CPDM : Born To Implement New Deal Vision

On March 24, 1985 towards the end of the closing speech during the Cameroon National Union (CNU) congress that held in the North West Regional capital Bamenda. President Paul Biya who was Head of State and President of the CNU announced the replacement of the CNU by the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM).
The change from CNU to CPDM as the unique political party in Cameroon at the time came within the context of the advent of the New Deal government President Paul Biya ushered in when he took over power from Cameroon’s first President, Ahmadou Ahidjo on November 6, 1982.  President Biya’s political vision the hallmark of which is the New Deal regime hinged on the democratization of the political landscape, social and economic liberalization, rigour and moralization and the reinforcement of international ties. Before the Bamenda CNU congress that finally saw the birth of the CPDM, President Biya had as early as September 14, 1983 during the Bafoussam special CNU congress been elected the party’s President. Being Head of State and President of the CNU gave him the leeway to inject reforms in the political system  through  the party that tied with the New Deal policy.
To prepare the minds of the delegates and officials to the Bamenda CNU congress for change, President Biya argued that since the Bafoussam congress, there had been questions as to the capacity of the CNU to give adapted answers to the new exigencies in the work of national construction, as well as the preoccupations of the future of the Cameroonian people. He said the answer to the worries as expressed by the militants was to change the name of the party. After this statement, he said the congress had taken note. He then said the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement since it has to be called by its name is born here in Bamenda this March 24, 1985.
Since his accession to the supreme magistracy on November 6, 1982, President Biya has had a great yearning for change with the vision to give the citizens more hope and the unique political party was the key actor. In this connection, after announcing the birth of the CPDM, President Biya  said it was the realization of the fervent wish of the living forces of the nation to operate an important evolution of new hopes within the party raised at the dawn of the National New Deal. He stated that the new hopes, required that from then, they propose to Cameroonians a new way of living together, a new understanding of their rights and responsibilities, a new conception of political militancy, a resolute march towards national integration which are all g...