Eldest Member of Parliament Dies Ahead of Election

By Njodzeka Kernyuy 

The eldest Parliamentarian in Cameroon’s current legislature, Laurentine Koa Mfegue épse Mbede, has died, the National Assembly has announced.

In a statement announcing her death recently, the lower House of Parliament failed to mention the cause of death.

The death of Laurentine Koa Mfegue is coming as the country is expected to elect MPs and Mayors likely before the opening of the March session of Parliament.

Roles of Eldest MP

As the eldest Member of Parliament, the late Hon. Laurentine Koa used to play a pivotal role in the election of the House Speaker and Deputies.

As stipulated by law, at the beginning of the year, the Parliament needs to elect a house bureau. 

Since the mandate of the speaker expires every year, it is the responsibility of the eldest parliamentarian to chair the affairs of the bureau election until a new Speaker is elected.

She used to oversee those elections. She was the MP for Mefou and Affamba in the Centre Region.

Before being elected into parliament in 2012, she was the Mayor of Soa since 2002.

Number Added to 19

Her death has brought the number of MPs who have died in the current legislature to 19.

However, those MPs who died have not been replaced even though there are alternates or deputies who could have stepped into those roles.

No MP is elected without an alternate, but in times of death, the alternate does not assume office.

According to the law, in case of vacancies, elections are supposed to take place for a replacement to be made.

However, the election management body has never organized any election to ensure that MPs who died before the end of their term are replaced.