GOVERNMENT
The 1972 constitution (amended in 1996 and 2008) provides for a strong central government dominated by the executive. The president is empowered to name and dismiss cabinet members, judges, generals, provincial governors, prefects, sub-prefects, and heads of Cameroon's parastatal (about 100 state-controlled) firms, obligate or disburse expenditures, approve or veto regulations, declare states of emergency, and appropriate and spend profits of parastatal firms. The president is not required to consult the National Assembly.
The judiciary is subordinate to the executive branch's Ministry of Justice. The Supreme Court may review the constitutionality of a law only at the president's request.
The 180-member National Assembly meets in ordinary session three times a year (March-April, June-July, and November-December), and seldom makes major changes in legislation proposed by the executive. Laws are adopted by majority vote of members present or, if the president demands a second reading, of a total membership.
Following government pledges to reform the strongly centralized 1972 constitution, the National Assembly adopted a number of amendments in December 1995, which were promulgated in a new constitution in January 1996. The amendments called for the establishment of a 100-member Senate as part of a bicameral legislature, the creation of regional councils, and the fixing of the presidential term to 7 years, renewable once. One-third of senators would be appointed by the president, and the remaining two-thirds would be chosen by indirect elections. As of June 2008, neither the Senate nor the regional council had been created. In April 2008, the National Assembly acceded to constitutional changes proposed by the presidency that, inter alia, removed presidential term limits and provided the President with immunity from prosecution for acts committed while in office.
All local government officials are employees of the central government's Ministry of Territorial Administration, from which local governments also get most of their budgets.
While the President, the Minister of Justice, and the president's judicial advisers (the Supreme Court) top the judicial hierarchy, traditional rulers, courts, and councils also exercise functions of government. Traditional courts still play a major role in domestic, property, and probate law. Tribal laws and customs are honored in the formal court system when not in conflict with national law. Traditional rulers receive stipends from the national government.
The government adopted legislation in 1990 to authorize the formation of multiple political parties and ease restrictions on forming civil associations and private newspapers. Cameroon's first multiparty legislative and presidential elections were held in 1992. Because the government refused to consider opposition demands for an independent election commission, the three major opposition parties boycotted the October 1997 presidential election, which Biya easily won. Each of Cameroon's national elections has been marred by severe irregularities. In December 2000, the National Assembly passed legislation creating the National Elections Observatory (NEO), an election watchdog body. NEO played an active role in supervising the conduct of local and legislative elections in June 2002 and July 2007, which demonstrated some progress but were still hampered by irregularities. The NEO also supervised the conduct of the presidential election in October 2004, as did many diplomatic missions, including the U.S. Embassy. NEO reported that it was satisfied with the conduct of the election but noted some irregularities and problems with voter registration. The U.S. Embassy also noted these issues with the election, as well as reports of non-indelible ink, but concluded that the irregularities were not severe enough to impact the final result. The incumbent, Paul Biya, was re-elected with 70.92% of the vote. In December 2006, the President decreed the creation of Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), an independent body responsible for the organization, management and supervision of all election operations and referendums. The decree stipulated its creation by the end of June 2008. The U.S. Embassy provided monitors for the July 2007 parliamentary and municipal elections and concurred with the analysis of other observers and diplomatic missions, who noted some improvements but persistent flaws, especially in the registration of voters and the prevention of voter fraud (indelible ink).
Cameroon has a number of private newspapers, radio stations, and four private
television stations. Officially censorship was abolished in 1996, but the
government sometimes seizes or suspends newspapers. Mutations, a prominent
private French-daily newspaper in Cameroon, was seized on April 14, 2003 after
the paper published articles on "Life after Biya."
Since November 2007, the Ministry of Communication has stepped up harassment and arresting of journalists. In February 2008, the government closed Magic FM radio, a Voice of America (VOA) affiliate, and confiscated their equipment, which included VOA transmission equipment, and the same fate awaited Equinoxe Radio and Television after carrying controversial reports and critical commentaries about the regime. Journalists have been fired from their jobs for openly discussing the change of the constitution and the U.S. Ambassador's remarks requesting the government to reopen closed stations and to return U.S. Government equipment. The government also banned a popular song on the radio about constitutional change.
Radio and television continue to be a virtual monopoly of the state-owned
broadcaster, the Cameroon Radio-Television Corporation (CRTV). However, there
are two independent television stations and many more regional private radio
stations, although many are owned by or financed by parliamentarians, mayors, or
party officials.
Since the issuance of the decree authorizing the creation of private radio and television on April 3, 2000, only two stations have received a license from the government. On April 9, 2008 the Minister of Communication gave two television stations and one radio station until July 2008 to pay the remainder of their license fee or be shut down. Most media houses have applied and are currently operating while their applications are pending. The private radio stations broadcasting in Yaounde, Douala, Bafoussam, Bamenda, and Limbe continue to broadcast, and their existence is tolerated by the government. There are a dozen community radio stations supported by the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) which are exempted from licenses and have no political content. Radio coverage extends to about 80% of the country, while television covers 60% of the territory.
The Cameroon Government's human rights record has generally improved, although it remains deeply flawed, including significant problems over the past year. There continue to be reported abuses, including beatings of detainees, arbitrary arrests, and illegal searches. Journalists continue to be intimidated, threatened and arrested when discussing subjects considered sensitive by the Cameroonian Government. The judiciary is frequently corrupt, inefficient, and subject to political influence. Corruption is a major problem, although the government has recently arrested several prominent officials for corruption.
Principal
Government Officials
President--Paul Biya
President of the National Assembly--Djibril Cavaye Yeguie
Prime Minister--Ephraim Inoni
Ambassador to the United States--Joseph Bienvenu Charles Foe Atangana
Ambassador to the United Nations--vacant
Cameroon
maintains an embassy in the United States at 2349 Massachusetts
Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel.: 202-265-8790).
Type: Republic; strong central government dominated by president.
Independence: January 1, 1960 (for areas formerly ruled by France) and October 1, 1961 (for territory formerly ruled by Britain).
Constitution: June 2, 1972, last amended in 2008.
Branches: Executive--president (chief of state), 7-year term; appointed prime minister (head of government). Legislative--unicameral National Assembly (180 members, 6-year terms; meets briefly three times a year--March, June, November); a new Senate was called for under constitutional changes made in early 1996. Judicial--falls under the executive's Ministry of Justice.
Administrative subdivisions: 10 provinces, 58 departments or divisions, 349 subprefectures or subdivisions.
Political parties: Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) or its predecessor parties have ruled since independence. Major opposition parties: the Social Democratic Front (SDF), the National Union for Democracy and Progress (NUDP), and the Cameroon Democratic Union (CDU).
Suffrage: Universal at 20.
