Comment
Biya Must Stay The Course
But in more ways than one, these must be very trying times for him precisely because of his success. The temptation to make sure that it never happens again will get stronger everyday and he is that much more likely to fall under the influence of his security advisers.
In recent African history, the two examples that come readily to mind are Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana and Sekou Toure of Guinea. Many would say that the repressive measures in both men's regimes started or were exacerbated when attempts were made to overthrow them.
Dissent became subversion and a man of the people was transformed into a tyrant. A human being's understandable fears of personal safety were played upon and exploited by "security advisers" to breed and turn everybody else into would-be assassins.
If President Biya were to listen to the security experts, he neighbours. would very soon have to barricade himself in a bunker venturing out only once in a while in bullet proof cars and vests.
Any newspaper that sounds the least critical note will be accused of trying to destabilize the nation and the writers on such a paper identified as personal enemies of the President.
Quite unfortunately President Biya had started taking the first tentative steps towards liberalizing political activity in Cameroon when the ex-President Ahidjo attempted coup took place and doubtless, he is being advised that the road to stability lies in a closed society that allows no criticism.
It is worth considering that very few coups have stemmed from genuine national feelings and most have been motivated by selfish parochial considerations, thus if the 6 April attempt had succeeded, the rhetoric would have spread to give it a national character. It is not unlikely that the very people urging President Biya today to clamp down, would have been dancing around the Liberia, 'military saviours'.
President Biya would be better served by honest advice. Unfortunately, there is not likely to be very much of that around today, since nobody wants to be accused of being soft on enemies of the state.
It might therefore be worth President Biya's while to set the tone himself, so that people would feel free to give him honest advice.
For, something good might yet emerge from the traumatic events of 6 April- - a matchless opportunity to get the mass of the people into harnessing their energies into building a free, open and dynamic society.
It should not be forgotten that now that a coup attempt has occurred, an invisible barrier has been broken, the idea of a coup would not sound as impossible or unthinkable any longer and should President Biya be led into the mistake of reacting with strength and ruthlessness, he would rather be on the path to inviting even more attempts.
If he should be brave enough to encourage dissenting views and the participation of other parties in the political process, the tensions in the society will be aired in the changed!
open and there will be no need for increased security measures. The matters that occupy the attention of our people remain food, shelter and clothing and if President Brys should be seen to be concentrating the energies of his government on those matters, he should not fear the participation of a dozen different political parties in elections for his actions will campaign for him much more effectively than guns can ever do.
The atmosphere of freedom that was generated in Cameroon by the liberalising measures of last year is precisely what is needed for development for it is not only pointless political arguments that emanate from an open society.
Too often, the energies of our people have been directed towards fighting each other, searching for enemies among the population and the encouragement of a huge state security apparatus. Before very long people are afraid of each other, looking over their shoulders before speaking and seeing traitors in their next door
Cameroon is at that stage right now when it could turn into such a state should President Biya not keep his nerves and should he fall under the influence of people claiming to be security experts.
It will be a mark of greatness if he should resist such pressures and go back to his liberalization measures. His country will thank him for it much more than if he should aspire to attaining the 20 years rule of his predecessor
If he should succumb to the temptation of becoming a Sekou Toure because of 6 April, he will soon discover that far from protecting himself, he is making himself the most vulnerable person in Cameroon.
Democratic Liberia?
Liberians were voting during the week in the first of a series of elections likely to restore constitutional rule to Liberia.The constitutional proposals on which they were voting have had a most chequered path since the committee was appointed three years ago to draw a new constitution for the country.
It is of course a very long four years ago since the True Whig government of President Tolbert was violently overthrown and a "revolution" was supposed to have been launched. Not many people will recognise the Liberia of today in those heady days of revolution.
Four years ago, Liberia sent an 'observer team' to the Moscow Olympics as demonstration of revolutionary status and the rejection of American domination.
Today there is no question of a Liberian boycott of the Los Angeles Olympics and the former Master-Sergeant fires teachers for having socialist tendencies.
Every time there is a coup in Africa a constitutional commission is appointed to draw up a new constitution with the clear impression that the coup happened because of defects in the constitution.
It will be interesting to note whether the ills that plague Liberia will be healed because the constitution has been changed!
