Both politicians were not present to wish a Happy New Year to President of the Republic, although they were invited.

Their absence did not go unnoticed this January 5th, 2016 at the Unity Palace. Paul Biya, traditionally received the New Year wishes from the Diplomatic Corps and the National Constituent Bodies. During the second phase of the ceremony, broadcasted live on the airwaves of CRTV, the state television, viewers were able to realize that Ni John Fru Ndi and Maurice Kamto did not presente their wishes to the Head of State.

Yet both politicians, like all presidents of political parties represented in the National Assembly, were invited. The leader of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), reached by telephone by mutations confirms receiving his invitation. “But health concerns, specifically eye problems prevented me from making the move,” said the historical opponent in the columns of the newspaper’s edition of January 6th.

If the absence of Fru Ndi at the Etoudi’s palace is consecutive to his health concerns, that’s not the case for the presence of Maurice Kamto which is on another reason. “The National President (Maurice Kamto, Editor’s note) received an invitation, but is not in Cameroon right now,” explained to Mutations Emmanuel Simh, the first vice president of the Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon (MRC).

Difficult to believe that the associate professor of law would allegedly go to shake hands with Paul Biya if he had had been in the country. “In the past, he was also invited but he did not go to the Palace,” recognizes Emmanuel Simh. The opposite of his comrade of the opposition, John Fru Ndi who visited the Unity Palace every year since 2010 and the meeting with Biya in Bamenda on the sidelines of the celebrations marking the fiftieth anniversaries of arm forces.