I talk about Cameroon's government system from executive to legislative and how elections work in the country.

1. March 9,
2020
The Government System of Cameroon
theweeklyrambler.com/the-government-system-of-cameroon/
Cameroon is a strangely-shaped country located between West and Central Africa with a
coast along the Gulf of Guinea. The country is bordered with six other countries which
are Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, Gabon and Equatorial
Guinea. The capital city Yaoundé is spread over seven hills in the south of the country.
Featured Image: Based on OCHA map. License.
The country was originally split between numerous peoples and chiefdoms before it
became a colony of the German Empire known as Kamerun or also called German
Cameroon. The result of World War 1 led to the territory being divided between France
and the United Kingdom. France attempted to quash the calls for independence on its
side but led to a war called the Bamileke War which eventually led to the French area of
Cameroon becoming independent in 1960. Southern Cameroons, the British side of
Cameroon, would re-unite with the formerly French-owned and now independent side in
1961 after a UN General Assembly vote forming the country as it is today.
The French and English sides have had tensions due to the English-speaking part of the
country wanting greater decentralization and even independence which has also led to
some conflict in 2017.
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2. Cameroon is a very diverse country with many ethnicities and languages. The official
languages are French and English but other recognised languages are Cameroonian
Pidgin English, Fula, Ewondo and Camfranglais. The largest ethnic group are the
Cameroonian Highlanders followed by Equatorial Bantu, other groups making up 10% or
more include Kirdi and Fulani. The largest religion is Christianity but there is also a large
number of Muslims. The country’s currency is the Central African CFA franc which it uses
alongside the Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea
and Gabon. Cameroon’s soaring population is estimated to reach 27,744,989 by July
2020 according to the CIA World Factbook
Government Type
Cameroon Coat of Arms
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3. Cameroon is a unitary democratic republic with a President who is both Head of State
and Head of Government and a bicameral parliament made up of an upper and lower
chamber that conducts legislative government. Multiple parties are allowed.
Executive Government
Unity Palace. (Presidential Palace). Photo byBorigue from Wikimedia. License.
The President as already stated is Head of State meaning he represents the country
abroad both diplomatically and through foreign affairs and he is Head of Government
meaning he forms and leads the executive government. If the President’s office becomes
vacant the order or precedent will have the President of the Senate act as interim
President and new elections will be called. If the Senate President cannot then by
precedent his Vice will. Interim government has very limited powers.
The President is Head of the Armed Forces, he appoints civil and military posts of the
State. He accredits ambassadors and envoys to foreign powers. The President can refer
matters to the Constitutional Council if needed. The President can pardon or grant
clemency after consultation with the Higher Judicial Council. The President can dissolve
the National Assembly for elections after consultation with the Government, National
Assembly and Senate, the President can also request for the National Assembly to
extend its term of office beyond 5-years due to serious crisis after consultation with the
President of the Constitutional Council, bureau of the National Assembly and Senate.
The President if needed can declare a state of emergency or siege giving him
extraordinary emergency powers.
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4. Although there is a Prime Minister who is stated as Head of Government, the position
has basically no power against the President and anyone who is Prime Minister can be
removed by the President at-will, the Prime Minister can be delegated chosen powers to
run executive government by the President. The Prime Minister is appointed by the
President normally from the largest party in the lower chamber (National Assembly) of
parliament after parliamentary elections.
The President appoints members of Government and of the Council of Ministers as
suggested by the Prime Minister. The President defines the duties of those appointed
and can terminate them from their position, the President presides over the Council of
Ministers. He can delegate some powers to ministers/government members and if
temporarily unavailable to do his job the President can delegate some of his powers to
the Prime Minister.
The Council of Ministers controls governing policy as determined by the President and
are responsible to the National Assembly (lower chamber of parliament). The Prime
Minister is tasked to direct its action and responsible for the enforcement of laws and
can appoint to civil posts subject to the prerogatives of the President. The Prime Minister
can also delegate some of his powers to members of Government and senior State
officials.
The President can change the names of and modify the geographical boundaries of
Regions and can also create other Regions.
The President assisted by the Higher Judicial Council will appoint members of the bench
and legal department for national courts such as the Supreme Court. The Constitutional
Councils 11 members are appointed/confirmed by the President, three including the
President of the Council are specifically appointed by the President of Cameroon, three
are chosen by the President of the Assembly after consultation with the chamber’s
Bureau, three by the President of the Senate after consultation with the chamber’s
Bureau and the final two by the Higher Judicial Council. These members serve for 6-year
terms and are eventually eligible to be re-appointed. Former Presidents of Cameroon will
also be made ex-officio members of the Constitutional Council for life.
The Higher Judicial Council is chaired by the President and includes the Minister of
Justice, selected magistrates as well as representatives from the National Assembly,
according to the CIA World Factbook.
The President can be impeached for high treason such as breaking the constitution etc.
First the President must be indicted by the National Assembly and Senate deciding
through an identical vote by open ballot and requiring a four-fifth majority to indict. The
President’s impeachment is decided by the Court of Impeachment.
