Unsurprisingly, Paul Biya’s CPDM largely won this first regional vote in Cameroon on 6 December. He therefore received an overwhelming majority in 9 of the ten regions because the two largest opposition parties had boycotted the election. It remains to be seen what importance these new regional councils may have.
On paper, the law on decentralization gives completely new powers to the completely new regional councils, especially in matters relating to education and even health. All that was needed were these choices, according to the authorities, to make this transfer of power “effective”.
The regional budget is the core of the issues
When it comes to observers, we are still cautious. “It is a step towards decentralization, but a very small step,” says analyst Stéphane Akoa. Since there are still unknowns, start with the budget. How big will the envelope be in the hands of the regional councils? The new Finance Act was barely criticized at the end of last week by opponent Cabral Libii. According to him, the resources made available to decentralized communities do not reach the promised 15%, which casts doubt.
What will be the degree of autonomy for these regional assemblies vis-à-vis the central government? To the extent they are largely dominated by CPDM, Paul Baya’s party, including in the two English – speaking regions where this party was the only party running. Maybe there will be “decentralization without political openness”, an observer asks.
In any case, it will take patience before these regional councils work. Most people still do not know where to sit. As for the administrative staff, they have not yet been recruited.
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