CPDM at 40: Celebration or Four Decades of Stagnation and Repression?

Founded in 1985 by President Paul Biya, who has been in power since 1982, the CPDM has weathered economic collapse, international scrutiny, separatist insurgencies, and persistent accusations of electoral fraud—all while keeping a 92-year-old leader firmly in control.

As the country gears up for the October presidential elections, CPDM Secretary-General Jean Nkuete assured supporters that Biya is “the only man wise enough” to steer Cameroon forward. The announcement all but confirmed what many already expected: Biya is running again, proving that retirement is for ordinary mortals, not eternal statesmen.

A Party That Celebrates Itself While the Country Struggles

In a circular issued on March 11, the CPDM declared that the anniversary festivities were not merely a time for nostalgia but a strategic move to mobilize support for the elections.

But as party officials prepare to feast on lavish banquets, many ordinary Cameroonians wonder what exactly is being celebrated.

• Youth unemployment remains at over 30%, with graduates resorting to selling groundnuts and mobile money transactions to survive.
• The country’s power grid continues to collapse, with frequent blackouts leaving businesses in ruin and households in darkness.
• The Anglophone crisis, which began in 2017, has displaced over one million people and resulted in thousands of deaths—a war Biya’s government seems more interested in prolonging than resolving.
• Infrastructure projects are routinely announced but rarely completed, with roads resembling archaeological sites rather than transport networks.

While Biya is often conspicuously absent from public view, his portraits remain omnipresent across the country, smiling down at long queues of people waiting for water, fuel, and passports.

Elections, But Who’s Counting?

The upcoming October elections are expected to follow a familiar script, with ELECAM, the judiciary, and the security forces all firmly in CPDM’s pocket.

Opposition figures, including Maurice Kamto of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC), have repeatedly accused the ruling party of staging elections where the results are known before the first vote is cast.

In fact, some Cameroonians joke that ELECAM should save resources by simply announcing Biya as the winner now.

To further secure his lifelong mandate, the CPDM has rejected calls to publish the national voter list, a move critics say sets the stage for another landslide victory for the ruling party—just like in previous elections where turnout miraculously exceeded 100% in some areas.

A Legacy of “Success”

Despite Cameroon’s dire economic and political landscape, CPDM insists that Biya’s 40-year rule is a success story.

Among its greatest achievements:

• Introducing presidential decrees as a substitute for governance.
• Perfecting the art of election rigging to an almost mathematical certainty.
• Transforming Cameroon’s youth from hopeful dreamers into economic migrants, desperate to escape the country at all costs.

While many world leaders serve their people, Biya’s administration has instead served itself, ensuring that the ruling elite remains rich while the population remains patient.

As the CPDM marks 40 years of "progress", many Cameroonians can’t help but wonder: is the party celebrating its longevity or the country’s slow demise?

What Next?

With October elections approaching, Biya’s re-election is all but guaranteed, leaving the only question unanswered:

Will he celebrate 50 years in power, or will nature finally accomplish what the opposition has failed to do?

Reporting by Ernest Ngalim for Cameroon Concord.