EDITORIAL

Challenges for Biya, Commonwealth MPs 

 

The Guardian Post welcomes delegates to the 60^th general assembly of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, CPA, to Cameroon, Africa in miniature. But they must not be carried away by the Cameroonian legendary hospitality and breath-taking tourist attractions which make it unique in the African continent and get derailed from the critical objectives of the CPA which works to support good governance, democracy and human rights.

The association was formed in 1911 and dubbed the Empire Parliamentary Association  with  first branches in Australia, Canada, Newfoundland, New Zealand, South Africa and the United Kingdom which served as headquarters.

As more English speaking colonies got their independence, the name was changed to the current Commonwealth Parliamentary Association. It is grouped into nine Commonwealth regions around the world.

Each of the 53 Commonwealth countries represented in Yaounde has its specificities but the parliamentary assignments and democratic ideals of separation of power remain inalienable.

For eight days in Yaounde, some 800 delegates from English speaking countries of the world will debate, discuss, deliberate and agree on how to improve parliamentary democracy. They will share experiences from their various countries, different in culture, customs and levels of development but united in the Commonwealth values and a challenging theme: “Repositioning the Commonwealth for the post-2015 development agenda.”

Apart from the conference which is the apex of the deliberations, there will in the eight days of the event be workshops on topics like: post-2015 development agenda and the Commonwealth Charter, parliament and unity in diversity, female parliamentarians and gender empowerment, and sustainable development. Other workshop themes will be on young people and sustainable development, parliamentary financial oversight of the executive, parliament and the vulnerable, parliamentarians and public trust, and good governance in the 21st century.

The Guardian Post notes with delight that good governance is one of the themes of the conference. The Commonwealth countries, most of which are smeared with wide-spread endemic  corruption as the Corruption Perception Index of Transparency International consistently highlights, cannot attain the post 2015 development agenda without good governance.

The Commonwealth deputy secretary general, Deodat Maharaj put this question early this year at a major anti-corruption conference in Ghana: Why is the Commonwealth interested in addressing corruption?

In answering his own question, he quoted the World Economic Forum and the World Bank which estimate that corruption is equal to more than 5% of global Gross Domestic Product with over US$1 trillion paid in bribes each year. The data for Africa, hosting the 60^th general assembly is catastrophic with between US$15-$20 billion of Oversea Development Assistance lost to corruption in the continent.

 “The figures are staggering. What it really means is that every dollar lost to corruption is a dollar less for health and education,” the Commonwealth deputy scribe said.

That is one of the key challenges the CPA must address if it expects to hit the benchmarks of the post 2015 development agenda. We see it as one of the crucial challenges for Cameroon parliamentarians, as hosts of the event which they should tackle to set an ideal example worthy of emulation by others. More importantly, it is also a task President Biya must embrace personally as he becomes the vice patron of CPA with the head of the Commonwealth, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II  at the helm.          

The Guardian Post congratulates President Biya for another red feather to his cap. We know he has used every opportunity at the national scene to denounce and even declare a “war” against corruption. The scourge of impunity has become the bane of development but he needs to match words with action and set an enviable example for other Commonwealth countries in the infamy league to copy.

Isn’t it said that charity begins from home? Article 66 of the Cameroon constitution requires top government functionaries to declare their assets on taking office and on leaving it. Why has the text of application of the bill the assembly long passed not been signed? Shouldn’t the National Anti-corruption Commission be given the powers to arrest and prosecute suspects to show President Biya’s political will to fight corruption?  The world and the Commonwealth in particularly will be watching more critically how Cameroon fights corruption.

The success of the post 2015 development agenda will also depend on the legislators who must muster the guts to free themselves from the clutches of the executive where that exists. For parliamentarians to control government action and inaction, they must not dance to the menacing music of the executive as it is the case in some Commonwealth developing countries.

They must assert their independence and shun any dictates from the executive which tantamount to an abuse of the separation of power, a universal principle. The repositioning of the post 2015 development agenda will confront problems of health, education, youth unemployment and infrastructure.

As an assembly of parliamentarians with the objective to “reinforce and extend the work of governments by bringing the Commonwealth connection to the grassroots of politics and every aspect of society”, CPA should live to that billing.
The Guardian Post is aware that the CPA delegates assembled in Yaounde have diverse political, economic and social interests. They have varying government perspectives and national priorities but united in the Commonwealth values.     

Those are ideals of transparency, good governance, democracy, justice and human rights that they are called upon to enhance and promote. Without respect of the tenants, the CPA development agenda would be a mere grandstanding declaration reduced to an emasculated cipher of high-minded opinion. The CPA under the new leadership of President Biya until the next assembly must not fail. Félicitation monsieur le président. Sorry, only English is used at the Commonwealth with no translators.