Unaccomplished mission of SDF Founding Fathers.

The mission of the Founding Fathers of the Social Democratic Front, SDF party, was geared towards addressing the endemic marginalisation of people of the North West and South West Regions, who joined their "brothers" of the Republic of Cameroun through a Plebiscite.

Chairman John Fru Ndi was torchbearer and during the launch in Bamenda on May 26, 1990, in opposition to the ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement, CPDM government, six innocent compatriots were killed by security forces.

But that did not deter the determination of a brave Fru Ndi and other Founding Fathers like Siga Asanga, Mbah Ndam, Tazoacha Asonangyi et al who have all passed to glory.

However, did the SDF achieve the mission of "power to the people and equal opportunities" that could have come with a "change"? By its own account, the SDF refused to sign the Tripartite Declaration of November 1991. The party also chose to boycott the March 1992 parliamentary elections, along with the Democratic Union of Cameroon, due to government's failure to meet opposition demands, which included the establishment of an Independent Electoral Commission to oversee the elections.

The party however took part in the presidential election of 1992. The party’s candidate, John Fru Ndi, got 36% of the vote as against 40% for incumbent President Paul Biya, according to official results. However, the SDF believes John Fru Ndi was denied victory "at gunpoint".

The SDF took part in the 1997 parliamentary elections and got 43 seats. In the June 2002 parliamentary election, the SDF won 22 seats. In the presidential election held in October 11, 2004, Fru Ndi stood again as the SDF candidate and got 17.4% of the votes according to official results. 

His First National Vice President, Hon Osih Joshua, ran for the 2018 presidential and had less than five percent of the votes cast.

The SDF has now slumped to the point the only Senator it currently has, was appointed by President Paul Biya!

But why has the party that was founded on the platform change, been having a free fall from what the Founding Fathers had envisaged?

The party was derailed by egoistic ambitions. With the overwhelming support it had on launching, the Bamilekes in the West Region with their money bags, and who were also perceived to be politically marginalised felt the SDF could replace the ruling party at Unity Palace to redress their own concerns. Building strong institutions, not strong personalities was then placed at the back burner.

It was not until at the Bafoussam Convention of the SDF, that the party stood for a federation in opposition to a decentralised state that has been the contention in the brutal conflict that has killed and maimed thousands of innocent Cameroonians; be they civilians, soldiers or separatist fighters.

The only achievement the Founding Fathers can boost they  bequeathed to posterity as they rest in the Lord is that the party succeeded to push the CPDM government to create Elections Cameroon, ELECAM, which is still with flaws that do not qualify it as an Independent Electoral Commission.

It lacks the power to declare results which are done only by the Constitutional Council while crucial demands to review the electoral process to include reduction of voting age, single ballot, and legal acceptance of all polling booth results remain yawning.

SDF Founding Fathers should nonetheless be happy in their graves that through their initiative, glossed with the blood of six compatriots, there are some levels of freedom of the press and association in Cameroon. 

But overall, the mission which they assigned for themselves and promised the electorate has not been fully fulfilled with the recent passage of the last dinosaur, Ni John Fru Ndi, who died without handing over as he had intended to do at the next convention.

As the adage teaches "man proposes and God disposes". SDF Founding Fathers had a mission to bring democratic change with free, fair, transparent and credible elections in a country noted for strong men instead of strong men. 

They did their best, but that was not enough to attain their objectives and The Guardian Post can only wish that those to whom the Founding Fathers have left the SDF will strive to complete the mission many of them lived and died for.