The lawyer at the Cameroon Bar, political actor and defender of the inclusion of the so-called Anglophone communities of Cameroon, has made public his plea in favor of the appointment of a national from the North-West and South-West regions.
The promulgation of the recent law revising the Constitution and reintroducing the position of vice-president in Cameroon prompts Agbor Balla to express his expectations. The lawyer at the Cameroon Bar advocates for the inclusion of nationals from the North-West and South-West regions in this ongoing institutional reform.
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According to him, the position of vice-president should go to the Anglophones. They, he says, suffer from frustrations and are increasingly resigned to abandonment. But they must nevertheless feel concerned by the debate around the vice-presidency in Cameroon. Which, according to him, does not only concern titles or positions, but also refers to the idea of “recognition, inclusion, balance, visibility, national belonging.” The same position can help reassure the “marginalized” communities when it is “properly structured.”
In his plea, Me Agbor Balla encourages nationals from the Anglophone regions to demand meaningful representation within the decision-making spheres at the top of the State. To do so, rather than abandon the fight for institutional reforms “capable of promoting inclusion, trust, national cohesion.” These Cameroonians, according to the analysis of their compatriot lawyer, should be interested in the measures governing the function and assess whether they guarantee the fight against marginalization, the promotion of decentralization and regional autonomy, equal access to opportunities or State institutions, the protection of the Common Law system, or the Anglo-Saxon educational heritage among others.
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Beyond this commitment to meaningful representativity, progress also relies on investment in civic engagement, leadership, education, economic empowerment, democratic participation, constructive dialogue, explains the lawyer.
As with the legal professional for the Anglophones, the position of vice-president in Cameroon is coveted by other Cameroonians. While the youth advocate for the appointment of a young person to this position, others propose that the position be entrusted to a woman. As speculations run high, the President of the Republic prolongs the suspense.
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