– Elections of executives of both Houses not to drag due to swearing-in of Constitutional Council on March 11
– Trickledown effect to National Assembly, Star Building not excluded
By Sah Terence Animbom
As the March ordinary session for the National Assembly and Senate opens this March 5, 2024, the legislative arms of government in Cameroon are in a state of anxiety and may be about to produce the biggest surprises these bodies have known for a very, very long while.
One of the major highlights of the March session will be the voting of a new bureau, which according to our sources, should be put in place by Thursday March 7, 2024 or over the weekend to pilot the affairs of the National Assembly and Senate.
The urgency in the elections is due to the fact that recently confirmed Constitutional Council members have to be sworn in by Monday, March 11 by a combined session of both Houses.
While the anticipation is at its apex for among senators, sources very close to business of the Senate have reliably informed The SUN Newspaper that Senate President, Marcel Niat Njifenji has a 99.99% chance of missing the session which must hold with or without him.
Our source disclosed that the Senate President, Marcel Niat has been out of the country for over two months for health reasons and there is no chance that he shows up for this session before the elections except a miracle happens.
According to the Standing Orders of Parliament, Bureau members cannot be voted in absentia thus making it highly improbable for Niat to be maintained if he doesn’t show up before the voting of the President of the Senate. According to the Orders, the eldest members of both houses preside over the election of the President of Senate and Speaker of the National Assembly who in turn preside over election of bureau members.
Our source also intimated that this major imminent shake-up at the Senate is threatening to affect even the National Assembly and regional blocks are beginning to mount as potential replacements set eyes on the coveted seats of the National Assembly and Senate.
CavayeYeguieDjibril has been House Speaker since 1992 while Marcel Niat has been the President of the Senate since the inception of the senate in 2013. Both men have been experiencing health complications recently that have seen them flown out of the country for proper medical attention several times.
It is not clear what is keeping Marcel Niat out of the country for so long, but our source intimated that he is most certainly facing a serious health challenge that cannot permit him fly back to Cameroon for the session.
While the West region is hoping to retain the position by pushing another suitable candidate, Anglophone senators of the North West and South West are also hoping that this becomes their turn.
From indications, it seems Niat’s replacement has already been decided but our source was very reticent to divulge the name.Between today, Tuesday March 5 and Thursday March 7, parliamentarians, senators ordinary Cameroonians are looking out for the unforeseen.