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Cameroon: Constitutional Amendment - Government Proposed Innovations
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Cameroon Tribune (Yaoundé)
7 April 2008
Posted to the web 7 April 2008
Emmanuel Kendemeh
The government bill to amend and supplement some provisions of the law N° 96/6 of 18 January 1996 to amend the constitution of 2 June 1972, was tabled during a plenary sitting of the National Assembly last Friday, 4 March 2008. The innovations concern articles 6, 14, 15, 51, 53 and 67.
President's term of office:
Article 6 paragraph 2 of the 1996 constitution provided that the President of the Republic is elected for a seven -year term of office renewable once. The bill government tabled in Parliament on Friday proposes that the President of the Republic be elected for a seven-year term of office but the incumbent is eligible for re-election.
Presidential election in case of vacancy:
Article 6 paragraph 4 of the 1996 constitution provides that in case the office of the President of the Republic becomes vacant, the election of the new President has to be organised in not less than 20 days and not more than 40 days. The bill tabled in Parliament proposes that the time frame for the election of the new President of the Republic in case of vacancy, should be not less than 20 days and not more than 120 days after the office becomes vacant.
Ordinary sessions of Parliament:
Article 14 paragraph 3 (a) of the 1996 Constitution provides that Parliament meets in ordinary session in the months of March, June and November each legislative year. The innovation government has tabled in Parliament takes the Senate into consideration. The amendment proposed is that both Parliament and the Senate shall meet on the same dates.
Members of National Assembly:
In Article 15 paragraph 4, the government has proposed that the new time frame for the election of a new Assembly in case of serious crisis necessitating the extension or abridgement of the term of office of Members of the National Assembly. Such an election has to take place not less than 20 days and not more than 120 days following the expiry of the extension or abridgement period. This is an innovation from the time frame in the 1996 constitution which is not less than 20 days and not more than 40 days.
Constitutional Council:
In article 51, the government has proposed the harmonisation of the term of office of members of the Constitutional Council with those of other State elected or designated organs. The term of office drops from nine years to six years non-renewable.
Court of Impeachment:
Article 53 paragraph 1 proposes that the Court of Impeachment shall have jurisdiction, in respect of acts committed in their exercise of the their functions to try: the President of the Republic for high treason; the Prime Minister, members of government and persons ranking as such and senior government officials to whom powers have been delegated for conspiracy against the security of the State. Paragraph 2 of the same article proposes that the President of the Republic shall be indicted only by the National Assembly and the Senate.
Election of Senators:
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The government in Article 67 paragraph 6 proposes that the electoral college for the election of Senators where the Senate is put in place before the Regions shall be exclusively Municipal Councillors.
Mr Paul Biya and his MPS should be aware of the strike last month before taking decision on constitutional amendments.Mr Biya you should be 100% times ashame of your self to suggest that you will not be taking to court even when you step down,considering the fact that cameroon is a peaceful country,how can the president of a peaceful country be taken to court?"IDIOT". I want to sound the last warning to the hand clappers so call MPS that they should know that while in YAounde your families are with us here back at home and incase of... [Read Full Text]
My heart beats as I have had no sleep since I read about the move made by the government in introducing the bill on constitutional ammendment. Can we be serious for once? Why is it that president Biya with all what he has gathered from the nation wants now to throw it into a civil war? He has all the wealth to escape with his entire village and fund their living in a foreign land till the end of his days but let him know that even super wealthy ex-presidents like Mobutu of Congo(ZAIRE) couldn't turn back... [Read Full Text]
Country People, So it was true? I thought Biya and co. were playing their usual cards.Yes, the bill about the ammendment of article 6/2 has been tabled and so the declaration of uncertainty of this peace loving nation has been tabled.Cameroonians are not watching it with closed eyes nor sitting down.In science we say actions and reactions are equal in magnitude but opposite in directions.The action here is towards the National Assembly and the reaction will be perpendicular to the point of action.Yes, perpendicular nationwide. "How foolish shall we be fooooolish if we keep being foooooooolish".However, a foolish-man... [Read Full Text]
either CPDM or OPPOSITION the so called law makers in cameroon should knwo that they will not only kill the poor peasants but their own children if they swallow the bait President Biya is temting them with .It is only when his colleague disagree with him that we know the person is corrupt.The house should ask him of the money he recover from his ANTI-CORRUPTION war and where is the CRUDE OIL ACCOUNT for cameroon?
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