The Colbert Factor:
๐ป๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ 91-๐๐๐๐-๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐’๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ , ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ 42 ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐’๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ (๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ท๐ฉ๐ช๐๐ ๐ฐ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ – ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐), ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐’๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ต๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ , ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐ (๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ญ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐, ๐ต๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐’๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ญ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐), ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐.
While this U.S trained publicist is still to come (remember she handled President Paul Biya’s 2018 campaigns, including creating and hosting his website as well as all online and offline campaign strategies), the ripple effects of her newest strategy are already being felt in Yaounde and across the country. Immediately President Paul Biya set foot on Cameroon soil on Monday October 21, 2024, CPDM regime cronies started leveraging his “triumphant” return after the prolonged absence, to bolster their support base ahead of next year’s Presidential elections. One could see regime barons working behind the scenes to mobilize the population, including transporters unions to urge President Paul Biya to be their candidate in next year’s Presidential elections.
The CPDM political machine has since President Paul Biya’s arrival in town, been using it to create a dramatic effect, distract from controversies and showcase power and control. Recall that Patricia Balme had intended this strategy to distract Cameroonians from the many controversies that were threatening to disrupt and discredit the Yaounde regime as it found itself wanting in just so many areas. The aim of this strategy was to reinvigorate public support while demonstrating strength and vitality, thereby positioning President Paul Biya as the most viable candidate for the upcoming elections. All three were achieved when the disappeared President who runs Cameroon as a village provision store, reappeared.
As President Paul Biya settles back into office, and the documentary on his “achievements” is being screened across major towns and cities of Cameroon, and as November 6 (date on which he ascended the office of the President in 1982) approaches, more hyping of the man, Paul Biya, is expected. In the days ahead, the CPDM machine would move into high gear, dolling out favours, contracts, and other benefits to loyalists and allies who are ready to sing for their dinner.
What with a political machine that is well oiled and efficient, with a strong grip on the media, the electoral body, and government institutions. What about a fragmented and weak opposition struggling to mount a credible challenge to the CPDM dominance? In a country where civil society groups are suppressed, with activists and critics facing harassment and intimidation, cronyism seems to be the order of the day. Added to the struggling economy with high levels of poverty, unemployment and inequalities, the word of Cameroon under another Biya mandate shall only exacerbate.
Critics continue to argue that Biya’s health concerns aside, blatant cronyism and political maneuvering in Yaounde undermine democracy and good governance in Cameroon. The CPDM’s dominance of Cameroon’s political space for over 42 years has led to the suffocation of opposition political parties, restrictions on political freedoms, reduced economic growth, nepotism and favouritism, and more importantly, corruption and embezzlement.
The Cameroon political climate is becoming more and more tense as next year’s elections approach. Opposition parties and civil society actors are demanding change, citing the need for fresh leadership, political reform, economic development, social justice and human rights, as reasons for immediate social change. It’s just a matter of time to know whether the usual CPDM cronyism and political maneuvering will pay off or Cameroonian voters would demand a new direction.
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