For one thing, the CPDM as the ruling party would logically want to preserve its achievements, least of which is not the peace and stability that the country has known in the past decades. Secondly, several development projects initiated by the leader of the party, President Paul Biya when he announced his candidature seven years ago, are well on track and followers of the CPDM are definitely keen on seeing their party President pursue such lofty ambitions to conclusion. They have demonstrated this determination through diverse means, the most outstanding of which has been the flood of motions of support that have now been crystallised through “Paul Biya: The People’s Call” which is now in its third volume. Until sympathisers of the CPDM, who cut across all the segments of society, get a favourable response to their call, it is likely that other volumes of the publication will come up, judging from the continuous flow of support messages to the party leader.
However, if all were to be limited to the signs of love and encouragement that have been shown toward the CPDM and its leadership, the story would have been simple to tell here. However, daunting challenges do exist.
In an attempt to mobilise the top notch of the party for the anniversary celebrations, the Secretary General of the Central Committee of the CPDM, René Emmanuel Sadi, recalled that Cameroon is a democracy. Consequently, the stakes are both internal and external. Within the party ranks, the much needed sense of purpose, unity and commitment are not always perceptible by all. “I must admit that several pockets of tension persist either between elite or elite and local officials of the party”, the party scribe told his cadres while preparing them for today’s event. René Sadi condemned the projection of personal interest which most often not only embarrasses party hierarchy, but derails officials from set objectives. The consolidation of their achievements can better be translated this year through a well harnessed campaign for the re-election of their party candidate for the 2011 Presidential election.
Moreover, with some opposition political parties and citizens putting in place strategies to discredit the elections even before it takes place, followers of the ruling CPDM think rightly that it is in their interest to equally counter all manoeuvres towards either destabilising Cameroon or casting any doubts on such a major polling, as the election of the President of the Republic. That certainly justifies the theme of this year’s anniversary celebration which can roughly be translated here as “All hands on deck to overcome the current challenges”. This therefore means that no one who claims to be member of the ruling CPDM party can now afford to play the limbo at a time when the entire nation has to select a leader for the next seven years.
The election challenge is tough for the CPDM and party officials are certainly aware of the stakes.
