their brave efforts to fights COVID-19 and remind all that the barrier measures which include washing of hands, social distancing and wearing of masks are important for everybody to remain healthy and congratulate all the candidates who braved the insecurity situation and ran for positions in the last election. 
Public assessment holds that the popularity of the party is witnessing a downward trend in electoral activities. What could possibly be the reason? 
Every party has its problems. Look at the democratic strength in Cameroon and the struggles that the SDF is facing and what the SDF has done to beef up the electoral process. Cameroonians never knew anything about multiparty democracy and the SDF brought this and taught Cameroonians how to go out for campaigns. And when we had the first elections, we won about five councils in Yaounde and other places like Bertoua, Ayos and in the North.  These councils were unfortunately seized from us and tribalism, conscience buying set-in. It is not in our position to fight the central government in terms of finances. We have been struggling to do our best in every situation. The SDF is still a very strong party and we are bouncing back stronger than we were before.  There is no house without a problem but the SDF is the only party that has been able to resolve its problems and discipline its members. If I say we don’t have problems, then, it is a lie. 
Are there any measures put in place to rejuvenate the party?
Of course, during the National Executive Committee meeting, we talked on a wide range of issues relating to that. Our objective is to ensure that the SDF remains useful and vibrant. Our political orientations and ideologies are for the common good of everyone. One of the resolutions during the NEC meeting was the setting up of a Reconciliation Committee chaired by Chief Tchatchouang Paul and an Action Committee headed by Hon. Jean Michel Nintcheu. The Reconciliation Committee will identify points of contention, meet, discuss and look for solutions on the issues and propose solutions to NEC. The Action Committee will brainstorm on actions that can be implemented on the field. These committees will present their findings at the next NEC meeting scheduled for early next year. Away from that, other collective brainstorming is ongoing in the party. 
What prompted the SDF’s decision to boycott the election of regional councillors? 
The SDF did not participate in the election because the government had not finished with the council elections and as you know, the regional elections are based on the council elections. The SDF still had about 900 petitions on the table of the Administrative Bench of the Supreme Court when the elections were convened. Are t...