Abstract

The paper looks at the process of democratization in Cameroon and its failure to respond to the basic tenets of democracy that meets the aspirations of the people. It argues that though there have been some quasi moves following the collapse of the Soviet Union in trying to open the political space, this has been done to meet donors wish and not in the genuine interest of the people. Hence both internal forces have stifled the democratic process with the compliancy of the international community.  It goes further to question whether there is hope for Cameroon and the rest of the continent to claim the 21^st century. The focus is on examining the return of Cameroon to the democratic fold of nations following the collapse of the dominant one-party system. To what extent has the process of the newfound political pluralism been of potential reward to improving the quality of livelihood of the people and empowering them in the political process? In short, the paper looks at the process of political evolution and the reformation of the country's institution to make democracy more participative and responsive to the needs of the people in respect of a number of inter-related issues that can improve the quality of the living standards of the vast majority of the population. It adopts a comparative analytical approach and argues that women need better representation in the decision-making machinery and political hierarchy of the government and party. The conclusion is that sustainable political development should build on the principles of inclusion.

Keywords: Democratisation, participation, exclusion, inclusion, ethnic hegemony, political divide, marginalisation, dictatorship, liberalism, poverty, ruling class, competition, exploitation. Rigging