Cameroon king

Members of the Cameroonian parliament voted last week to abolish presidential term limits, thus allowing Paul Biya, the current Cameroonian President, to stand for re-election in 2011. Biya has already been in power for 26 years and last week’s vote will enable him to continue to rule until at least 2018, by which time he will be 85.

Biya claimed presidential term limits to be unconstitutional in his end of year state address, where he indicated that there were many calls for him to stay in power.

However, last week’s debate was boycotted by the Social Democratic Front, the main opposition party, who claim the constitutional amendment process has been fraudulent and that most Cameroonians are opposed to the change in the law.

There have also been allegations of bribery of party members in the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement party, to encourage them to support the amendment.

Political tensions were revealed in February when 100 demonstrators were killed by the military and police during rioting over rising living costs and widespread poverty.

International observers have also expressed concern that a firmly entrenched elite whose lives are far removed from those of the general population may be a recipe for future political instability.

Ruth Timson
Press Officer and Secretary