Editing Politics of Cameroon

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{{Politics of Cameroon}}
The '''politics of Cameroon''' takes place in the context of an [[electoral autocracy]] where multi-party elections have been held since 1992, the ruling party wins every election, and [[Paul Biya]] has been president since 1982.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Letsa |first=Natalie Wenzell |date=2024 |title=Partisanship and Political Socialization in Electoral Autocracies |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/partisanship-and-political-socialization-in-electoral-autocracies/6447701E63C239B8B2AD00F250E280E1 |journal=American Political Science Review |language=en |pages=1–16 |doi=10.1017/S0003055424000261 |issn=0003-0554|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Letsa |first=Natalie Wenzell |date=2020 |title=Expressive Voting in Autocracies: A Theory of Non-Economic Participation with Evidence from Cameroon |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/expressive-voting-in-autocracies-a-theory-of-noneconomic-participation-with-evidence-from-cameroon/0713D238645120917BEE36F29E62A7D5 |journal=Perspectives on Politics |language=en |volume=18 |issue=2 |pages=439–453 |doi=10.1017/S1537592719001002 |issn=1537-5927}}</ref> Since Cameroon's independence in 1960, it has been a single-party state and ruled only by two presidents: [[Ahmadou Ahidjo]] and Paul Biya.<ref name=":0">{{Citation |last=Harkness |first=Kristen A. |title=Cameroon: The Military and Autocratic Stability |date=2020 |encyclopedia=Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Politics |url=https://oxfordre.com/politics/display/10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.001.0001/acrefore-9780190228637-e-1800 |language=en |doi=10.1093/acrefore/9780190228637.013.1800 |isbn=978-0-19-022863-7}}</ref> Political opposition are repressed and elections are manipulated in favor of the ruling party.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Gramer |first=Jefcoate O'Donnell, Robbie |date=2024-03-26 |title=Cameroon's Paul Biya Gives a Master Class in Fake Democracy |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/10/22/cameroons-paul-biya-gives-a-master-class-in-fake-democracy/ |website=Foreign Policy |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022 |title=Cameroon: Freedom in the World 2022 Country Report |url=https://freedomhouse.org/country/cameroon/freedom-world/2022 |website=Freedom House |language=en}}</ref>

Nominally, it is a [[unitary republic|unitary]] [[presidential system|presidential]] republic, whereby the [[President of Cameroon]] is both [[head of state]] and [[head of government]], and of a [[multi-party system]]. A prime ministerial position exists and is nominally head of government, implying a [[Semi-presidential republic|semi-presidential]] system, although de facto only serves to assist the president. [[Executive power]] is exercised by the government. [[Legislative power]] is vested in both the [[Forms of government|government]] and the [[National Assembly of Cameroon]].

==Political background==
The government adopted legislation in 1997 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 followed by municipal elections in 1996 and another round of legislative and presidential elections in 1997. 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. The leader of one of the opposition parties, [[Bello Bouba Maigari]] of the [[National Union for Democracy and Progress (Cameroon)|NUDP]], subsequently joined the government.

Cameroon has a number of independent newspapers. Censorship was abolished in 1996, but the government sometimes seizes or suspends newspapers and occasionally arrests journalists. Although a 1990 law authorizes private radio and television stations, the government has not granted any licenses as of March 1998.

The Cameroonian Government's [[Human rights in Cameroon|human rights record]] has been improving over the years but remains flawed. There continue to be reported abuses, including beatings of detainees, arbitrary arrests, and illegal searches. The judiciary is frequently corrupt, inefficient, and subject to political influence.<ref>[http://report.globalintegrity.org/Cameroon/2008 ''Global Integrity Report: Cameroon 2008''] {{webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20120713025819/http://report.globalintegrity.org/Cameroon/2008 |date=13 July 2012 }} Retrieved 14 February 2012.</ref>

Worthy of note is the fact that Cameroon is the only country in which two Constitutions are applicable side by side. For example, the 1972 Constitution designates the Prime Minister as constitutional successor of the Head of State in case of incapacity, death, resignation or unaccountable absence of the incumbent. Contrarily, the 1996 Constitutional Reform designates the President of the Senate as constitutional successor; but the Senate (provided for by 1996 Reform) does not exist. Apart from increasing the presidential mandate from 5 years to 7 years, very few amendments of the 1996 Constitutional Reform have been applied.

