The National Executive Committee of the Social Democratic Front, SDF will sit on May 27, as announced in a release from the party. Though the agenda of the meeting scheduled to take place at the Ntarikon Residence of the party Chairman in Bamenda was not made public, it is expected that discussions will center on topical issues
The meeting of the governing arm of the part which usually brings together senators, MPs, mayors, members of the party’s shadow cabinet, will be holding at a time when some mayors in the North West region are being criticised for acting against the party’s orders.
The SDF which has been advocating meaningful dialogue and the release of Anglophones jailed for alleged involvement in the on-going protest in the North West and South regions called for a boycott of May 20 celebrations. Party officials said the boycott was in protest against government’s indifference in the face of numerous calls for immediate and lasting solutions to “the Anglophone problem”. Other political parties such as Kah Wallah’s CPP and Anicet Akane’s MANIDEM among others, joined the boycott.
Fidelis Balick Awa and Cletus Fongu, mayors of Bamenda II and III respectively, ignored the boycott. They were both seen with gleaming faces at the ceremonial ground. Though reports says mayors had been threatened with sanctions by government officials, the show the SDF mayors put up as they scrambled to take photos with state officials at the ceremonial ground in Bamenda gave the impression that they were so into the feasting. The SDF has been noted for using its disciplinary article 6.2 to sanction party officials involved in “anti-party activities”. The party, it is widely speculated, would dig into the mayors’ perceived betrayal.
Recent newspaper reports on government financing had also emerged shortly after the declaration that the SDF was going to boycott celebration of the National Day. The report which SDF loyalists claim were sponsored by some government officials, exposed how much the party has been receiving from the state. It is also expected that other officials of the party who were unaware of this payments, would question how the huge sums of money are being spent.
A source within the party told Journal du Cameroun the officials will also discuss the reorganisation of the party’s basic organs in the Centre, Adamawa, East and South regions which had been discussed during the last NEC meeting. The holding of the party’s general convention before the 2018 elections will also be discussed during the meeting on May 27.
