It hasn't been a quiet week in Kumbo. Instead of Land Cruisers operated by NGOs and Mission organizations, Land Cruisers with pictures of the current President Paul Biya have been blowing past me as I weave my way through the streets of Kumbo. Tomorrow is election day and campaigning officially began two weeks ago. Since then pictures of Paul announcing that he is the People's Choice have been showing up on billboards, t-shirts, and the local corner stores. There are 22 candidates that are also in the race, but I've heard little and seen less of them. I have seen an occasional flag and women wearing green cowboy hats represeting John Fri Ndu, the veteran opposition leader of the Social Democratic Front party.
President Paul Biya has been in power as long as I've been alive. In 2008 a Constitutional law was changed eliminating Presidential term limits, thus allowing Biya to participate in tomorrow's elections. That change and underlying unrest because of rising food prices resulted in riots that killed over 40 people.
I've stayed in my house all day today, yet I feel the excitement and uncertainty. All day voices over loud speakers have been wafting through the air as political party representatives make campaign speeches. A friend visited me this afternoon and said that tomorrow he will vote for the first time. He is excited and believes that changes will happen, things simply cannot stay the same. Others I have talked to are less positive and don't think anything will change, including the name of the President. I think the results of the election are fairly certain, but how people will react is not. Like all of the other expatriates I know in Cameroon, I'm planning on laying low the next couple of days and praying that no riots or protest arise to disrupt my work or life.
If you would like more information about Cameroon politics and the election, please see below:
praying mightily for you and cameroon.
ReplyDeleteand regretting my neglect for purchasing the biya cloth when i had the chance...