The politics of Cameroon takes place in a framework of a unitary presidential republic, whereby the President of Cameroon is both head of state and head of government, and of a multi-party system. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the National Assembly of Cameroon.
British Cameroons was a British Mandate territory in British West Africa. Today, the territory forms parts of Northern Nigeria in West Africa and Cameroon in Central Africa.
Paul Biya is a Cameroonian politician serving as the President of Cameroon since 6 November 1982.
The Cameroon People's Democratic Movement is the ruling political party in Cameroon. Previously known as the Cameroonian National Union, which had dominated Cameroon politics since independence in 1960, it was renamed in 1985. The National President of the CPDM is Paul Biya, the President of Cameroon, while the Secretary-General of the RDPC's Central Committee is Jean Nkuete.
Elections in Cameroon gives information on election and election results in Cameroon.
"Pa" Simon Achidi Achu is a Cameroonian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Cameroon from 1992 to 1996. Previously he was Minister of Justice from 1972 to 1975. A leading member of the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM), Achidi Achu was appointed as Chairman of the National Investment Corporation in 2003, and he was elected to the Senate of Cameroon in 2013.
Southern Cameroons was the southern part of the British Mandate territory of British Cameroons in West Africa. Since 1961 it has been part of the Republic of Cameroon, where it makes up the Northwest Region and Southwest Region. Since 1994, pressure groups in the territory have sought independence from the Republic of Cameroon, and the Republic of Ambazonia was declared by the Southern Cameroons Peoples Organisation (SCAPO) on 31 August 2006.
The National Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Cameroon. It has 180 members, elected for five-year terms in 49 single and multi-seat constituencies.
The Constitution of Cameroon is the supreme law of the Republic of Cameroon. Adopted in 1972, it is Cameroon's third constitution. The document consists of a preamble and 13 Parts, each divided into Articles. The Constitution outlines the rights guaranteed to Cameroonian citizens, the symbols and official institutions of the country, the structure and functions of government, the procedure by which the Constitution may be amended, and the process by which the provisions of the Constitution are to be implemented.
A constitutional referendum was held in Cameroon on 20 May 1972. The new constitution would make the country a unitary state, as opposed to the previous federal system, as well as giving more powers to President Ahmadou Ahidjo. It was passed by 99.99% of voters with a 98.2% turnout.
Parliamentary elections were held in Cameroon on 10 April 1960. They were the first elections held in accordance with the new constitution, approved in a referendum in February, which created a unicameral federal National Assembly. The result was a slim victory for the Cameroonian Union, forcing it to govern in coalition. However, the election was marred by severe irregularities. Voter turnout was 69.5%.
Parliamentary elections were held in Nigeria on 12 December 1959. The result was a victory for the Northern People's Congress, which won 134 of the 312 seats in the House of Representatives, despite the Action Group winning more votes. It formed a coalition with five other parties and two independents, holding a total of 148 seats. Voter turnout was 79.5%.
Presidential elections were held in Cameroon on 9 October 2011. Incumbent President Paul Biya stood for another term after a constitutional amendment passed in 2008 eliminated term limits. Biya was re-elected with 78% of the vote.
Corruption in Cameroon has been called "Cameroon's worst-kept secret" by Thomson Reuters, and Cameroon has had "persistent problems with corruption" according to BBC News. The Corruption Perceptions Index (2014) by Transparency International ranked Cameroon 136 out of 175 countries and found that the police are seen by Cameroonians as the most corrupt institution in the government.
Presidential elections were held in Cameroon on 7 October 2018.
The Anglophone Crisis, also known as the Ambazonia War, is a conflict in the Southern Cameroons region of Cameroon, part of the long-standing Anglophone problem. In September 2017, separatists in the Anglophone territories of Northwest Region and Southwest Region declared the independence of Ambazonia and began fighting against the Government of Cameroon.
This national electoral calendar for the year 2019 lists the national/federal direct elections to be held in 2019 in all sovereign states and their dependent territories. By-elections are excluded, though national referendums are included. Specific dates are given where they have been known.
