USDP leader writes to Biya on the issue of dual nationality

The National Chairman of the United Socialist Democratic Party, Prince M. N. Ekosso has addressed a letter to President Biya calling on the Cameroonian chief executive to revisit the issue of dual nationality in Cameroon.

The USDP leader observed that the deliberate delay in accepting dual citizenship in the country is hampering the developmental process. Below is a copy of the letter that was emailed to us by the USDP secretariat.

Subject: REVIEW OF LAW NO. 1968-LF-3 OF THE 11TH JUNE 1968 TO SET UP THE CAMEROON NATIONALITY CODE

Mr. President, we, the members of USDP and the Cameroon youths at home and abroad extend our heartfelt greetings to you and to your entire family. We hope that this letter meets you in a complete good health and strength as you continue to pilot the affairs of this great nation, Cameroon.

The fundamental purpose of this letter is to call your attention on the Cameroon Nationality Code.

In responding to a “problem that was raised by journalists during your stay in Paris as you sojourned towards changing the Constitution and particularly Article 6, Paragraph 2, which provided that “the President of the Republic shall be elected for a term of office of seven years renewable once even though the next presidential election was not due till 2011, Mr. President you stated and I quote “it is normal and even encouraging that Cameroonians take an interest in this issue since it concerns the future of their institutions.

Many calls in favor of a revision are reaching me from all our provinces. I am obviously not indifferent to them. In fact, there are arguments for a revision, particularly of Article 6 which indeed imposes a limitation of the people’s will, a limitation which is out of tune with the very idea of democratic choice.

I want to add that in itself a constitutional revision is nothing unusual… Our present Constitution (which is itself the outcome of a revision of our Constitution of 1972) contains revision procedures which enable, if necessary, an adjustment of the text to changes in our political society…We are therefore going to reconsider, in this spirit, those provisions of our Constitution which would need to be harmonized with recent developments in our democratic system so as to meet the expectations of the vast majority of our population.”

Mr. President just as you changed Article 6 (2) of the Constitution to remain in power after your mandate expired in 2011, the people of Cameroon are actually calling on you again to abrogate article 31 of Cameroon’s Nationality Code under which once a citizen acquires the nationality of another country, he or she instantly loses the Cameroonian nationality.

As you are aware Mr. President, Cameroon nationality law as laid forth in Law No. 1968-LF-3 of June 11th 1968, and supplemented by procedural Decree No. 1968 DF-478 of the 16th December 1968 has been the subject of several calls from Cameroonians of all works of life to be changed for the purposes of national unity and national integration and for the social and economic prosperity of our country.

Below is a summary why Mr. President, the need to change the above law and have it as one of your landmark achievements before your current mandate expires. You have in fact received more calls and write-ups on this issue from Cameroonians all over the world from all works of life than the motions of support you received from CPDM militants to change the constitution and seek another term in 2011.

Mr. President, in what was termed “The MPs Call,” fairly recently over 100 MPs, majority of whom are from the CPDM ruling party petitioned to change the 1968 nationality law. The CPDM MPs stated the motivation for their action as being the fact that the President promised to table a dual nationality bill when he met with the Cameroonian Diaspora in France in 2009.

Further to the CPDM parliamentary Group petition, a Private Member Bill sponsored by the leading opposition Party - SDF to change and replace that of 1968 with a new and all-inclusive dual nationality law was brought to your attention.

More so, Cameroonians in the Diaspora, bloggers, and pro-democracy activists have been draining a lot of ink calling on Mr. President to change this anti-development law. Time to change it is now if you want the new economic policies put in place to yield any meaningful results as Cameroonians abroad will feel more encouraged to invest right here in Cameroon.

Time to do it is now if you want Cameroonians abroad to join in protecting the homeland against Boko Haram and other extremists elements trying to destabilize Cameroon. Mr. President you are aware that in 1985, Saudi Arabia refused to hand-over to Cameroon a trophy won during the Afro-Asian football finals simply because Roger Miller showed up in the game with a French Passport and Cameroon only had the matter resolved by FIFA after your Government insisted that Roger Miller though carrying a French Passport was still a bona fide Cameroonian citizen.

After this incident, you know Mr. President that your Government barred another Cameroonian – Mongo Beti, from running for the 1997 parliamentary elections on grounds that when Mr. Mongo entered the country he used a French Passport, hence he was not a Cameroonian.

