The Head of the Regional Permanent Delegation of the Central Committee for the Northwest intimated that the Social Democratic Front was responsible for the region’s bad shape.
He was speaking at an event to launch CPDM campaigns for the Regional Elections, on Sunday, November 22, 2020 in Bamenda. The former Prime Minister Philemon Yang said: “Let us completely take back our region from those who mishandled if for 30 years.” Five years after the birth of the CPDM on March 24, 1985, the SDF, an opposition party was created. The SDF won most of the parliamentary seats and controlled a majority of the councils in the Northwest Region in succeeding elections. The CPDM could barely breathe in the Region. Today, there is only one SDF-run council – Bamenda III, and two MPs. Northwest Region used to be the fief of the SDF. But, the party could not field [in] candidates for the December 6 Regional Elections.
Philemon Yang seems to blame the SDF for the present state of the region. “The truth is that since 1990 (when the SDF appeared on the political scene), the political life and economic regression of this Region ( Northwest) have grown from bad to worse. Our regional public life has suffered tremendous damage.”
However, he sees the upcoming Regional Elections as an opportunity to reel from this account. “This is the historical moment to carefully reshape and fashion our region in order to have a future, which is better than our past,” he said.
CPDM seeks confirmation of victory
On December 6, 2020, the CPDM will run for Regional Elections unopposed in the Northwest Region. Municipal councilors will vote to confirm the party’s victory in the first-ever regional elections. The CPDM has 1057 of the 1088 councilors region as the party controls 33 of the 34 councils. After the elections, the Northwest Region will have a Regional Assembly of 70 councilors, spiced with a House of Chiefs (20 traditional rulers), a privilege of the Special Status proffered by the December 2019 General Code of Regional and Local Authorities. Unlike the eight regions, the Vice President of the Executive Council in the Northwest will come from the house of chiefs. And, the bicameral Regional Assembly will have three commissioners, two secretaries and a questor, and a public independent conciliators – dispute settler.
Jude VIBAN
