Constitutional reform: Senator Rene Ze Nguele says meant to suit interests of few.

Senator Ze Nguele, 89, raised the concerns during a general debate on the bill during the Congress of Parliament at the National Assembly, last Saturday.

The fearless lawmaker, who is eldest Senator, also questioned the timing of the review. He asked whether the decision to review the fundamental law of the land is necessary on the eve of major local elections. 

“…this bill raises a number of questions for me. The first is: Is this the right time to amend the Constitution? Is this amendment to the Constitution appropriate? Is it necessary,”? he questioned. 

The former member of government and eldest member of the upper House of Parliament, said the “Constitutional amendment is neither timely nor necessary”.

He told his colleagues and members of government at the Congress of Parliament that the move to amend the Constitution is “suspicious”.

“The manner in which we are rushing over the reform is suspicious. It is suspicious because it comes just a few months before major elections in our country,” he stated.

He said if the Head of State wants a Vice President, he should open up on why he wants one and outline the duties of the person. 

Ze Nguele also condemned the provision that the Head of State can appoint a Vice President and fire when he wants.

“No! It cannot go like that. It means there are certain things which are hidden. Let the text be put on hold and brought back to us when we have rested enough and gone through it,” he said. 

Senator Ze Nguele said: “When the Constitution is amended on the eve of elections, it is generally for political reasons to gain an advantage”. 

He warned government against amending the Constitution to “suit the interests of the moment or the interests of a particular group of people”.

He insisted that a Constitutional amendment should rather be for “public interest, and in the best interests of the nation”. 

Ze Nguele, who once challenged President Biya to the post of CPDM National President, went further to state that the current Constitutional amendment has failed to “serve the best interests of the nation”. 

The lawmaker was categorical that the Constitutional amendment “risks undermining our institutions; it risks creating unnecessary tensions in our country, which already has so many problems to resolve”.

To further buttress his point on the many problems the country is facing, the lawmaker cited the conflict in the North West and South West Regions, the fight against Boko Haram in the Far North Regions, the high cost of living, and youth unemployment”.

He said the focus of the government should be on addressing the “real problems facing Cameroonians” and “not amending the Constitution”. 

“That is why, Mr President [President of Congress of Parliament], I will not be voting in favour of this bill. I urge my colleagues to do the same, for the sake of history, for our country, and for future generations,” he stated. 

He concluded that as lawmakers, they are at the service of the country and not otherwise. “The manipulation of institutions, polls, are illnesses that are killing African countries…,” he stated. 

Senator Rene Ze Nguele, it should be recalled, had during the CPDM Congress in September 2011, ahead of that year’s presidential election, nominated himself to challenge Biya as CPDM party National President. 

The politician had said the office of President of the Republic and National President of the CPDM, are too heavy for one man to manage. The elite of the East Region, once served as Minister of National Education and Minister of Public Service.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3752 of Monday April 06, 2026