The Vice Prime Minister, Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of Relations with the Assemblies, Amadou Ali, yesterday, March 28, 2012 defended the bill extending the term of office of Members of Parliament. This was in the Committee on Constitutional Laws. Extension duration
There was a heated debate in the Committee with the Vice Prime Minister maintaining government’s position of extending the term of office for six months renewable. Hon. Rose Abunaw, a member of the Committee told Cameroon Tribune that MPs wanted the term to be extended for one year to enable them work comfortably. The debate, she said, did not however change government’s position. The term of office of the Members of Parliament for the current eighth legislative period ends on August 21, 2012. This is because they received their attributes on August 21, 2007 during the session held as of right following the election of July 22, 2007. The last Sunday preceding the expiry of the term of office for the holding of the next legislative election is supposed to be August 19, 2012. Government wants the term of office of MPs extended for a period of six months renewable, if need be, with effect from August 21, 2012. This implies they will remain in office till February 21, 2013.
Reasons for extension
Cameroon’s elections and referenda governing institution, Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), plans to recompile the electoral register. Government argues that if the term of office of Members of Parliament were to end on August 21, 2012, the recompilation process will not have been completed satisfactorily. The recompilation of the electoral registers consists in restarting the process all over. Elections Cameroon (ELECAM) has also opted to introduce for the first time, the biometric system in the electoral process. All these require sufficient time to register as many voters as possible.
What the law says
Article 15 of the Constitution stipulates that the Head of State may, after consultation with the President of the Constitutional Council and Bureau of the National Assembly and the Senate, request the National Assembly to decided, by a law to extend or abridge its term of office. The extension or otherwise takes place in a situation where there exists a serious crisis or where so warranted by circumstances. The circumstance that requires the extension of the term of office of Members of Parliament, is the recompilation of the electoral register using the biometric system which government explains, is complicated.
