Participants at the Third Ordinary Congress of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) went back home last Friday’ September 16, after two-days of reflection, reformation and policy outline with one major idea in mind; transforming the National Chairman’s “greater ambitions” into “major accomplishments.”
The re-elected party Chairman, President Paul Biya, found it necessary to come back to this point in his closing address in a bid to reiterate the new dispensation and the challenges awaiting his party after a successful congress. In this light, he underscored the exigency of new dynamism which should enable the CPDM, as a veritable channel to transform Cameroon. The new dynamics, he said, entails the party opening up to the youths and women, promoting the spirit of initiative and creativity, recognising hard work and merit, and as well as modern, committed and responsible spirit.
Like a hunter sending his dogs into the bush to hunt, President Biya called on the followers of his party to convince the electorates of the importance of the party’s policy, the justification of its ideas and pertinence of its views. He particularly called on them to convince in order to win in a crushing manner the next election; a victory that will enable the party to fully implement its policy, transform the country, attain the emergence level and improve the lives of the population.
New Responsibility
Apart from the message, or better still the assignment party followers left with, it was a completely renovated CPDM that left the Conference Centre last Friday. A new arm of the Central Committee, the Honorary Members made up of 25, was created, Political Bureau members increased from 22 to 30 while those of the Central Committee rose from 250 to 350. A greater number of long-serving members were retained while new ones joined the group.
One of the things that made the 3rd Ordinary Congress peculiar was the nomination of a second candidate for the post of National President. Rene Ze Nguele who stood as Paul Biya’s challenger barely obtained one vote. “I thank you for unanimously maintaining me, minus one vote, at the helm of our great national party”; were words of recognition from President Biya to his party comrades. The Head of State equally promised party followers, especially those from Ndian Division in the South West Region, who presented a poem in his honour and handed soil from Bakassi to him, that Bakassi remains Cameroonian. “Let me tell you that Bakassi is our soil today and will remain our soil forever”, he said.
The resolutions that emerged from the congress constitute an important commitment from the party. The three sub committees, the General Policy; Economic and Financial Policy; and the Social and Cultural Policy all streamlined resolutions which empirically translate the nation’s aspirations. But before all the resolutions were presented, a special message from Jean François Copé, Secretary General of the ruling party in France, UMP, President Nicolas Sarkozy’s party was read to the public. From every indication, it was a happy end, with President Biya making a spontaneous appearance among jubilant party militants.
