Anglophone advocate and figure of the anti-corruption struggle, he has long stood at a distance from politics, but decided, at age 65, to embark on the race. He chose Jeune Afrique to announce it.
Jeune Afrique ?: So you decided to run for the 2018 presidential election ...AKERE MUNA ?: Yes. I am a candidate because the state of my country makes me want to be part of the solution. For the past two decades, I have worked hard on governance, on the economy, but also on the rule of law. Introducing me is the only way to share my experience for the benefit of Cameroonians.
In the past, you have declared that you do not want to be a candidate against President Biya. What made you change your mind ??
In this troubled moment of our history and facing the perils that threaten us, it would be desirable that Paul Biya passes the relay. My hope is that it offers us a peaceful transition. Ahidjo and Biya did not come to power by the will of the people. I want to believe that in 2018, for the first time, Cameroonians will be able to choose their president.
You are the son of Salomon Tandeng Muna, one of the artisans of the reunification of the two Cameroonians. Is this an advantage in this context where the unitary state is questioned ??
My father was among the pioneers of the reunification of the Federal Republic. He wanted Cameroonians to come together after decades of separation. Some think it has badly negotiated ?; others believe that he has "sold" the anglophones. But he was in good faith, and I assume his inheritance without regrets, even if it is not right to judge a son who proposes to act today on what his father did sixty years.
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| Akere Muna - "Why I'm A Candidate" |
I would choose the shape of the state that respects our different cultures. I would bring power closer to the citizen, which corresponds to federalism.
What do you think of the recent events in the two English-speaking regions?
I lived them in pain. There is no reason why Cameroonians should be killed. Then, some people believe that this country belongs to them. They think they have a higher authority and can predict the future of Cameroon against the will of others. It's sad.
A good president must have a love story between the people and himself
Do you really think that the head of state plans to pass the hand in 2018 ??
I do not know, but I am convinced that we can not talk about Cameroon's current problems without taking into account the electoral context.
Which president would you like to be ??
A president who is listening. I would like to quote the former President of Malawi, Joyce Banda, who said that "a good president must have a love story between the people and himself".
Do you think that the country is ready to elect an anglophone to its head in 2018 ??
I think Cameroonians are ready to elect a president who can improve their daily lives and bring back the fraternity between them. A president close to them. In this regard, my dual culture is an asset. Have not I been elected president of the Bar Association by a majority French-speaking bar, whose members just wondered what I could do for them?
Will Paul Biya have to worry if you are elected ??
No. It is out of the question to undertake anything against him. I feel an obligation, as an African, to protect him. I am a lawyer, and I think there should be a really extraordinary reason for pursuing it. I would add that the President of the Republic has long worked with my father and that I have a special relationship with him.Remember? Ahmadou Ahidjo was absent, my father was acting. At the time, I saw the secretary-general of the presidency that Paul Biya was coming to work with my father in Buea. Akere Muna: "Why I'm A Candidate
