Social Democratic Front Front social démocrate | |
|---|---|
.svg) | |
| Abbreviation | SDF |
| President | Joshua Osih |
| Founder | Ni John Fru Ndi |
| Founded | 26 May 1990; 35 years ago (1990-05-26) |
| Headquarters | Bamenda,Cameroon (de jure) Yaoundé, Cameroon (de facto) |
| Youth wing | Social Democratic Front Youth |
| Ideology | Social democracy[1] Federalism Anglophone interests |
| Political position | Centre-left |
| International affiliation | Socialist International Progressive Alliance |
| Colors | Green |
| Slogan | Demócratie, Justice, Dévéloppement ("Democracy, Justice, Development") |
| Senate | 1 / 100 |
| National Assembly | 5 / 180 |
| Party flag | |
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| Website | |
www | |
TheSocial Democratic Front (SDF;French:Front social démocrate) is the main opposition party ofCameroon. It was led byNi John Fru Ndi from its foundation until his death in 2023, and receives significant support from theAnglophoneSouthwest andNorthwest Regions.
The SDF was launched inBamenda on May 26, 1990 in opposition to the rulingCameroon People's Democratic Movement; following the launching rally, six people were killed by security forces. The party held its Constitutive Assembly on February 3, 1991 and elected its National Executive Committee.[2] The party refused to sign the Tripartite Declaration of November 1991, and it chose to boycott theMarch 1992 parliamentary election, along with theDemocratic Union of Cameroon, due to the government's failure to meet opposition demands, which included the establishment of an independent electoral commission to oversee the election.[3] However, the party announced at its May 1992 national convention that it would take part in the presidential election later that year.[4] Fru Ndi, the SDF candidate in theOctober 1992 presidential election, received about 36% of the vote against about 40% for incumbent PresidentPaul Biya, according to official results.[5] The SDF believes he was denied victory "at gunpoint". He has now been largely criticized in the national press for moving residence toYaoundé.[citation needed]
The SDF won 43 seats in theNational Assembly in theMay 1997 parliamentary election,[2][6][7] receiving its best results inNorthwest Province, where it won 19 out of 20 seats; it also won a majority of seats inWest Province, with 15 out of 25.[7] It chose to boycott theOctober 1997 presidential election, along with theNational Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP) and theCameroon Democratic Union (UDC).[6] In theJune 2002 parliamentary election, the SDF won 22 seats;[8][9][10][11] it won one of these seats in a revote held for some constituencies on 15 September.[10] Although the party lost nearly half its seats in the 2002 election, it still dominated in Northwest Province, where it again won 19 out of 20 seats.[11]
In thepresidential election held on 11 October 2004, Fru Ndi stood again as the SDF candidate and won 17.4% of the vote according to official results, far behind Biya.[12] In theJuly 2007 parliamentary election, the SDF won 14 out of the 163 initially declared seats,[9] and it won a further two seats (out of 17 at stake) in constituencies where the election was held over again in September, thus winning a total of 16 out of 180 seats.[13] These additional seats were crucial, because the SDF could not form a parliamentary group unless it had at least 15 seats.[14] The party's electoral success remained largely confined to the Northwest Province, where it again won a majority of seats, with 11 out of 20.[15]
The SDF strongly opposed a constitutional amendment allowing Biya to run for president again in 2011. Its deputies boycotted the April 2008 parliamentary vote in which the amendment was approved, and it subsequently called for a "day of mourning" in which people were to wear black and stay home.[16]
One key alliance is between the SDF and the femaleTakembeng mobilizations. These women provide protection for SDF officials and a key presence at SDF demonstrations.[17]
The party is a full member of theSocialist International[18] andProgressive Alliance.[19]
| Election | Party candidate | Votes | % | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | John Fru Ndi | 1,066,602 | 36.0% | Lost N |
| 1997 | Boycotted | |||
| 2004 | John Fru Ndi | 654,066 | 17.40% | LostN |
| 2011 | 518,175 | 10.71% | LostN | |
| 2018 | Joshua Osih | 118,706 | 3.36% | LostN |
| 2025 | 55,841 | 1.21% | LostN | |
| Election | Party leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Position | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | John Fru Ndi | Boycotted | 0 / 180 | Extra-parliamentary | |||
| 1997 | 685,689 | 23.5% | 43 / 180 |  43 | 2nd | Opposition | |
| 2002 | 22 / 180 |  21 |  2nd | Opposition | |||
| 2007 | 425,435 | 13.6% | 16 / 180 | 6 | 2nd | Opposition | |
| 2013 | 508,901 | 12.6% | 18 / 180 | 2 | 2nd | Opposition | |
| 2020 | 5 / 180 | 13 | 3rd | Opposition | |||
(in English)| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
