GCI discusses the sensitive topic of political freedom

The issue of political freedom is widely regarded as a sensitive one in Cameroon , but GCI volunteers and Ocean City Radio Staff were undaunted as they tackled it on the morning of Tuesday, September 2, 2008. GCI volunteers spoke to the people of Kumba before the programme to solicit their views, and several people called in to engage in the radio debate.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that everybody has the right to freedom of thought, assembly and expression, as well as the right to participate in government and to elect their government democratically.

In Cameroon these rights are often restricted. Freedom House states that Cameroon Government security forces regularly restrict freedom of assembly and limit freedom of association by members of nongovernmental organizations and political parties, often violently.

Although there are over 200 legalised political parties in the country, those which oppose the ruling CPDM are often interfered with by government security forces. For example, on August 15 the launch of a new party, Democracy with Active Participation for Development, was broken up by security forces who claimed that the organisation's paperwork was not in order, despite the fact that the party had been legally registered in April this year. Perhaps the government was simply concerned to prevent the opening of another party which advocates democracy and transparent government.

Activists for secession of the Anglophone provinces are another group who face considerable oppression by the government. Over a hundred members of the Southern Cameroons National Council have been arrested without charge in the last year alone. While every government is concerned with maintaining the territorial integrity of the country, the right to peaceful freedom of political expression cannot be denied in order to achieve this end. In the UK , the ruling nationalist party in Scotland advocates separation from the United Kingdom , and while the British government is opposed to this, it does not interfere with the people's right to express their political desires. In democratic politics disagreements must be settled by debate, not violence.

Some of Kumba's citizens spoke of their concerns about the behaviour of government forces every year on October 1, when gatherings of just a few people are broken up and they feel their freedom of expression is restricted. This reflects the government's fear that this symbolic day will be used by political opponents to gather support. This fear is based on the knowledge that the people are dissatisfied and that they demand change. People must continue to demand change in a peaceful manner until the government meets these demands.

The government is within its rights to use force to keep the population safe, to protect people from having their human rights abused, but not to use violence against peaceful protests or political expression. Many people are afraid to oppose the government because they fear for their safety, but the only way to tell the government that their actions are unacceptable is to stand up and speak out in a peaceful manner. Violence is not acceptable in democratic politics so people must make sure they express their opinions in a peaceful way.

Some people feel that there is no point in having political parties if they are unable to influence the government. GCI understands that this is a frustrating situation, but if people give up on political parties and give up on voting, they are accepting that there is no alternative to the current situation. We urge everybody who wants to see any type of change in Cameroon to engage in peaceful, democratic politics. Political parties exist to express the voice of the population so they are crucial to political freedom.

When freedom of political association and expression is restricted, it would be easy to give up. But this will achieve nothing. Instead, people must make the government aware of their grievances. Incidences of political oppression should be reported to human rights organisations such as Global Conscience and to the media. This lets the government know that the people are not happy with their behaviour and will create pressure for change. It also increases the awareness of the population of their rights and the need to unite to protect them. In addition, it can raise awareness in the international community, which can help to put pressure on the government for change.

To achieve political freedom, remember to stay safe, obey the law, respect human rights and democracy, and make your voice heard.

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