==Executive branch==
{{office-table}}
|[[President of Cameroon|President]]
|[[Paul Biya]]
|[[Cameroon People's Democratic Movement]]
|6 November 1982
|-
|[[Prime Minister of Cameroon|Prime Minister]]
|[[Joseph Ngute|Joseph Dion Ngute]]
|[[Cameroon People's Democratic Movement]]
|4 January 2019
|}
[[Image:Paul biya and colin powell.jpg|thumb|left|Cameroon President [[Paul Biya]] (right) with [[Colin Powell]]|alt=Colin Powell and Cameroon president Paul Biya, smiling and talking]]
The 1972 constitution of the '''Republic of Cameroon''' as modified by 1996 reforms provides for a strong central government dominated by the executive. The [[Presidents of Cameroon|president]] is empowered to name and dismiss cabinet members (regardless of parliamentary representation), judges, generals, provincial governors, [[prefect]]s, [[sub-prefect]]s, 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.  In 2008, a constitutional amendment was passed that eliminated term limits for president.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Cameroon parliament extends Biya's term limit|date=11 April 2008|publisher=France 24|url=http://www.france24.com/en/20080411-cameroon-parliament-paul-biya-term-limit-extension|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091008042404/http://www.france24.com/en/20080411-cameroon-parliament-paul-biya-term-limit-extension |archive-date=8 October 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

The judiciary is subordinate to the executive branch's [[Ministry of Justice of Cameroon|Ministry of Justice]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Official Ministry of Justice of Cameroon site |url=http://minjustice.gov.cm/}}</ref> The [[Supreme court]] may review the constitutionality of a law only at the president's request.

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 law]]s and customs are honored in the formal court system when not in conflict with national law. Traditional rulers receive stipends from the national government.

==Legislative branch==
The 180-member [[National Assembly (Cameroon)|National Assembly]] meets in ordinary session three times a year (March/April, June/July, and November/December), and has seldom, until recently, made 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 January 1996. The amendments call 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 are to be appointed by the President, and the remaining two-thirds are to be chosen by indirect elections. The government has established the [[Senate (Cameroon)|Senate]] in 2013.

==Political parties and elections==
{{elect|List of political parties in Cameroon|Elections in Cameroon}}<ref>{{cite web|title=Elections in Cameroon |url=http://africanelections.tripod.com/cm.html}}</ref>

==Judicial branch==
The judiciary is subordinate to the executive branch's [[Ministry of Justice of Cameroon|Ministry of Justice]]. The [[Supreme Court of Cameroon|Supreme Court]] may review the constitutionality of a law only at the president's request.

== The role of women ==
In an article on the construction of a ‘model Cameroonian woman’ in the Cameroonian parliament, Lilian Atanga, examines arguments used to perpetuate a popular ideal and discourses which "sustain and maintain the status quo (e.g. of women as domestic or women as cooks)".<ref>{{Cite journal | last = Atanga | first = Lilian | title = The discursive construction of a 'model Cameroonian woman' within the Cameroonian Parliament | journal = [[Gender and Language]] | volume = 6 | issue = 1 | pages = 21–45 | doi = 10.1558/genl.v6i1.21 | date = April 2012 }} [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236172456_The_discursive_construction_of_a_%27model_Cameroonian_woman%27_within_the_Cameroonian_Parliament Pdf.]</ref>

==International organization participation==
Cameroon is member of:
[[Agence de Coopération Culturelle et Technique|ACCT]], [[ACP (Lomé Convention)|ACP]], [[African Development Bank|AfDB]], [[BDEAC]], [[Commonwealth of Nations|C]], [[CEEAC]], [[United Nations Economic Commission for Africa|ECA]], [[Food and Agriculture Organization|FAO]], [[Franc zone|FZ]], [[Group of 77|G-77]], [[International Atomic Energy Agency|IAEA]], [[International Bank for Reconstruction and Development|IBRD]], [[International Civil Aviation Organization|ICAO]], [[International Criminal Court|ICC]], [[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|ICRM]], [[International Development Association|IDA]], [[Islamic Development Bank|IDB]], [[International Fund for Agricultural Development|IFAD]], [[International Finance Corporation|IFC]], [[International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement|IFRCS]], [[International Labour Organization|ILO]], [[International Monetary Fund|IMF]], [[International Maritime Organization|IMO]], [[International Mobile Satellite Organization|Inmarsat]], [[Intelsat]], [[Interpol (organization)|Interpol]], [[International Olympic Committee|IOC]], [[International Telecommunication Union|ITU]], [[International Trade Union Confederation|ITUC]], [[Non-Aligned Movement|NAM]], [[Organisation of African Unity|OAU]], [[Organisation of Islamic Cooperation|OIC]], [[Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons|OPCW]], [[Permanent Court of Arbitration|PCA]], [[Customs and Economic Union of Central Africa|UDEAC]], UN, [[United Nations Conference on Trade and Development|UNCTAD]], [[UNESCO]], [[United Nations Industrial Development Organization|UNIDO]], [[United Nations Institute for Training and Research|UNITAR]], [[Universal Postal Union|UPU]], [[World Customs Organization|WCO]], [[World Federation of Trade Unions|WFTU]], [[World Health Organization|WHO]], [[World Intellectual Property Organization|WIPO]], [[World Meteorological Organization|WMO]], [[World Tourism Organization|WToO]], [[World Trade Organization|WTrO]]

==See also==

*[[Cameroon public administration structure]]
*[[List of governments of Cameroon]]

==References==
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{{Africa in topic|Politics of}}
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[[Category:Politics of Cameroon| ]]