Parliament: Understanding high high expectations.

She perfectly read the minds of the public with the sagacity of King Solomon. Before her, one of the government's kingpins, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, and later acerbic adversary, had, in his resignation letter, pointed out the same concerns, stating that: "The deep expectations of our people, particularly in terms of social justice, national integration, and territorial equity, are still far from being met".

That was before the 2025 presidential election in which the incumbent nosedived from 71.28 percent at the 2018 presidential election to a disputed victory of 53.66 percent at the October 12, 2025 presidential election. 

Since then, the expectations have bubbled to boiling point on several fronts.

The President of the Provisional Bureau said: "…indeed, following the presidential election of October 12, 2025...the political agenda, as announced by the Head of State himself, anticipates, as far as we know, the appointment of the Government of the Republic as well as the combined municipal and legislative elections".

She then called on the political class "to take responsibility for better guidance and effective training of their supporters members during this new waiting period. After the post-election clashes following the presidential election of October 12, 2025, Cameroon needs a peaceful atmosphere for the upcoming elections". 

Referring to councils as "true hubs of socio-economic development", and drawing from the post presidential election violence without saying so, Hon Soppo Toute cautioned that "...every effort must be made to ensure that both before and after elections, and throughout the entire term, serenity always prevails within the national municipal institution". 

In concord, her counterpart at the Upper House, Senator René Ze Nguele, in his own opening address, emphasised the need to strengthen public policies for young people and to further promote women's rights and empowerment.

The Senator also commended the initiatives of the Head of State, Paul Biya, and in particular, the special plan for the promotion of national languages, designed to enhance Cameroon's cultural and linguistic heritage.

Though youth and women issues are of high expectations, especially given that they are hardest hit by poverty and unemployment, there are other important issues expected to be tabled in parliament on constitutional review: electoral code, chieftaincy, postponement of municipal and legislative elections, adjustment of the national administrative map as well as the impending government reshuffle.

Although it is not within the legislative power to change a government, it is, however, within its prerogative to question why an executive branch can be for so long with several yawning vacancies, caused by death and resignations.

As those who ‘control’ government actions, MPs should demand answers from the executive. Being an important session like no other, and a realm that has perpetually depended on the executive to write bills, they should not portray themselves as a public relations arm of the executive.

How could the Speaker of Parliament have been praising "the significant progress made in decentralisation in the country, with municipalities that have become relatively speaking, true hubs of socio-economic development entities", when the cities and urban centres are choked with mountains of stinking refuge?

What is there to praise in decentralization, when many communities do not have sufficient and necessities like water, paved streets and farm-to-market roads?

The expectations are numerous as the Presidents of both houses have pointed out. They do not execute, but should pass laws, and scrutinise government to ensure they are enforced and not left in limbo as Law N° 3-2006 of April 25, 2006 on declaration of assets, which has not been enforced.

Why have MPs, for instance, not demanded why Article 66, has not been applicable for some 20 years?

Cameroonians also have the high expectation that they hold the government to enforce the declaration of assets, which is the main weapon against pervasive corruption that is a hindrance to development and justice that cut across all spectrums of national life.

From past experiences, bills that are expected to be presented to parliamentarians, 15 days before the opening session, are even sent a few days to the end of the session.

The government, on its part, given the risky high stakes and the scorching expectations from the suffering masses, should send the anticipated bills to parliamentarians as they sit, not to allow them idle around in Yaounde until towards the end that bulky bills are presented under pressure; which because of time constraint, they just endorse them without scrutiny.

For lawmakers, this session is different. Edmund Burke, the Irish reformer, is noted for saying: "Parliament is not an assembly of ambassadors, but a deliberative assembly of one nation, with one interest- that of the whole; where, not local purposes, not local prejudices ought to guide, but the general good, resulting from the general reason of the whole".

At The Guardian Post, we believe and trust parliamentarians and senators should be guided by that principle as the electorate also expect more from them.

The article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3729 of Thursday March 12, 2026