Biya extends mandate of municipal councillors.

The decree, which aligns with provisions of the laws in force, thus gives a bonus time of at least 15 months to municipal councillors. The current batch of councillors was voted on February 9, 2020. 

They had their session as of right on February 25, 2020, meaning that their mandate was supposed to expire on February 25, 2025.

Though a political decision, which political observers had long been predicting, President Biya, in yesterday’s decree, indicated that it was based on consultations with competent stakeholders. 

The decree mentioned consultation with the government, specifying a letter from the Prime Minister, Head of Government, dated July 5. Biya also disclosed having consulted the Bureau of the Senate, which gave its view through a letter of the President of the Senate, dated July 8, 2024. 

Based on the position of the institutions as required by law, the decree specifies that the next municipal election will only take place after May 31, 2026.

The decree also reiterates that the extension of the mandate remains in force, except municipal elections take place “under the conditions laid down by law,” before May 31, 2026. 

The decree is in line with Law No.2012/001 of April 19, 2012, relating to the Electoral Code amended and supplemented by Law No.2012/017 of December 21, 2012.

The decision of the Head of Sate comes weeks after Parliament, during its June session, adopted the bill extending the mandate of Members of the National Assembly.

The mandate of MPs also voted in the twin elections of February 9, 2020, was supposed to expire on March 10, 2025.

 But the lawmakers saw reason with the explanation of government and approved the mandate extension to 30 March 2026.

Before yesterday’s presidential fiat extending the mandate of municipal councillors, the MPs’ mandate prolongation had already provoked debates within the political class. 

Most opposition stakeholders had before yesterday been criticising government.

Many had long been analysing the scenario as Biya’s easy path to block political opponents, especially Prof Maurice Kamto, of the opposition Cameroon Renaissance Movement, MRC, from the presidential race expected next year.

Without municipal councillors or MPs, Kamto, who boycotted 2020 twin polls, cannot run for the office of President of the Republic, except he procures 300 signatures from certain class of persons nationwide.

It is a provision of the Electoral Code in its Section 121 (1),  which provides that for an individual to qualify to contest for presidential election, he/she must be invested by a political party or be an independent candidate on condition they put forward at least 300 signatures from the 10 Regions. The signatures must be from elected officials and First Class traditional rulers.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post issue N0:3179 of Thursday July 25, 2024