Looking sick and frail, President Paul Biya of Cameroon, 4th longest serving leader in the world.
The March session of Parliament convened by a bureau order signed by the National Assembly Speaker on Monday February 29, would be stormy and would be unlike others in recent times.
We have been reliably informed that the session, convened for Thursday, March 10, would traditionally begin with the constitution of the assembly bureau before serious business intended to change the democratic shape of the country is introduced.
We have been reliably informed that the session, convened for Thursday, March 10, would traditionally begin with the constitution of the assembly bureau before serious business intended to change the democratic shape of the country is introduced.
Our source hinted that the exercise of reconstituting bureau members is likely to see the injection of some new blood towards changing the geo-political balance of power in the country.
Our informant suggested that Cavayé Yéguié Djibril, who has been speaker of the house for more than 20 years, could lose the position to a much younger and dynamic Member of Parliament, while 82-year-old Senate President, Marcel Niat Njifenji, who has reportedly not been in a good state of health lately, may be dropped altogether.
President Paul Biya who has been out of the country since February 23, is reported as holding high level consultations with some political bigwigs of the system to have their input on the options he has planned.
President Paul Biya who has been out of the country since February 23, is reported as holding high level consultations with some political bigwigs of the system to have their input on the options he has planned.
One of such personalities is the Sultan of Foumban, who’s also CPDM senator, Ibrahim Mbombo Njoya. He is reported to have left the country on the same day as Biya and some media reports say both met recently in Paris, France. They allegedly discussed the upcoming changes to take place in Parliament and Senate.
Our source hinted that even though Biya may not be back in the country before the March parliament opens, the 83-year-old leader has already endorsed the tabling of a bill that will amend the constitution of Cameroon.
Our source also hinted that there will come a sweeping cabinet reshuffle once the session ends and the constitution is amended.
Our source also hinted that there will come a sweeping cabinet reshuffle once the session ends and the constitution is amended.
It should be noted that a revision of the constitution in 2008 triggered bloody clashes in major cities across the country. That revision scrapped presidential term limits which is what we learn this session of parliament would be expected to re-introduce.
Going by our presidential source, the bill would seek to amend article 6 (3) of the constitution to give the President powers to call early presidential polls. This, our informant said will take place before the women’s Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, holding in Cameroon, beginning November 19, this year.
As soon as that is done, President Biya, we learnt, would go ahead to announce the precise date for a precipitated election by October 2016.
The bill to amend the constitution expected to be tabled in parliament would also touch on the reduction of mandates from the current seven years unlimited terms, to five years with the precision, “renewable once.”
The introduction of a single ballot for all the candidates in presidential elections, the widely-clamoured two-round voting system practiced in most democracies around the world and the re-introduction of the post of Vice President, which is highly believed to be a bait to placate Anglophones, are also expected to be part of the constitution revision project.
The introduction of a single ballot for all the candidates in presidential elections, the widely-clamoured two-round voting system practiced in most democracies around the world and the re-introduction of the post of Vice President, which is highly believed to be a bait to placate Anglophones, are also expected to be part of the constitution revision project.
Information we gathered also indicates that there are serious considerations about revising the sections of the constitution and the electoral code which fix voting age in Cameroon at 20. According to our sources, the amendment would aim to step down voting age to 18 years.
The planned re-introduction of the office of vice president, The Journal learnt, is to appease Anglophones. According to sources, the development would mean that should Biya finally give in to ‘pressure’ to seek re-election at the next presidential election as calls for him to do so galore, his running mate would be an Anglophone. Details about what will become of the post of Prime Minister are still sketchy.
Already, there are growing speculations that the decision by the Biya regime to call early presidential polls have been prompted by fears that a new French president, expected to emerge after the April 2017 presidential election may prove hostile to another term for the Cameroon leader who by 2017 would have clocked 35 long years in power.
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