LOCAL DEVELOPMENT


Sandaga Market in Douala: Parliamentarians need to work closely with local authorities in the municipalities in order to effect change in local development for the respective communities


organizing conferences, seminars, meetings and special study groups for Members and officials of Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures. In the case of the Cameroonian Parliamentarian, most mandates run through without the constituencies having any tangible contact with their legislative representatives. Yet, physical contact in evaluation meetings and seminars to explain certain parliamentary acts are a sine qua non condition for meeting set developmental objectives. When communities do not


local development of these Council areas is hinged on democratic methods of governance based on these diversities. As such, it will be an aberration for any Parliamentarian to seek to effect change in their municipality without taking these realities into consideration, and the only way to do this is to work closely with the local municipal authorities, instead of dictating or single-handedly choosing for the community. Another sacrosanct precept that


guides CPA activities, is the fact that Commonwealth Parliamentarians, irrespective of gender, race, religion or culture, share a commonality of interest, based on respect for the positive ideals of parliamentary democracy, the rule of law and individual rights and freedoms. This, therefore, means that the role of the Cameroonian Parliamentarian in the local development of their community is to ensure common good, through equitable distribution of resources, taking care of minority rights and vulnerable groups, and bearing in mind that the future of Cameroon lies with women and the youth. One CPA best practice, which


eludes many a Cameroonian Parliamentarian, is the fact that political, constitutional and procedural consultations are most effectively conducted by facilitating contacts between Members and officials of Parliaments and Legislatures, and through full and frank discussions, unfettered by inter-governmental decision-making. That is why in the local development issues of most of our communities, conflicts are quick to arise between Parliamentarians and the Mayor, or between the Mayor and the local civil administrator. In most cases, these clashes are clashes of personal interest, or of ego. Whereas, through frank and open discussions and without too many administrative obstacles, development can be achieved, with administrators and politicians acting as facilitators and not stumbling blocks.


Parliamentarians and set objectives For any meaningful development to impact the lives of local communities, objectives must be set and met. The CPA meets its objectives by


interact with their Parliamentarians at a grassroots level, and do not feel their micro-project impact, the impression left behind is that politicians only communicate with the populace when they seek their vote, and once in Parliament, only wait for the next campaign to come with gifts and promises to secure their votes. Yet, all Cameroonian municipalities have development associations and unions, through which Parliamentarians may explain legislative policy, and touch the lives of various communities by executing micro community development projects. By so doing, Parliamentarians would still be meeting the global development objectives of their constituency. In as much as the Commonwealth


is a voluntary association of independent sovereign states, each responsible for its own policies, consulting and co-operating in the common interests of their peoples and in the promotion of international understanding and world peace, even more so, the Cameroonian Parliamentarian, taking their cue from the CPA, should opt for permanent consultation with the stakeholders of the ongoing decentralization process in Cameroon, to be able to meet set development targets.


Conclusion For the Cameroonian Parliamentarian to play a landmark role in the development of their local communities within the context of Commonwealth best practices, and with the aim of reinforcing


democratic institutions for the alleviation of poverty, they must pay particular attention at the upcoming CPA conference with the following in mind: Parliaments are unusual institutions. They differ greatly both constitutionally and in their practical political operations. They vary in size and shape, in tenure, in powers and functions, in autonomy and in procedures and traditions. As such, and in line with most modern Parliaments, three functions must be highlighted for adaptation to the realities of various local democratic institutions: • The legislative function: participa- tion in the making of public policy through lawmaking and parliamenta- ry enquiries.This has to be explained to local communities through republican institutions like Councils, explaining how legislation factors into the local development of each municipality. • The oversight function of the opposition: The emphasis here is for Councils, whether run by the ruling party or the opposition, to be Councils for the development of the entire municipality, with the parties not in local power taking on the role of the ombudsman. By extension, parties in the minority in Parliament must come to terms with the fact that walkouts as a sign of protest against the ruling party will never advance any develop- ment cause. • The representative function: This allows Members to address the problems of their constituents and promote their interests. The lobby power of the Parliamentarian comes into play here, with the younger ones gaining from the experience of the elderly Senators for the common good of local communities.


Thus, apart from being a forum


for exchanges among equals, the CPA conference in Yaoundé shall also offer the opportunity for Parliamentarians to follow and share common developments and trends in parliamentary business, and to identify those policies that could better help in the development challenges of their local communities.


The Parliamentarian | 2014: Issue Three - Cameroon | 31


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36