In Cameroon, following last Saturday’s constitutional revision that introduced a vice-president post, senators on Tuesday, April 7, approved a law amending the electoral code. Among the measures, the 18-month limit on extending the mandates of municipal councilors has been removed, meaning their terms can now be indefinitely prolonged by presidential decree. Legislative elections have already been postponed to 2027.
Opposition parties are taking steps to denounce these developments. On his Facebook page, former minister and October presidential candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who has been living in exile in Gambia since November, addressed Cameroonians living abroad in a letter posted Tuesday. He urged them to « mobilize in a coordinated way and work in synergy, » denouncing « anti-democratic maneuvers » and « tailor-made constitutional amendments to please » President Paul Biya.
Maurice Kamto, leader of the opposition Mouvement pour la Renaissance du Cameroun (MRC), launched an online petition against what he calls “the ongoing constitutional and institutional coup in Cameroon.” These initiatives have been criticized by the presidential camp. Patrick Rifoe, communications officer for the ruling Rassemblement Démocratique du Peuple Camerounais (RDPC), described critics as “followers of an ineffective ministry of speech” or “gloomy owls,” asserting that their calls will not be heeded. He added: “A large majority of Cameroonians see no surprise in the Parliament passing a law establishing a constitutional succession, allowing a vice-president to finish the term. It is no secret that the president himself came to power as the constitutional deputy of President Ahidjo. So, returning—through a minor constitutional adjustment—to the situation between 1978 and 1982 should come as no surprise.”
“This is not acceptable to Cameroonians,” said Emmanuel Simh, vice-president of Maurice Kamto’s MRC. “If people claim Cameroonians are satisfied, the only way to verify it would have been a referendum. Citizens do not understand that the president could designate his successor, who could serve as president for the remainder of the term without being elected. Only RDPC members can make such claims, and I doubt they even believe them themselves.”
Simh also noted that there are no calls for public mobilization, given that opposition demonstrations are systematically banned and suppressed. Within civil society, consultations are currently underway.
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