Britain has voted to leave the European Union in a referendum, with the result throwing into question the fate of the 28-nation bloc and Prime Minister David Cameron announcing he will step down by October. The official Brexit results were announced on Friday with the Leave campaign receiving 52 percent in Thursday’s historic referendum.
Cameron, who had backed the campaign to remain in the EU, said the British people made “a very clear decision to take a different path”. The economy is already seeing some signs of shrinks. During the vote, the UK’s currency, Sterling, was in freefall. It dropped to its lowest level since 1985, dipping to $1.34 on Friday, falling 10 percent from the 2016 high of $1.50 hit just hours earlier.
However, this has encouraged Scotland whose first minister has said a second independence referendum is “highly likely” after the UK voted to leave the EU. Nicola Sturgeon said it was “democratically unacceptable” that Scotland faced the prospect of being taken out of the EU against its will. She said the Scottish government would begin preparing legislation to enable another independence vote. Scotland voted in favour of the UK staying in the EU by 62% to 38%.
What could have triggered such a response from the Britons opting out of the Union? BaretaNews thinks that the politics of fear drove the campaign. One political pundit Ayuk Tambe beautifully wrote ” I have no preference. Europe unites or Europe disintegrate doesn’t really matter to me. As my loyalty is first to Cameroon, Africa and then the World last. My concern is the motives for the whole victory. It’s a sad day when the majority of a nation adhere or associate with xenophobic tendencies. we must not be always united. But fear of immigrants shouldn’t be the driving force for any major decision such as this. The leave campaign by playing on fears of refugees, immigrants, turkey swung the vote. By endorsing their victory I feel we are endorsing that motive. because if it was just economics, security, prosperity, there was no reason to change the status quo “…Tambe lamented.
BaretaNews agrees with Ayuk that the politics of fear took the centre stage in this Brexit Referendum. The British people dished off all economic and otherwise reasons from the REMAIN camp and went with the fear as propagated by the LEAVE camp. BaretaNews recalls that in 1961 referendum in the Southern Cameroons, Southern Cameroonians refused to listen to the voice of reason from the Endeley’s camp. They succumbed to the politics of fear preached by Foncha’s camp due to the Nigerian Factor. They preached what the people most often wanted to hear, we recalled that the fear of Nigeria dominance and maltreatments Southern Cameroonians received from the hands of Nigerians during the brief Union with Nigeria swung the 1961 plebiscite vote in favour of joining La Republique. Today, we can reason with Endeley why it was important to stay with Nigeria in a loose federation.
That is politics. The politicians set the agenda and use what the people fear most. It is rather unfortunate. He who crafts a good message wins the people. We live unfortunately in a world where we have attached too much sensitivity in the way we operate. We pick and choose when to be and not to be. The truth is the world can never be straight. To function as complete humans we need all views and none is wrong. We only make it wrong based on our own ideologies.
The Brexit referendum sends big waves across the world. Would Europe be the same again? BaretaNews thinks that things will change. Already, Donald Trump US Presidential candidate who also practices the politics of fear in terms of his strong immigration, economic and border policies might benefit from the Brexit. He had earlier supported Brexit. This morning on his Facebook page, he gave a strong statement which could turn the political tides in the US. He wrote:
” The people of the United Kingdom have exercised the sacred right of all free peoples. They have declared their independence from the European Union and have voted to reassert control over their own politics, borders and economy. A Trump Administration pledges to strengthen our ties with a free and independent Britain, deepening our bonds in commerce, culture, and mutual defense. The whole world is more peaceful and stable when our two countries – and our two peoples – are united together, as they will be under a Trump Administration. Come November, the American people will have the chance to re-declare their independence. Americans will have a chance to vote for the trade, immigration and foreign policies that put our citizens first. They will have the chance to reject today’s rule by the global elite, and to embrace real change that delivers a government of, by and for the people. I hope America is watching, it will soon be time to believe in America again ” . It is evident that when Americans are afraid, they always vote for the hard choice. Donald Trump might just be the next United States President. The politics of fear is at centre stage.
However, how does the Britain Referendum played on the legality of Southern Cameroons Referendum on 11th February 1961? Some political pundits are fast to say the union between Southern Cameroons and La Republique is legal and bounded. No such thing exist. The 11th February 1961 Referendum in Southern Cameroons was a matter of expressions. The people expressed their desire to join La Republique in a Federation. There were series of things that needed to take place to make the Union legal and formal. None of that took place till now as I write.
Let us take the Britain example who just voted yesterday, June, 23rd 2016. Britain voted to leave the EU. The vote from the Britons is a matter of expression which started the process of leaving the EU. The break is not immediate. As of now, till all formal and legal processes are complete, Britain remains part of the EU and EU Laws applies though the people have voted to leave. There are a number of things that Britain must do to make the breakaway legal and formal such as activating article 50 in the EU constitution which stipulated on how a member state should leave the EU. If Britain fails to do that and eventually leaves and start doing things differently, the June 23rd votes remains a matter of political expressions from the Britons and makes leaving the EU illegal and not formal. Legally Britain could be challenged in court and could still be considered as part of EU.
This is just to highlight the fact that, though Southern Cameroons voted to join Cameroun, Southern Cameroons, and Cameroun did not meet the legal requirements to formalized the Union according to United Nation charter. Thus, the Union between Southern Cameroons and La Republique Du Cameroun remains illegal, not formal and just a matter of political convenience. Some political pundits have challenged the Biya’s regime to call for a referendum to test the state of the “Union” after 50+ years so-called Reunification
Well, as Tapang Ivo, Cameroon’s activist and security analyst concluded ” But why should I care if the UK stays in EU or not? Why should I fear about for fate of their history, economy, culture, and trade relations? Do they also care about a progressive and peaceful Africa? Isn’t David Cameron — the UK prime Minister, the one who armed NATO in destroying and shredding prospects of peace, security and growth in North Africa’s Libya? What goes around, comes around. Like Vladimir Putin, I pick my fights and mind my own business.”
God is still saying something.
