August '07 - Elections Cameroon style

Hello

Another month has zoomed by, the rainy season continues unabated – which seems to be a worldwide phenomenon these days – wonder why that is? – and its time to drop you all another note to prove I am still alive!

Commiserations to those of you in the UK that have been hit by the unusual weather – although I have to say I found the reaction all a little over the top. Every day here, most folk are without access to clean water and a regular power supply, or in many case any power supply – I do think the western media should keep things a little more in proportion at times!

What should have been an important event took place here a couple of weeks back – national elections, combined with local government elections. I say should have been because the universal view of everyone I talked to, and the local news was one of deep cynicism – the outcome is a foregone conclusion, most people don’t bother to vote, if you try to protest you will get beaten up – very depressing. The event itself was on a Sunday. My colleagues omitted to tell me that everything is closed on election day (apparently to stop riots) – including travel – so at first I wondered what was happening when I awoke to absolute silence – you may recall I am living in the middle of a 24x7 bus station – went out for a look and to buy some grub – nothing. I eventually found one bakery that was allowed to be open – let them eat cake I suppose being the philosophy – so I spent a very weird and hungry day strolling the streets, looking into the mainly empty polling stations. It is sad, because the country definitely needs a change of government. Roll on the revolution!

I had another fascinating evening discussing how prevalent witchcraft is here. I know it sounds a real cliché – but folk really do believe in this stuff. I was talking to an accountant and a lawyer so not uneducated or at all stupid. They were trying to convince me that I could be struck down by lightening on demand by the local shaman, or that he could make or stop rain (so why not stop the rainy season I wondered) and all sorts of very strange black magic related sexual beliefs which modesty stops me from retelling! Another tale related to one guys Dad who fell out with his neighbour, who then turned into a snake, bit him, he whacked the snake on the head with his stick – the next day his neighbour died of a head injury which he didn’t know how he had got! Its magic!

Last weekend was a very interesting one – sadly again revolving around death. This time it was the wake (overnight on the Friday, all night vigil, viewing of the deceased laid out in some splendour in an open coffin spiced with lots to eat and drink), funeral on the Saturday after a 3 hour church service – I am becoming quite an aficionado of gospel singing - then “cry die” Saturday night – more food and drink - until early Sunday morning. This was all for the aged mother of my boss’s wife – I had to go as a mark of respect. It was a huge affair, must have been around 200 people there – traditional dancing – loads of booze consumed – but not at all sad really, more of a party! Makes our funerals seem very tame affairs.

So that’s about it for this time apart from a brief mention of work – sorry to say the speed of implementation has not increased and I am now detecting a slight element of fear of change, they seem to find it very easy to putting things off until later. I am still confident we will succeed, but its all taking soooooo long.

Will probably leave my next news until after I get back from my UK trip (last two weeks in September), to see the grandchild!

I will finish by offering a prize of 1000 Fcfa to the first person who emails me the correct translation of the title of this piece – the only clue is that it is a legal phrase I found in some of the banks documentation!

See some of you in a few weeks

A bientot