It is with the above words that Territorial Administration Minister Atanga Nji Paul sounded “a stern warning to unscrupulous politicians, looking for cheap popularity, with a hidden agenda aimed at disrupting the electoral process, that they will face the law.”

He was speaking Monday, September 7, 2020, shortly after President Paul Biya signed a decree to convene the electoral colleges for the election of Regional Councillors.

The Minister only fell short of calling out Professor Maurice Kamto, President of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, CRM, whose party has not only called for the boycott of the regional elections but has promised to lead nationwide protests beginning September 22.

Kamto has since claimed he won the October 7, 2018, presidential elections although official results put him at the second position with about 14% of validly cast votes.

Protests against a flawed electoral system in January and June 2019 led to the arrest of Kamto and his allies. They were however freed on October 3, 2019, on orders of the President of the Republic to honor recommendations of the Major National Dialogue.

But Atanga Nji warns eleven months after that should Kamto involve himself in any form of some disorder, he will face the music.

Hear him:  “It must also be clear that the discontinuance of legal proceedings does not imply that the charges have been dropped. Any further act of public disorder will take them back to square one.

“In case of any public disorder, administrative authorities have been instructed to take necessary measures to maintain law and order.”

In announcing the readiness of the Ministry of Territorial Administration to assist Elections Cameroon, ELECAM, conduct hitch-free polls, Minister Atanga Nji said:

“It has come to my knowledge that some “political parties”, losing steam, have made some irresponsible declarations by putting some preconditions for the holding of Regional Elections. This mischievous plan is aimed at destabilizing republican institutions and is against H.E. Paul Biya who incarnates them.

“Obviously, these threats have not fallen on deaf ears. Once again, I want to remind everybody that the Minister of Territorial Administration is in charge of maintaining law and order, the protection of persons and their property, as well as the supervision of the activities of political parties, associations, and NGOs. I want to make it very clear that no disorder shall be tolerated from any political party or any political actor.”

The Minister went on to highlight several legal provisions that will be applied immediately if “these irresponsible politicians” ever attempt to disrupt the organization of the December regional elections.

He cited Section 111(1) of Law No. 2016/007 of 12 July 2016 relating to the Penal Code which punishes secession: “Whoever undertakes in whatever manner to infringe the territorial integrity of the Republic shall be punished with imprisonment for life.”

He went on to recall the provisions of Section 114 of the Penal Code that punishes plotters of revolutions: “Whoever by force attempts to alter the laws composing the Constitution or to overturn of the political authorities set up by the said laws or to render them incapable of exercising their powers shall be punished with imprisonment for life.”

In furtherance of his lessons on the law, Atanga Nji referred to Law no. 90/55 of 19 December 1990 to lay down regulations governing public meetings and processions.

Section 6(1) reads: “All processions, demonstrations, parades, marches, and rallies of persons and, in general, all processions on the public highway shall be subject to prior declaration.”

Section 8 adds that: “The Subdivisional Officer receiving the declaration shall immediately issue a receipt thereof;  however, if he deems that the planned procession is likely to seriously disrupt public order, he may: schedule another venue or route for it; prohibit it by an order which he shall immediately notify to the signatory of the declaration.”

Hear Atanga Nji as he throws jabs at Kamto: “Under the enlightened stewardship of His Excellency Paul Biya, Cameroon has always opted for democracy of inclusion, and not that of exclusion. A few months ago, His Excellency Paul Biya in his legendary humanism and constitutional prerogatives, ordered the discontinuance of proceedings against an official of a political party and his accomplices, who had seriously violated the laws of the Republic.

“By ordering this discontinuance, the Head of State wanted to give this political leader a historic chance to turn away from anti-democratic practices.

“After participating in the presidential election, the leader of this political party decided to boycott the February 9 twin legislative and municipal election. By so doing, he voluntarily took his party and himself out of republican institutions. Everyone knows that in democracy, political or republican legitimacy is acquired through the ballot box, not on social media or in the streets.

“Those who make wrong political calculations and look for fallacious pretexts to evade elections must also muster the courage to face the consequences of their suicidal decisions.

“Refusing to participate in elections and claiming to defend the interests of Cameroonians without any elective mandate, is a scheme that cannot work in Cameroon. We will not allow that to happen. After the February 9 twin elections, new political forces have emerged.

“They are now participating in the democratic process, as His Excellency Paul Biya, Great Architect of peaceful democracy in Cameroon, has always desired.”