Legislative Government
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5. Parliament building. Photo Public Domain.
The legislative government is made up of two chambers of parliament. The lower
chamber which is the National Assembly and the upper chamber which is the Senate.
The parliament introduces law bills, debates on them, amends them and rejects or
passes them. Law bills can be introduced by the President and by members of the
legislature. Bills passed by parliament will go to the President to be enacted into law, but
he can choose to send it back to ask for a second reading if he disagrees with the bill or
certain parts, in this case the bill will require an absolute majority instead of a simple
majority to pass again if unchanged, if passed again unchanged the President must enact
it, if the President still refuses to or leaves it tabled for a set-time then the President of
the Assembly can enact it instead.
An extraordinary session can be called in either house by the President or by a request
of one-third of members of the respective chamber.
The National Assembly is the lower chamber of parliament and has a set 180 elected
members but of which can be modified by law. After parliamentary elections the
members elect the President of the Assembly and the bureau of the National Assembly,
the President of the Assembly moderates debate and makes sure house rules are
followed. The National Assembly adopts the state budget, if problems arise in adoption
the President can extend the last budget by one-twelth until a new one is passed.
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6. A Chairman’s conference made up of Presidents of Parliamentary Groups, Chairmen of
Committees and members of the bureau of the National Assembly will draw up the
agenda of the National Assembly, a member of Government shall participate in this.
The government can put forth a motion of confidence on itself through a general policy
statement for example or the National Assembly can bring forth a vote of censure
against the government, requiring one-third of the members to bring forth this motion. If
an absolute majority of members vote against the governments confidence such as a
general policy statement then it is no-confidence in the government, censure being
passed requires a two-third vote in favour, either being passed requires the Prime
Minister and Government to resign. The President can reappoint the Prime Minister and
ask them to form a new government.
The Senate, the upper chamber of parliament which was only created in 2013 after the
2008 constitutional amendment changing the legislative system from unicameral to
bicameral, has a set 100 members which is 10 members from each region. After
parliamentary elections the President of the Senate is elected from among themselves
and has the same powers as the President of the Assembly in their respective chamber
but the position does rank above the President of the Assembly by order of precedence.
A Chairman’s conference also decides the Senates agenda in the same way as it does in
the National Assembly.
As well as introduce its own law bills the Senate also scrutinizes bills passed by the
National Assembly. They can amend and reject bills passed by the National Assembly. A
rejection of a bill from the National Assembly requires an absolute majority vote in the
Senate, an absolute majority vote to pass an unchanged bill again requires an absolute
majority in the National Assembly, ping-pong can result over amendments placed on
National Assembly bills by the Senate. If the National Assembly passes a bill rejected by
the Senate it goes straight to the President to be enacted. If the National Assembly is
unable to get an absolute majority to pass a bill rejected by the Senate then the
President can create a joint-commission.
The joint-commission will represent both houses equally and attempt to come to a
common formulation on the passages or texts of the bill that were rejected by the
Senate. If the joint-commission is unsuccessful then the President can either request the
National Assembly to make a final decision or he can declare the bill null and void.
The President can call a National Referendum on certain things such as constitutional
changes, bills to organize public authorities, bills to ratify international agreements or
treaties if they have particularly important consequences and certain reform bills
relating to laws on persons and property. The referendum is passed by simple majority.
Electoral System
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7. Map in Public Domain.
Presidential elections happen every 7-years to elect Cameroon’s president to a 7-year
term. A 2008 constitutional amendment seen as authoritarian allows a single person to
be elected president an unlimited number of times. The President is elected using a first-
past-the-post popular vote system with no required absolute majority.
Candidates for President must be Cameroonian from birth, enjoy civic and political rights
and must be at least 35-years or older.
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8. Parliamentary elections for the National Assembly and Senate are held every 5-years.
The 180 members of the National Assembly are directly elected from multi-seat
constituencies using a first-past-the-post system.
There appears to be no stated age or other requirements to be a member of the
National Assembly so it is assumed this is decided by legislation and so easily changed.
The 100 members of the Senate are elected from the country’s 10 regions, 10 from each,
7 of whom are elected by regional councils and 3 of whom are appointed by the
President.
Candidates for the Senate must be at least 40-years-old. No further requirements are
stated but citizenship is assumed.
To vote a person must be a citizen of Cameroon and be at least 20-years-old. Voting is
not mandatory. This appears to not be stated in the country’s constitution and so it is
assumed decided by legislation and easily changed, this information is from the CIA
World Factbook.
Sources
Most of my information is from Cameroon’s 1972 constitution with amendments through
to 2008 and so it should be as accurate as possible but cross-checking is important for
serious usage as the possibility remains that I may have misinterpreted some parts and
as well as that the constitution can change and so eventually this may become outdated.
Some information is got from the CIA World Factbook such as for cross-checking and
population.
The constitution can be changed at the request of the President or by at least one-third
of members of the National Assembly, passage requires an absolute majority and if the
President requests a 2nd reading then a two-third majority is needed. The President can
also put it up for National Referendum requiring a simple majority.
Next up will be the government system of Canada!
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