CAMEROON'S SHORT IRON LADY WITH THE HEAD SCARF

WHAT IS KAH WALLA UP TO? By Tikum Mbah Azonga (This piece was first published on my other blog www.tmazonga.wordpress.comin November 2011) THE WORLD AS AN OYSTER Usually, when a major football tournament such as the African Nations` Cup takes place, it attracts experts from the world over, some of whom come to enjoy themselves and some of whom come in search of new talent which they can ultimately promote on the international scene. That is how some of the world`s leading footballers such as Roger Milla, George Weah and Eto`o Fils stars have come to have their names written in the golden book of records. KAH WALLA AS A CASE STUDY Undoubtedly, this short, diminutive but highly charismatic leader of the CPP party, Walla Edith Kabang, better known simply as “Kah Walla”, is one of the most outstanding discoveries at the Cameroonian presidential election held on the 9th of October 2011. Although Walla joined the race late after having slammed the door on her former party, the SDF, just at the eleventh hour, she has shown that she is an incontestable force to be reckoned with on the Cameroonian political scene. Of the 23 candidates who finally ran for president, Kah came sixth, the first five being in descending order of performance, Paul Biya (CPDM), John Fru Ndi (SDF), Garga Haman Adji (ADD), Adamou Ndama Njoya (CDU), and Ayah Paul (PAP). Yet, unlike the other candidates named above, Kah Walla is a new comer; an absolute beginner. It is also significant that of the three women who put in their bid for president, Walla is the one who has come this far. The next female candidate, Dang Esther, came well down on the league table at eleventh position. It is worth noting that Kah beat political old timers such as Ekane who came 14th, Ngo Fritz (15th), Kamgang (18th), Nyamndi (21st) and Tabi (22). PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER The first implication is that her place is assured among the political big wigs of the country. Even so, she clearly towers over the other candidates in that she has greater mastery of French and English which are the official languages of Cameroon. Being young, she can easily identify with and attract young people. The other factor of being the woman with the best results on the league table clearly puts her in a class of her own. At home, she attracts sympathizers, which is why according to vote results of Cameroonians in the Diaspora; she won in more countries than the veteran Opposition leader John Fru Ndi. VICTIM OF HER OWN SUCCESS? The one million dollar question is what exactly Kah Walla can do to boost her political standing in the country. Now that she lost the presidential election, she has three choices: either she joins Paul Biya`s CPDM in forming a Government of National Unity, or she forms an alliance with some other opposition parties, or she goes solo. Whatever she decides to do is entirely up to her. However, were she to accept a ministerial post from Paul Biya, such a move would neither be suicidal nor detrimental, contrary to what some observers appear to believe. Instead, she could use the opportunity to show the world that her party is capable of running a ministry according to the aspirations of the Cameroonian people. Nonetheless, the onus is on her.