Confidentiel – Presidential Election in Cameroon: Before declaring his candidacy, Paul Biya rejects the proposals of his communication advisor, Patricia Balme
Before resolving to come out of the wood via tweeter on July 12, the current tenant of the Palace of Unity has combined meetings, consensus and dissensus for three days. A statement that comes after the non application of the proposals of his communication advisor, Patria Balme.
It’s official. Paul Biya, 85, is a candidate in the presidential election of October 7th in Cameroon. Through his tweeter account, the opinion is at the top of this news since July 13th. According to our information, the decision made by the Head of State has not been easy. Our sources indicate that on the morning of July 11, 2018, we saw Patricia Balme at the Palace of Unity. « As the leader of the political communication consulting firm PB Com International, she came to see with the president’s aides what to do, when the electorate was already called, » says one. With these collaborators Paul Biya, the French journalist engaged in a delicate brainstorming.
The information that escapes indicates a long meeting at the General Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic. Relating to Patricia Balme’s observations, one source said the latter has gone on to show how « maintaining uncertainty about her decision is a proven strategy ». The bulk of another meeting held on July 12 was, in fact, structured around the propitious moment to declare the candidacy of the Lion-Man, so much was his candidacy in the eyes of public opinion. And among the strategists with varied profiles that Paul Biya has committed to work with Balme, it was clear that his candidacy is known in advance. Then remained the « good date of his announcement to create the surprise. » It was decided to wait for the solemnity created by the arrival of Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Chairperson of the African Union Commission.
In the corridors of the presidential palace, the information remained secret until the morning of July 13.
Sources indicate that to support his point of view, Balme argued that if the current political context matters, one must understand the framework of political communication. As a sign exchanged, the index prevails over the symbol, the objectification of the communication being reduced. In this case, it is tweeter that artificially recreates a contiguous and continuous context of communication and enhances the transmission of fleeting emotions.
Before that, in the morning of July 13, Balme, supported by other heads, elaborated the announcement message of the candidacy. This message, it is reported, was to help Paul Biya to be convincing about his project and his vision of Cameroon, to show it at the level of the issue and to give him the image he always had. to embody: that of a strong president, whose vision and foresight will enable him to hold the reins of the country for seven more years.
