The Parliament of Cameroon has adopted a constitutional amendment reintroducing the post of vice-president, a reform presented as a means of ensuring the continuity of the State but criticized by the opposition.
The bill was approved by a large majority during a joint session of the National Assembly and the Senate, both dominated by the ruling party. It stipulates that the vice-president automatically succeeds the head of state in the event of death, resignation, or incapacity.
This reform comes as President Paul Biya, aged 93, is the world’s longest-serving leader, in power since 1982.
Under the new provision, the vice-president will be directly appointed and dismissed by the president, and will serve for the remainder of the presidential term, set at seven years.
The government claims this measure aims to guarantee institutional stability in the event of a power vacuum. But for the opposition, it primarily represents a strengthening of executive power and a weakening of democratic checks and balances.
This reform takes place in a sensitive political context, marked by restrictions on public debate, particularly concerning the president's health.
With this constitutional amendment, the Cameroonian authorities seek to more strictly regulate succession at the top of the state, while fueling criticism of the concentration of power.
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