Amidst opposition disapproval: Majority CPDM National Assembly claps through MPs’ mandate extension bill.

The bill was adopted Wednesday by the ruling CPDM-dorminated National Assembly. 

This was during a plenary sitting, which was chaired by the House Speaker, Rt Hon Cavaye Yeguie Djibril. 

The House Speaker was assisted during the session by the Secretary of the Bureau of the National Assembly, Hon Atangana Aligui epse Mendoua and the scribe of the legislative body, Essian André Noël. 

The plenary sitting kicked off with the presentation of the report of Bill No: 2061 by the Rapporteur of the Constitutional Laws Committee, Hon Emah Etoudi Vincent de Paul. 

The bill, it should be recalled, had been deemed admissible by the Chairmen's Conference that held at the Speaker's Cabinet, Saturday July 6.

It was later sent to the Constitutional Laws Committee for scrutiny and communicated to the entire House Chamber during a plenary sitting held same day. 

Minister Bolvin Wakata defends bill 

After the presentation of the report of the Constitutional Laws Committee, the House Speaker, Rt Hon Cavaye Yeguie Djibril, opened the floor for general debates. 

The Minister Delegate at the Presidency of the Republic in charge of Relations with the Assemblies, Bolvin Wakata, defended the bill. He responded to worries raised by nine MPs who took to the rostrum. 

Questions were asked by Honourables Ngo Issi Rolande, Nguenkam Marie Louise, Douvaouissa Aissa Hamadi, Nkodo Dang Roger, Njume Peter Ambang; Essomba Bengono Engelbert, Jiha Tankoua Epse Peyou, Ngalle Daniel Etongo and Osih Joshua. 

Minister Bolvin Wakata assured MPs that government will take all appropriate measures to ensure that the upcoming elections are organised unperturbed. 

After elaborate answers given to the people's representatives, Bill N°2061/PJL/AN, to extend the term of office of Members of the National Assembly from March 10, 2025, to March 30, 2026 was adopted by the National Assembly.

Gov’t justifies mandate extension 

The adopted bill has been heavily criticised by opposition politicians and civil society actors.

Many have described it as a smart move by the regime to technically knock out some politicians from the upcoming presidential election.

However, government has justified that the move is simply to ensure better organisation of the upcoming polls. 

As per the explanatory statement of the bill, the proposed extension, which has been adopted by the National Assembly, is “warranted by the need to lighten the electoral calendar, which provides for 4 (four) elections in 2025; namely the election of Members of the National Assembly and Municipal Councillors, as well as the election of the President of the Republic and Regional Councillors”. 

It further explained that “apart from the election of Regional Councillors, the other elections, which are direct ballots, require the deployment of substantial human, material and financial resources”. 

The bill further justifies that based on the aforementioned reasons, it is “judicious to spread the abovementioned elections over the years 2025 and 2026, so as to ensure better organisation”. 

The bill, it should be noted, was prepared pursuant to the provisions of Article 15 (4) of the Constitution, which states that: "In case of serious crisis, or where circumstances so warrant, the President of the Republic may, after consultation with the President of the Constitutional Council and Bureaux of the National Assembly and the Senate, request the National Assembly to decide, by a law, to extend or abridge its term of office".

Many have described the move from the government bench as a swift technical step in relation to the 2025 presidential election.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue No:3164 of Wednesday July 10, 2024