Further to the above Mr. President in yet another incident, Prince Ndedi Eyango a Cameroonian born musical superstar based in LOUISIANA, US was threatened to be arrested by your government either for partly “overstaying” his three months visa and/or for participating and winning the presidency of SOCAM.

Until this law is changed Mr. President, Cameroonians and the world are waiting to see what happens when the former captain of the Cameroon national football team Samuel Eto’o Fils who holds a Spanish passport presents himself to be the next President of FECAFOOT or to run for public office like George Weah did in Liberia?

To refuse to change this law, your government will only be furthering the distance it has already created between its own policies and the people’s realities in the 21st century Cameroon. As a leading Ugandan dual citizenship proponent pointed out during Uganda's debate on dual citizenship a couple of years ago: “If dual citizenship is easily available in all of Africa, then it would allow expatriates to return and invest in their birthplace, entice foreign investors and promote cross-border cooperation” (Dibussi).

The urgency and necessity of recognizing Dual Nationality in Cameroon
The introduction of the Dual Nationality in Cameroon is both urgent and necessary at least because of Economic ramifications, Political effects, and socio-cultural considerations.

Economic Ramifications

The dual nationality law limits the country’s economic growth through remittances, reinvestment, and integration with other countries of the world. It should be noted that at a time of globalization, no country can afford to claim to emerge by cutting off from the rest of the world.

It also robs the country of huge human capital resources that find it difficult to come back into the country. Many Cameroonians in the Diaspora have acquired and or developed capacities in many areas including Medicines, Research, Accountancy, Engineering, Politics, Education, and Administration and even in the area of Technology. All these human resources are indispensable for the economic development of Cameroon.

Political Effects

In the political domain, the Dual Nationality Law also has far-reaching repercussions. In fact, the most important effect of this law is seen in the political domain.

Firstly, all Cameroonians who naturalize in their destination countries loss some civic and political rights of their country of origin including the right to run for any political office and to vote. This has been a huge violation of citizen’s rights.

Secondly, the law stands as a hindrance to the country’s democratic process. This is because the Cameroonian Diasporan population are cut off from the local political realities. It should be noted that these Cameroonians in the Diaspora have often been vocal on issues like Electoral fraud, Human rights abuse, corruption, Bad governance and other ills at home with the view of having the country improve its democratic process.

Unfortunately, some of the members of the governing class have often viewed such Diasporan voices as a threat to their positions.

Socio-cultural Considerations

The prohibition of Dual Nationality in Cameroon discourages Cameroonians in the diaspora from returning home thereby resulting to brain drain which deprives the society from veritable professionals in different fields.
The Law also affects children born of one Cameroonian parent as they are often compelled to choose which nationality to belong. Often times, Cameroon is at the losing end of such choices given the limited opportunities the country offers. This not only violates the rights of the child but also destabilizes the family, which is the basic unit of the society.

In the cultural domain, Cameroonians in the diaspora because they are refused citizenship of their native country tend to loss their cultural connections with home and adopt new cultures of their destination countries.

Moreover, the Dual Nationality Law is discriminatory in practice. It is an open secret in the country that while some Cameroonians are refused the right to own dual citizenship, others have acquired foreign citizenship and yet retain the Cameroonian citizenship with impunity. This discrimination only increases the level of social injustice that the country is already suffering from.

On these basis, therefore, we maintain that the Nationality Law of Cameroon which refuses to recognize Dual Citizenship which was passed in 1968 has lost it relevance and should be reviewed.
Prince M. N. EKOSSO
National President

Cc:

• SG Presidency of the Republic of Cameroon

• Director of Civil Cabinet, Presidency of the Republic of Cameroon

• French Embassy, Yaounde

• USA Embassy, Yaounde

• UK High Commissioner, Yaounde

• Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany

• Nigerian High Commission, Yaounde.

• European Union High Commissioner, Yaounde

• Canadian High Commission, Yaounde

• South African High Commissioner, Yaounde

• Belgian Embassy, Yaounde

• Italian Embassy, Yaounde

• Saudi Arabia Embassy, Yaounde

• The Apostolic Nuncio, Yaounde

• Cardinal Tumi (The Roman Catholic Mission, Douala)

• The Baptist Mission Cameroon

• The Presbyterian Church Cameroon

• The Apostolic Church Cameroon National Council, Kumba

• The Full Gospel Mission Cameroon, Yaounde

• The Islamic Federation Cameroon, Yaounde