The Role Of Political Parties In Democratic Governance In Cameroon: A Case Study Of CPDM: 1982 – Present

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

Political parties are critical to the political process in contemporary cultures. In each democratic society, they have evolved into a genuine tool or auxiliary of democracy. Political parties are not only driving tools for the aggregation of interests and the eventual fulfillment of such interests through the control of government; they are also vehicles for the aggregation of interests and the ultimate satisfaction of such interests through the control of government (Merkel ,1977). Political parties are, without a doubt, essential to the survival of democratic administration. According to Ajayi (2005), the amount of responsibility in public life, including access to and use of power, is determined by the freedom with which political parties collect, express, represent, and organize. Political parties are, in general, essential to democratic administration. It serves as a crucial tool for democratic government. Through the merger of their opposing beliefs, ideologies, and aspirations for ultimate control of the government in the state, it offers a way of establishing responsibility, collective action, public engagement, inclusion, legitimacy, and accountability. Political parties are the intermediary entity that mediates the affairs of the people as well as governmental workers and agencies.

Democratic governance with its ideal of elective representation, freedom of choice of leaders, rule of law, freedom of expression, accountability etc has become the acceptable system of government all over the world. It is a form of government in which the supreme power of a political community rest on popular sovereignty. According to oyovbaire (1987) democracy as a system of government seeks to realize a generally recognized common good through a collective initiation and discussion of policy questions concerning public affairs and which delegate authority to agent to implement the broad decisions made by the people through majority vote. Thus, in contemporary times, democracy has been referred to as the expression of popular will of the political community through elected representatives. The contemporary democracy according to Raphael (1976) rest on representative government .Democratic governance in Cameroon has been a different thing when compared to what is obtainable in other part of the world. The respect for human right and the rule law which are the main features of democracy are not visible especially between 1982 till present date; election rigging and gangsterism is the order of the day that one can hardly differentiate between democratic government and autocracy.

In modern societies, political parties are very essential to political process. They have become veritable instrument or adjunct of democracy in any democratic system. Political parties are not only instrument for capturing political power, but they are also vehicles for the aggregation of interests and ultimate satisfaction of such interests through the control of government. Obviously political parties are crucial to the sustenance of democratic governance. As Agbaje (1999) notes that the extent to which political parties aggregate freely, articulate, represent and organize determines the level of accountability in public life including access to and use of power as well as political performance.

 Merkel (1977:99) summarized the basic functions of political parties as follows:

• Recruitment and selection of leadership personnel for government offices

• Generation of programmes and policies for government

• Coordination and control of governmental organs

• Social integration through satisfaction and reconciliation of group demands or the provision of common belief system or ideology

• Social integration of individuals by mobilization of support and by socialization

Generally, political parties are very essential to democratic governance. It constitutes a central instrument of democratic governance. It provides the means of promoting accountability, collective action, popular participation, inclusiveness, legitimacy and accountability through the integration of their competing principles, ideologies and goals for eventual control of the government in the state. Political parties are the intermediate institution mediating the affairs of both the people and personnel and agencies that exercise state power.

In Cameroon, the political parties usually are formed along ethnic, cultural, geo political and religious lines. In everyday activities of government one notices the fostering of primordial loyalties such as ethnic affiliation and overt projection of other selfish political tendencies as a result, the political class has always remained bereft of viable political ideology on which the nation’s political future could be anchored. The bankruptcy in ideology and vision has reduced party politics to a bread and butter game where monetization of political process is the bedrock of loyalty and support. This has eroded the aim of the democratic system.

Since one party system has always dominated political power in Cameroon, and the rise of multiparty in the 1990s, the CPDM has dominated governance in Cameroon which earned the respect and admiration of most Cameroonian electorates at the polls due to its programmes and policies, the party is loathed in the country. The average Cameroonian encounters frustration, disillusionment and psycho moral dislocation owing to the failure of the Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement (CPDM) government to deliver the expected dividends of democracy. The task of this research is to examine the role of the ruling CPDM in the democratic governance in Cameroon between (1990s- Present).

1.2.Statement of Problem

The emergence of democratic governance in Cameroon political system in 1960s was a land mark in the political development of Cameroon. After years of persistent dictatorship of one party rule the return of democracy welcomed the re-modeling of party rule with joy and pea gentry by civil societies, labour union, civil rights organization etc. In the domain of human rights, which had been virtually absent under the dictatorship’s tenure, there was a lot of optimism, hopes was very high which somehow was absent during the dictatorship rule. It was expected that the dividend of democracy would be realized through the political parties which are the means through which the politician reach the public and make their promises and manifestoes available to the people.

This research therefore focuses on investigating the role of Cameroonian political parties in democratic governance since 1990s-present with emphasis on CPDM. The investigation would be guided by the following research questions:

H₁ How does the circumstance leading to the emergence and formation of political parties’ impact on internal democracy in the party?

H₂    Did the political parties enhance democratic governance in Cameroon between 1990s -present?

H₃    How were these political parties implemented to provide good governance to the people of Cameroon?

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The purpose of the study is to highlight the role of political parties in democratic government with the ruling CPDM as a case study (1982- Present).

The study will critically analyze the issues as follows:

1.)    To examine the circumstance leading to the formation of political party and its impact on internal democracy of the party.

  2.)    To examine the role of political party with a view of establishing their relevance to democratic governance.

  3.)    To determine whether these parties and their policies were implemented with a view to enhance democratic governance.