Impact of Election Boycotts on the Democratic Process in Cameroon: A Philosophical Appraisal

Since the re-launch of multi-party politics in Cameroon in the 1990s, there has been an increasing incidence of election boycotts by opposition parties especially when the possibility of fair and free competition is ruled out. This chapter critically appraises the influence of election boycotts on the democratic process in Cameroon. The effort to indigenize democracy must trace its roots from the pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial era. On a positive note, election boycotts could be justifiable as a bargaining strategy to cajole the electorate, break down the electoral process, influence regime alternation and enhance democracy. No matter the reasons for election boycotts or voter apathy, the findings of this chapter reveal that election boycotts in Cameroon have decelerated the democratic process, instituted a single-party-state, facilitated the consolidation of power by one man and fanned ethnic politics. In fact, any form of exclusion from elections is a risky political strategy because as Plato intimates, one of the penalties for not participating in politics is that you end up being governed by idiots or your inferiors. This chapter employs a philosophical analytic style. It concludes that even an unequal participation in elections is more rewarding than boycotting which freely hands over victory to one’s political rival. Only a credible and independent electoral body that respects norms and principles can salvage Cameroon democracy from the long-term and destructive effects of election boycotts.