Government & politics — Cameroon

• in the 15th century, Portuguese explorers named the area near the mouth of the Wouri River the Rio dos Camaroes (River of Prawns) after the abundant shrimp in the water
• over time the designation became Cameroon in English
• this is the only instance where a country is named after a crustacean

• history: several previous;
• latest effective 18 January 1996 amendments: proposed by the president of the republic or by Parliament; amendment drafts require approval of at least one third of the membership in either house of Parliament; passage requires absolute majority vote of the Parliament membership; passage of drafts requested by the president for a second reading in Parliament requires two-thirds majority vote of its membership; the president can opt to submit drafts to a referendum, in which case passage requires a simple majority; constitutional articles on Cameroon’s unity and territorial integrity and its democratic principles cannot be amended; amended 2008

• chief of state: P
• resident Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982) head of government: Pr
• ime Minister Joseph Dion NGUTE (since 4 January 2019) cabinet: Cabinet proposed by the prime minister,
• appointed by the president elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 7-year term (no term limits); election last held on 7 October 2018 (next to be held in October 2025);
• prime minister appointed by the president election results: 2018: Paul BIYA reelected president; percent of vote - Paul BIYA (CPDM) 71.3%, Maurice KAMTO (MRC) 14.2%, Cabral LIBII (Univers) 6.3%, other 8.2% (2018)

Description

bicameral Parliament or Parlement consists of: Senate or Senat (100 seats; 70 members indirectly elected by regional councils and 30 appointed by the president; members serve 5-year terms) National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (180 seats; members directly elected in 49 single and multi-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 5-year terms)

• elections:
• Senate - last held on 12 March 2023 (next to be held in 2028)
• National Assembly - last held on 9 February 2020 (next to be held 28 February 2025)
• election results:
• Senate - percent of vote by party - CDPM 100%; seats by party - CDPM 100; composition as of October 2023 - men 69, women 31, percent of women 31%
• National Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - CPDM 152, UNDP 7, SDF 5, PCRN 5, UDC 4, FSNC 3, MDR 2, UMS 2; composition as of October 2023 - men 109, women 58, percent of women 32.2%;

Note

total Parliament percent of women 31.7%

Note

13 National Assembly seats were vacant after the 9 February 2020 election due to violence in northwest and southwest regions; CDPM won those seats in a 22 March 2020 election

• highest court(s): Supreme Court of Cameroon (consists of 9 titular and 6 surrogate judges and organized into judicial, administrative, and audit chambers); Constitutional Counci
• l (consists of 11 members) judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges appointed by the president with the advice of the Higher Judicial Council of Cameroon, a body chaired by the president and includes the minister of justice, selected magistrates, and representatives of the National Assembly; judge term NA; Constitutional Council members appointed b
• y the president for renewable 6-year terms subordinate courts: Parliamentary Court of Justice (jurisdiction limited to cases involving the president and prime minister); appellate and first instance courts; circuit and magistrates' courts

• Alliance for Democracy and Development [Garga Haman ADJI]
• Cameroon People's Democratic Movement or CPDM [Paul BIYA]
• Cameroon People's Party or CPP [Edith Kah WALLA]
• Cameroon Renaissance Movement or MRC [Maurice KAMTO]
• Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Hermine Patricia TOMAINO]
• Cameroonian Party for National Reconciliation or PCRN [Cabral LIBII]
• Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon or FSNC [Issa Tchiroma BAKARY]
• Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Paulin DJOWRWE]
• Movement for the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [Marcel YONDO]
• National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO BOUBA]
• Progressive Movement or MP [Jean-Jacques EKINDI]
• Social Democratic Front or SDF [Joshua OSIH]
• Union of Peoples of Cameroon or UPC [Pierre Baleguel NKOT]
• Union of Socialist Movements [Pierre KWEMO]

• no citizenship by descent only: at least one par
• no residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

ACP, AfDB, AU, BDEAC, C, CEMAC, EITI (compliant country), FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LCBC, MIGA, MNJTF, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNMISS, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

chief of mission

Ambassador Christopher J. LAMORA (since 21 March 2022) embassy: Avenue Rosa Parks, Yaoundé mailing address: 2520 Yaounde Place, Washington, DC 20521-2520

telephone

[237] 22251-4000/[237] 22220-1500

FAX

[237] 22220-1500, Ext. 4531

Email address and website

• YaoundeACS@state.gov
• https://cm.usembassy.gov/

chief of mission

Ambassador Henri ETOUNDI ESSOMBA (since 27 June 2016)

chancery

2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone

[1] (202) 265-8790

FAX

[1] (202) 387-3826

Email address and website

• mail@cameroonembassyusa