Cameroon reinstates vice-president post for succession
Parliament approves a bill that stipulates that the vice-president will automatically assume the presidency if President Paul Biya dies, resigns, or becomes incapacitated.
Cameroon's parliament on Saturday overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment to reintroduce the position of vice-president, a measure the government says will ensure continuity but which the opposition say will consolidate executive power.
In a joint session of the ruling party-dominated National Assembly and Senate, lawmakers voted 200 to 18 in favour, with four abstentions, to pass the bill.
The bill stipulates that the vice-president will automatically assume the presidency if President Paul Biya dies, resigns, or becomes incapacitated.
Presidential appointee
According to the legislation, the vice-president will be appointed and dismissed by the president, serving for the remainder of the president's seven-year term.
However, the interim leader would be prohibited from initiating constitutional changes or running in a subsequent election.
The government has argued that the reform is intended to safeguard institutional stability in case of a sudden leadership vacancy. Biya has 15 days to promulgate the bill.
Critics, including opposition lawmakers, argue the amendment weakens democratic institutions and exacerbates centralisation.
Major revision
The reintroduction of the vice presidency marks Cameroon's first major constitutional revision since 2008 when presidential term limits were scrapped in a move that sparked nationwide protests.
The vice-presidency was previously part of Cameroon's governance structure but was abolished in 1972 following a constitutional referendum.