If everything goes as Biya plans, there will be a presidential election in October this year. Some candidates have already entered the race and they are going about campaigning in various places in the country. They are organizing meetings in various places, inviting people and telling them what they are about. Anyone familiar with electioneering would think that that is what normally happens in an election - candidates explain themselves to electorate and ask for votes.
However, this is not how Paul Biya does business. He does not visit places in Cameroon. In fact, he hardly visits the provinces of the country. He is known as one of the most reclusive presidents in the world. He does not personally go anywhere for campaign. He already knows that he is going to win the election so there is no need to campaign. He does not need to explain himself to Cameroonians because Cameroonians are beneath him. He knows that when the worse comes to the worse, he can simply steal the election, like he did in 1992 when France helped him to steal the elections. I know that many African presidents look upon their people with contempt but one would be hard pressed to find another leader in Africa who holds his people in more contempt than Biya. This contempt is demonstrated especially during elections. He sits in the presidential palace, which has become his personal property, and sends surrogates to go out and sing his praise. All the ministers, DOs, SDO, mayors, etc. campaign for him because without him they would have no jobs. He is the only one whose job is secure, even though he does not campaign. Political scientists call this way of doing things neo-patrimonialism.
When Biya looks at other countries where people actually campaign during elections, it amazes him. How can someone as high as a president go around campaigning, let alone shaking the hands of worthless people? That is why Paul Biya leaves such menial jobs to his underlings. And so Biya recently sent a minister to tell the people of the minister's region that Biya would not construct a good road for that region until they vote for Biya. That is how Biya campaigns. He has no plan for the country, no vision - nothing. He just holds the people hostage and threatens them. Since Cameroon is now his personal property, he is not answerable to anyone, he is the one who distributes the "national cake," as they called the country when I was growing up. I remember seeing President Barack Obama campaigning to be president of the United States. I also saw David Cameron campaigning to be prime minister of the Unite Kingdom. I smiled and thought that they would simply kill to be in Paul Biya's shoes.
However, this is not how Paul Biya does business. He does not visit places in Cameroon. In fact, he hardly visits the provinces of the country. He is known as one of the most reclusive presidents in the world. He does not personally go anywhere for campaign. He already knows that he is going to win the election so there is no need to campaign. He does not need to explain himself to Cameroonians because Cameroonians are beneath him. He knows that when the worse comes to the worse, he can simply steal the election, like he did in 1992 when France helped him to steal the elections. I know that many African presidents look upon their people with contempt but one would be hard pressed to find another leader in Africa who holds his people in more contempt than Biya. This contempt is demonstrated especially during elections. He sits in the presidential palace, which has become his personal property, and sends surrogates to go out and sing his praise. All the ministers, DOs, SDO, mayors, etc. campaign for him because without him they would have no jobs. He is the only one whose job is secure, even though he does not campaign. Political scientists call this way of doing things neo-patrimonialism.
When Biya looks at other countries where people actually campaign during elections, it amazes him. How can someone as high as a president go around campaigning, let alone shaking the hands of worthless people? That is why Paul Biya leaves such menial jobs to his underlings. And so Biya recently sent a minister to tell the people of the minister's region that Biya would not construct a good road for that region until they vote for Biya. That is how Biya campaigns. He has no plan for the country, no vision - nothing. He just holds the people hostage and threatens them. Since Cameroon is now his personal property, he is not answerable to anyone, he is the one who distributes the "national cake," as they called the country when I was growing up. I remember seeing President Barack Obama campaigning to be president of the United States. I also saw David Cameron campaigning to be prime minister of the Unite Kingdom. I smiled and thought that they would simply kill to be in Paul Biya's shoes.
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