From: biem@atr-hr.atr.co.jp (Alain Biem)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african
Subject: Re: CAMEROON: Mandat Prsidentiel et Partis Politiques
Date: 12 Jan 93 03:12:19 GMT
Distribution: soc.culture.african
Organization: ATR Auditory and Visual Perception Research Labs., Japan

In article <1993Jan11.134542.10943@lut.ac.uk> M.Titahmboh@lut.ac.uk (Mana TitahMboh) writes:


   >In article <Jan.9.22.33.41.1993.5683@occlusal.rutgers.edu>,
   >shemlon@occlusal.rutgers.edu (Shiyghan Shemlon) writes:
   >
   >|
   >|> > |> n'avait pas doti les autres des mjmes aptitudes intellectuelles.
   >|> > 
   >|> > I agree with this in theory, but, convinient as that is for limitting
   >|> > personality cults, I think it would limit the peoples' choice in who
   >|> > they want 
   >|> > to run their country. Having said that, this idea might have avoided the 
   >|> 
   >|> I do not think this limits the people's choices. It hasn't done so in
   >|> the United States of America. I think what it does is, it limits the
   >|> develpoment of HUMAN GODS. The constitution should prevent a
   >|> single individual from holding office for more than 2 CONSECUTIVE
   >|> 5-year mandates. This will prevent anyone  from spending their whole
   >|> life in office trying to devise mechanisms of how to stay in power.
   >|> Since former Presidents can stage a comeback, I don't see why anyone
   >|> cannot try to get back to the Presidential Palace after a 5 or 10 year
   >|> rest. If they did well during their term(s) in office they could still
   >|> get the people's vote. The rest period could also permit them to
   >|> reflect on some of their mistakes. Whatever the case no one should be
   >|> President  for more than 10 years consecutively. By the way in 10
   >|> years you make enough mistakes for anyone to want you back anyway.
   >|> So a comeback might be impossible but I don't regret it.
   >|> No leader is indispensible. Even the English could do without
   >|> Churchill after the War. 
   >|> 
   >
   >I do not actually disagree that much with this. If I might just come back to
   >accountability, my view is that if politics are conducted  accountably, most of
   >the reasons for wanting to impose these checks will cease to play an important
   >role. Of course I realise  that is naive in the extreme but I fervently trust
   >the Cameroonians' maturity[political], or be it in the future, to choose 
   >president on merit. I believe Churchill was voted out of office, because the
   >British peoples' priorities no longer coincided with his politics.
   >

  I agree with both of you. The only way to prevent people for the Worship
 of Leaders may be to limit consecutive presidential mandates. "2" sounds like
a right number for this...



   >|> 
   >|> 1. THE EXECUTIVE: 
   >|>      The President and Vice--President should be elected
   >|>    on the same ticket according to the above terms  and the ticket
   >|>    must get 50+% of the popular vote to be elected. 
   >|>      Bilingualism should be one of the required qualifications of all 
   >|>    Presidential and Vice-Presidential Candidates until Cameroon
   >|>    reverts to a single African Language.
   >|>      All appointments should be confirmed by parliament as stated above
   >|>    and bilingualism should be a requirement. 
   >|>      The number of ministries should be curtailed to 1/3 the current
   >|>    number to control waste and duplication and should remain uncahngeable.
   >|>      The Executive Structure should be independent of political party
   >|>    structures. Some of our problems of today are because we cannot
   >|>    seperate the state Executive from the CPDM ruling party.
   >
   >I don't see a role for a vice president, especially while we have a prime
   >minister. I view the advent of an MP PM as a step in the right direction. The
   >"house" would have more authority over government ministers and secs. of state
   >if they are all MPs. 
   >I can see an obvious parallel with the american system here. In america, most of
   >the officials, who are supposed non-political usually are members of the ruling
   >party!
   >
   >


   Completely right. The president must be bilingual. Moreover, it
could be required that he be able to speak at least another
cameroonian language different from his mother-tongue.


   >|> 
   >|> 2. THE LEGISLATURE:
   >|>      It should be bicameral. A SENATE with 20 members (2 per province)
   >|>    to insure equitable powers for all provinces, and a House of
   >|>    Parliament of 200 members (1 Parliamentarian per ~60,000 people).
   >|>      This should be styled after the US, British and French Systems. These
   >|>    bodies should be independent of the Executive.
   >|>      Elections to the House should be by constituencies of ~60,000
   >|>    inhabitants.  Each constituency should elect its representative. The
   >|>    constituencies should not be limited to the current administrative
   >|>    boundaries within a province. The list system must be abolished.
   >|>      Senatorial elections should be province wide with no regional
   >|>    limitations for candidacy.
   >|>      The Senators and Parliamentarians should also be elected for a
   >|>    5-year term.
   >|> 


      Interresting, but what do you think about the idea of having a
chamber in the parliament representing cameroonians differents
populations. I think , since senators represent the entire province,
the interest of some small ethnic groups may not be well represented. If
you think of the Kirdis leaving in the mountains without care of what
going on downstairs, who knows what it good for them, what they really
want and so on...So, if they had a representive in the
parliament, somebody aware of their interests, they could effectivelly
participate in the overall process of parallel development of the
regions in entire country. Of course each  ethnic group would have equal
representation in this chamber. 

-alain
Newsgroups: soc.culture.african