Today, Cameroon is at a crossroads. Not because it is under a foreign military occupation but because the hopes, dreams and aspirations of all Cameroonians are buried under a foreign colonial constitution. The French Colonial constitution of March 4th, 1960. A colonial constitution that remains in effect in Cameroon—amendable but not replaceable—creates a fundamental disconnect between the legal framework and the people’s will, often leading to governance, legitimacy, and development challenges. The primary disadvantage is that the constitution was designed to serve the interests of the colonial power (focusing on order and extraction) rather than the welfare of Cameroonians, resulting in a system that often fails to protect fundamental rights or allow for meaningful democratic transformation.
What is certain today is that the bill will pass and become law just as all previous amendments. The so-called lawmakers will pocket their allowances while history repeats itself. The next president of Cameroon will be appointed not elected. After all, the first and second presidents were never elected to office by the people. It is never going to happen under this colonial constitution. The problem with this situation is that the continuous application of this constitution would lead to the perpetuation of economic inequality because the document was engineered for extraction only and not for good governance. Furthermore, retaining this constitution as the fundamental law of the land resulted in extremely narrow economic focus—prioritizing the interests of foreign actors and a small elite over local economic development. Further to this, retaining this constitution has only led to abuse by the ruling or privileged class by making it easier for the political elites to amend it for self-interest, such as extending tenure, reducing judicial independence, weakening opposition and undermining democratic principles.
To conclude therefore, it is not the people of Cameroon who are being served following the proposed constitutional makeover or new architecture reintroducing the office of vice president, and such is the dilemma of Cameroon. Any regime or people that allow itself to be bound by a foreign constitution does not intend its people to enjoy sovereignty over its economic and political decisions or interests.
End of story!!
Dr. David Makongo