CAMEROON: CPDM SECRETARY GENERAL ON CURRENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YAOUNDE 000024 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/C E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/12/2019 TAGS: ECON PGOV PHUM CM SUBJECT: CAMEROON: CPDM SECRETARY GENERAL ON CURRENT POLITICS REF: YAOUNDE 1257 Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Scott Ticknor for reasons 1.4 (d) and (e) ¶1. (C) On January 8, Ambassador hosted a lunch for Rene Sadi, Secretary General of the ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) party and Deputy Secretary General of the Presidency. Sadi thought the newly created Electoral Commission (ELECAM) could function independently, contrary to critics who view it as inherently biased toward the CPDM. He said he didn't know whether President Paul Biya would run in 2011 but affirmed that the party would hold a long-awaited Congress in 2009 and proclaimed optimism about the future. Sadi saw the need for a greater public sector role in the economy and regretted what he saw as the potential instability inherent in Cameroon's democratic opening. End summary. Background -------------- ¶2. (U) As reported reftel, on December 30, President Biya created a new Electoral Commission, Elections Cameroon or ELECAM. Required under a 2006 law, ELECAM's creation had been postponed for six months ostensibly because the President was still fine-tuning the list of names to head the organization. The recently-announced names for the 14-member Commission have sparked widespread media criticism because at least nine of them have strong CPDM credentials and are judged by many to be partisan. Post will provide more analysis of ELECAM and the public reaction septel. Sadi on ELECAM -------------- ¶3. (C) Ambassador told Secretary General Sadi that she had some concerns about ELECAM. Sadi said Biya had created it because of pressure from the international community. In selecting members, Biya was very concerned about stability and wanted to ensure that elections did not become a source of instability. Biya's careful choice of members reflected a premium on competence, given the complexity of organizing an election. Too many people in Cameroon were only after power and wanted to use official positions to get wealthy, Sadi said, adding that Cameroon was fortunate that Biya (like Ahidjo before him) was above this and had the nation at heart. ¶4. (C) The President acted within the law, which requires only that ELECAM members be people of integrity, Cameroonian, and impartial. There is nothing to preclude party members, ;he asserted Sadi affirmed that "every person is born neutral" and that the new ELECAM members can be impartial, as evidenced by their resignation from the CPDM after being named to the electoral body. ELECAM's predecessor, ONEL, had often ruled against the CPDM and he was confident ELECAM members would be free to make decisions that go against the interests of the ruling party. Comment: the 2006 law clearly precludes members of a political party from being members of ELECAM. The argument of Sadi and other senior CPDM officials has been that they are within the letter of the law because the individuals named by the President are resigning their party positions before ELECAM is officially sworn in. However, this legal issue is being hotly debated in the media, with many commentators insisting that the ELECAM nominations at least violate the spirit of the law and are possibly illegal because the December 30 decree is seen to have the power of law in establishing the nominees as official members of ELECAM. End comment. ¶5. (C) Sadi said he would have opposed inclusion in ELECAM of opposition or civil society members he deemed evidently biased against Biya, such as Cardinal Christian Tumi. Ambassador asked why the current roster of former CPDM officials should not be criticized using the same logic. He reiterated that ELECAM members were chosen for their competence. Pol/Econ Chief noted the significant criticism of ELECAM in the media and among prominent intellectuals and questioned whether ELECAM could function if it is not seen as credible. Sadi responded that those who are voicing opposition are always opposed to the President and do not reflect the broader views of the country. ¶6. (C) Sadi thought ELECAM would likely take over the ONEL infrastructure and much of its staff but he conceded that running elections is difficult and ELECAM would need a budget (which it does not yet have). When asked if Biya would be the party's candidate, he said "only Biya knows." YAOUNDE 00000024 002 OF 002 The Party -------------- ¶7. (C) Sadi described the CPDM as "liberal" and inclusive, saying that Cameroonian democracy begins from within the party. He acknowledged occasional tensions between senior officials in Yaounde and local officials and between younger and older party members, but affirmed that he considered all members of the party "militants". The party would hold a Congress (the first in 12 years) some time in 2009, aiming to help mobilize the party base, fill vacant party positions, and replace poor performers, Sadi said. The Economy -------------- ¶8. (C) Said talked at length about the need to improve Cameroon's economy, conceding a certain level of discontent and poverty in the country. He saw this as the product of the country's misuse of its petrodollars in the 1980s and the resultant need for sacrifices during a long IMF-led structural adjustment in the 1990s. While perhaps necessary, the IMF program pinched jobs, cut public sector salaries and economic growth and (ironically he thought) created more incentives for corruption. He hoped this could be remedied by more appropriate professional training at universities and a greater public sector role in the economy. He criticized public procurement procedures for encouraging corruption, stating that he favored having the President directly select contractors for major projects. The global financial crisis (which he saw as being transmitted from the North to the South) would hurt foreign investments in and exports from Cameroon. Optimistic Future -------------- ¶9. (C) Sadi was optimistic about Cameroon's future, stating several times he expected major positive changes in the coming year. He praised Biya's ability to maneuver through past challenges. At one point he lamented as "unfortunate" Cameroon's democratic opening in the 1990s, conceding that democracy was good in allowing an airing of views and a diversity of input into policy debates, but the cost was a greater risk of instability. When asked why Cameroon remained so concerned about instability after decades of stability and rule by President Biya, Sadi responded that 26 years was not a long period of time in a country's democratic development and that the country still lacked a democratic culture. Despite persistent concerns about stability, he thought Cameroon was unlikely to see a repeat of the kind of violence witnessed during the February 2007 riots. Comment -------------- ¶10. (C) Sadi is an old school old-timer, having served as Ahidjo's Chief of Staff and worked in Biya's Presidency for the past 18 years. He is one of Biya's top diplomatic advisors and is seen as a possible presidential successor, although he was relatively obscure at the national level until chosen to head the ruling party in 2007. Sadi's economic views are not atypical for many Cameroonian elites, although they reflect a poor understanding of Cameroon's economic history and problems. While he professed to have an intimate knowledge of Cameroonian political elite thinking, he struck us as cut off from many of the realities of the country as we see them. His loyalty to Biya and focus on stability are typical of senior political figures. His interpretation of the legality of ELECAM is at the least highly debatable. While affable and well spoken, Sadi doesn't hide a distaste for democracy and left us even more skeptical about the credibility of ELECAM. GARVEY