Yaounde — In yet another setback for democracy in Africa, Cameroon's parliament adopted a constitutional bill removing a two-term limit to allow President Paul Biya to extend his 25-year rule on Thursday, despite opposition to the extension which caused of riots that killed dozens of people in February.
The bill, submitted just a week ago, was approved on Tuesday by the assembly's constitutional law committee which dismissed more than 20 opposition amendments. Opposition lawmakers, who criticised the bill stormed out of the chamber before the vote, Reuters reported.
Biya's Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) enjoys a huge majority, controlling 153 of 180 parliamentary seats. The CPDM oversaw the introduction of a new constitution in 1996 which limited presidents to two seven-year terms. Biya's second term under that constitution expires in 2011, but he made it clear in a New Year speech that he would like to stay on.
Parliament members from the Social Democratic Front (SDF), the main opposition with 15 seats, walked out of the assembly in protest, saying parliament should not amend a constitution that emerged from cross-party negotiations in the early 1990s.
There was little visible reaction in the capital Yaounde, whose streets were empty late on Thursday due to heavy rain. A Reuters reporter saw members of Cameroon's military rapid reaction force patrolling parts of the city on Wednesday night.
"It is common knowledge that incumbent presidents in Africa use the government machinery and all the powers at their disposal to manoeuvre the electoral process," SDF parliamentary chief whip Joseph Barnadzem told reporters outside the chamber.
"To try now to amend this article only through the National Assembly, for us is tantamount to a hold-up," he said. CPDM chief whip Jean Bernard Ndongo Essomba said the bill, which also reduces presidential terms to five years, "will enhance democracy, maintain political stability, national unity and territorial integrity" of Cameroon.
"It is in tune with international accepted standards as practised in old democracies such as France and the United Kingdom. It therefore warrants the enthusiastic support of all Cameroonians of good faith," he said.
A number of African presidents have abolished two-term limits introduced in the 1990s in a wave of multi-party rule after the end of the Cold War. But efforts to do so in Nigeria, Zambia and Malawi have been blocked in recent years.
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!visit www.ko.org.za he has signed the worst he will account! we will scrab that and see cameroonians free in in their fatherland! Kamerun obosso! thanks for this!
The constitutional amendments which recently took place in Cameroon should be shouldered by the parliament which is made of a bunch of academic invalids. They are simply interested in how much money the embezzle. Many young and skilled cameroonians have left the country coz of the poor administration. We are getting used to this "shit" and are ready to live with it. Mr, Paul Biya should know that some of us already see him in jail. In a two-meter squared room. It will be smart enough to give up now coz u will never go free unless u 'DIE". And if u do "DIE" , u've got children who'll settle with "US". You can't run the coutry like ur personal property. You are there coz we are here. You have to dance on our rythm. The opposition leaders pee in their pants. Wat are your members of parliament doing in the 'glass house'? Well, the earlier u african leaders think twice, the better coz the wind will one day blow and the anus of the cock will be expose.
You are right. The parlaiment of cameroon is full of goons and illiterates. How can you explain the fact that most parliamentarians vote for bills, that their electorates reject, simply because those bills come from their parties? They are stupid and full of shit. They do not still know the difference between government and party. I will certainly not give them a lecture on this because they don't even read books. But some people who have a say and might read this, I have a recipe: Either, Parlaimentarians in Cameroon should be sent to school to study, Political science, sociology and law OR each parliamentary constituency should employ a university graduate to guid the stupid parliamentarians in their jobs. Afterall, they are paid much money to just say "Yes", Clap or sleep in Parliament. These folks are crazy! How could they vote for Biya to extend mandate? Everything is just so terrible. They even intoxicate the young Administrattors with these bad governance. I have a friend who just got posted after completing Cycle "A" at ENAM. We used to frown at government while reading political science together at University..The way he chats with me now is totally shocking. All of a sudden, everything is ok in Government, according to him. This must be a joke! Nothing good can come out of the Biya government!
This is definitely a recipe for trouble. I hope African Union is watching this carefully. Apparently, our African leaders never learn. I remember that I was in Elementary school when Biya started out. I am currently beyond post-graduate schools and have worked for a decade in-between schools and Biya is still there and still wants to continue being there. Is the Camerounian Government House his father's compound? Does he think there is no other capable Camerounian who can effectively govern that country?
Our leaders can be so selfish that they never learn from history. Liberia was in a bloody war for many years because General Doe would not quit. Ivory Coast caught the bug of civil war fundamentally because Houphet Boigny stayed longer than he should have. Congo was in trouble because of Mobutu. Zimbabwe is currently in trouble because of Mugabe and kenya just escaped by the skin of its teeth from civil war. How can the leaders of Africa be so dumb as not to be able to learn even our history-which they themselves lived through? This is very sad.
This is actually a shame and mockery to democracy.I am speechless and breathless as i write.People in my generation have watched this old generation rein our life. We have patiently waited for a natural democratic process to mathematically eliminate this evil regime by 2011. But yet the spin on the constitution now means this generation and our off springs will continue leaving in misery with no future. Worst of all a president being above the law means we do not only leave in misery but in constant fear. It is time for all Cameroons in the face of the earth experientially the youth (this generation) to take it as a point of responsibility to debate on this issue in order to get a lasting solution for it. We invite peace loving citizen of the world to advise us on this!
God bless.
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