The Deputy Secretary General of the National Assembly, Dr. Fonkam Azu'u, says the Cameroon Constitution needs to be modified to address changing societal needs and hearken to the new democratic dispensation. The politician and tough-talking lecturer of law at the University of Yaounde II, Soa, made the remark in an exclusive interview with The Post in Yaounde recently.

The Post: You are the Deputy Secretary General of the National Assembly and member of the CPDM Central Committee. We think that the priority of Cameroonians is to have food on their table and you are now talking of amending the constitution. How does the amendment of the constitution help to address the socio-economic problems of Cameroonians?

Dr. Fonkam: Well, the President of the Republic addressed this matter by saying that the amendment of the constitution was not his priority. Shortly after he said there was a grassroots movement calling on him to amend the constitution, notably Section 6(2) which limits the term of office of the president.

I agree with you that it is more important to feed Cameroonians than to amend the constitution, but the serenity of state institutions, the peace and stability of the nation is the best way of putting food on the table of any people. You noticed what happened during the few days when there was a breakdown of law and order. People wanted to buy food but could not find food because the markets were not open.

The peace we enjoy, the stability and serenity of our institutions are a gift of the law without which we are nothing. And there is no law without the state. You will agree with me then that the best way to put food on the table is to have a state where there is the rule of law as guaranteed by the supreme law of the land, so that socio-economic, cultural and political life of the nation is not hampered in any way.

You talk of the grassroots, especially militants of your party, but do you know that it was also alleged that this was not coming from the militants; that it was a manipulation from the political elite. What do say about that?

I do not want to talk about things I do not know. I know that in my Section, that is the Mezam II, it was during the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the accession to power of our National Chairman that the motion was voted. So, it was not a small group of people who sat in Yaounde or some other town and did it. I cannot, therefore, claim that these things did not come from militants. May be those who say the contrary have evidence which I do not have.

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