Cameroon Sovereignty Council Declares National Assembly “Illegitimate,” Calls for Constituent Assembly

The Council for the Sovereignty of Cameroon (CSC) has adopted a resolution declaring the country’s current National Assembly illegitimate, accusing President Paul Biya’s government of repeatedly violating constitutional rules governing parliamentary terms.

The resolution, adopted unanimously during the CSC’s virtual General Meeting on March 8, 2026, argues that the continued extension of lawmakers’ mandates undermines democratic governance and constitutional order in Cameroon.

Constitutional Limits on Parliamentary Mandates

In its statement, the CSC emphasized that Cameroon’s constitution clearly defines the duration of parliamentary mandates.

Article 15.1 of the constitution stipulates that members of the National Assembly serve a five-year term. According to the council, the law also restricts any extension of those mandates to exceptional situations.

“Article 15.4 of the same constitution seeks to make the extension of the regular term of office for parliamentarians a rare occurrence, by conditioning such extensions on serious crises and extenuating circumstances,” the resolution states.

However, the CSC claims the government has turned what should be an exceptional measure into a routine practice.

“The government of Mr. Paul Biya has abused this spirit of the constitution by making the exceptional extension of the term of office for parliamentarians a rather regular practice,” the council said, arguing that such decisions serve “the quest for political advantage for the ruling CPDM at the expense of other political parties and the Cameroonian people.”

Dispute Over the 2024 Parliamentary Term Extension

The CSC particularly criticized the extension of parliamentary mandates in July 2024, arguing that the decision lacked legitimate justification.

According to the council, the move was politically motivated and designed to influence the broader electoral landscape.

“The extension of the term of office of parliamentarians in July 2024 was not justified by any serious crisis or warranting circumstance,” the resolution said.

Instead, the council alleged that the decision was aimed at “enabling the disqualification of Mr. Maurice Kamto’s candidacy for the presidential election and facilitating another obese CPDM majority following an anticipated rigged presidential election.”

The CSC further warned that another extension of parliamentary mandates may be sought in the near future.

“It now seems highly probable that a second extension of the term of office of the same parliamentarians will be demanded by Mr. Biya for similar or weaker reasons,” the statement said, citing what it described as governance failures and mismanagement of state resources.

Allegations of Electoral Fraud

The council also accused several members of the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) of participating in electoral irregularities during the October 2025 presidential election.

According to the resolution, “many of the current CPDM parliamentarians willfully engaged in electoral fraud during the October 2025 presidential election and have not faced justice for such serious criminal acts.”

The CSC added that these lawmakers continue to benefit from parliamentary immunity despite what it calls “unwarranted” mandates.

Economic Concerns Linked to Political Instability

Beyond political legitimacy, the council argued that repeated election irregularities are affecting Cameroon’s economic standing.

It claimed that ongoing governance concerns are increasing the cost of public borrowing.

“This compounding problem of irregular elections continues to impose higher interest rates on existing and recently contracted loans by the state of Cameroon,” the resolution said.

CSC Declares National Assembly “Illegitimate”

Based on these claims, the CSC concluded that the current National Assembly lacks legitimacy.

“Be it resolved that the council for the sovereignty of Cameroon considers the current members of the National Assembly to be illegitimate,” the resolution states.

The council also rejected the possibility of organizing new parliamentary elections under the current government.

“Be it further resolved that the CSC opposes remedying the illegitimacy of the current parliamentarians by organizing elections under authority of the illegitimate president, Mr. Paul Biya,” the statement added.

Call for Constituent Assembly and New Elections

Instead, the CSC proposed the creation of a constituent assembly tasked with organizing future elections and overseeing political transition.

The council said the current National Assembly should not be involved in the inauguration of a future president once Biya leaves office.

“By virtue of its illegitimate status and its alignment with the illegal and illegitimate presidency of Mr. Paul Biya, the National Assembly shall not play any official role in the inauguration of the legitimate president,” the resolution stated.

The CSC further called for the inauguration of Issa Tchiroma Bakary as president once Biya is removed from office.

According to the resolution, a constituent assembly formed through a democratic selection process would then oversee the organization of transparent municipal and legislative elections.

The council said the assembly would be constituted through a “sortition democratic process” designed to reflect Cameroon’s demographic diversity.

The resolution was adopted unanimously, with the CSC stating that the move forms part of what it describes as an effort “to restore the sovereignty of Cameroon to the sovereign people of Cameroon.”

MMI News