A King With No Clothes On: Being a Prime Minister in Cameroon

By Dibussi Tande (Originally published on Scribbles from the Den)

During a 1998 discussion on the defunct Camnet listserv, one subscriber inquired about the powerlessness of Cameroonian Prime Ministers compared to their French counterparts:

In the French system of democracy, which is the inspiration for Cameroon’s 1996 constitution, there is an executive President and an executive Prime Minister with the latter still appointed by the President (in consultation if he is from the opposition party) yet there is no evidence of powerlessness in the system. Where then is the missing link of this type of democracy in the case of Cameroon, where the Prime Minister is supposed to be powerless?

My reply below from 11 years ago, which is still valid today, shows why the Cameroonian Prime Minister, unlike his French counterpart, is largely a figurehead:

By Dibussi Tande (Originally published on Scribbles from the Den)

During a 1998 discussion on the defunct Camnet listserv, one subscriber inquired about the powerlessness of Cameroonian Prime Ministers compared to their French counterparts:

In the French system of democracy, which is the inspiration for Cameroon’s 1996 constitution, there is an executive President and an executive Prime Minister with the latter still appointed by the President (in consultation if he is from the opposition party) yet there is no evidence of powerlessness in the system. Where then is the missing link of this type of democracy in the case of Cameroon, where the Prime Minister is supposed to be powerless?

My reply below from 11 years ago, which is still valid today, shows why the Cameroonian Prime Minister, unlike his French counterpart, is largely a figurehead:

While the French constitution of 1958 was designed for a modern democracy with a powerful President accountable to the various branches of government, its Cameroonian copy has been explicitly designed for a pseudo-democracy where the President is omnipotent and virtually unaccountable to anyone. In fact, one would not be far off the mark to describe the system put in place by Cameroon’s 1996 constitution as monarchical in nature (what Mbu Etonga once described as the “Imperial Presidency”…)

A cursory look at the constitutional role/powers of the Prime Ministers in both France and Cameroon will shed some light on this issue:

Article 20 (1) of the French constitution of 1958 clearly states that: “The Government shall determine and conduct the policy of the nation.”

Article 21(1) further stipulates: “The Prime Minister shall direct the conduct of government affairs.”

In other words, the French Prime Minister is not just an errand person for the President, but an actual Head of Government who designs and implements policies based on his party’s political agenda; a party that may very well be different from the President’s.

Article 19 of the French constitution goes even further by giving the Prime Minister the power of countersignature over certain official acts of the President. Therefore, the French Prime Minister wields real executive power.

The Case of Cameroon

Article 11 of the 1996 constitution states that: “The Government shall implement the policy of the nation as defined by the President of the Republic.”

Article 12 (1) adds that: “The Prime Minister shall be the Head of Government and shall direct its action.”

The Prime Minister is therefore merely a nominal head of government charged with implementing general policy as outlined by the President of the Republic.

What we have in Cameroon is a Prime Minister who is stripped of any power of initiative because he is constitutionally obliged to implement only those policies defined by the President. He has no independent authority in determining the policies that guide the nation. Whatever authority he has is merely delegated.

Simply put, the PM runs errands for the President, and does not make policy... even if he is from a political party with parliamentary majority whose policies are diametrically opposed to that of the sitting president!!! This system therefore contains seeds of a potential institutional crisis in the event where the presidential majority is different from the parliamentary majority, and the President and Prime Minister come from opposing and even hostile political parties.
 
The Prime Minister’s limited powers have been further reduced by a series of presidential edicts since 1991 which have effectively dispersed a good chunk of the PM’s powers to other centers of authority. For example, Decree No. 92/070, of April 9, 1992, reorganizing the Presidency of the Republic states that the General Secretariat of the Presidency:

• Receives all directives concerning the definition of the nation’s policy as defined by the President (remember, this is the constitutional duty of the PM…)
• Ensures that the decisions of the President of the Republic are implemented
• Supervises the effective realization of programs approved by the President and confided to heads of ministerial departments
• Prepares cabinet meetings in collaboration with the services of the Prime Minister (art 2)

According to the same Decree, the SECRETARY GENERAL oversees:

• The coordination of the action of ministries and services attached to the presidency
• The writing of draft bills to be submitted to the national assembly, in collaboration with the Secretary General of the Prime Minister’s office or concerned ministers
• The preparation of cabinet meetings, and commissions presided over by the President (art. 4(1)

Mention should also be made of Decree No. 92/069 of 9 April 1992, reorganizing the government which stipulates in Article 6 that the President appoints individuals to practically every key position in the Administration, from the Ministers to State Inspectors and Controllers, while the PM cannot appoint anyone higher than a Senior Divisional officer (Cameroon Tribune no. 1407 of April 13, 1992).

Add to this a series of presidential decrees which at various times in the past two decades have stripped the PM of direct control over key ministries and placed them either under the  direct control of a Vice PM or the Presidency, and it becomes obvious even to the casual observer that the king really has no clothes on…

Excerpt of the Constitution of the Republic of Cameroon

Article 10
(1) The President of the Republic shall appoint the Prime Minister and, on the proposal of the latter, the other members of Government...

(2) The President of the Republic may delegate some of his powers to the Prime Minister, other members of Government and any other senior administrative officials of the State, within the framework of their respective duties.

(3) Where the President of the Republic is temporarily unable to, perform his duties, he shall delegate the Prime Minister and, should the latter also be unavailable, any other member of Government to discharge his duties within the framework of an express delegation of some of his powers.

Article 11
The Government shall implement the policy of the nation as defined by the President of the Republic.

Article 12
(1) The Prime Minister shall be the Head of Government and shall direct its action.
(2) He shall be responsible for the enforcement of the laws.
(3) He shall exercise statutory authority and appoint to civil posts, subject to the prerogatives of the President of the Republic in such areas.
(4) He shall direct all the government services required for the accomplishment of his duties.
(5) He may delegate some of his powers to members of Government and to senior State officials.

While the French constitution of 1958 was designed for a modern democracy with a powerful President accountable to the various branches of government, its Cameroonian copy has been explicitly designed for a pseudo-democracy where the President is omnipotent and virtually unaccountable to anyone. In fact, one would not be far off the mark to describe the system put in place by Cameroon’s 1996 constitution as monarchical in nature (what Mbu Etonga once described as the “Imperial Presidency”…)

A cursory look at the constitutional role/powers of the Prime Ministers in both France and Cameroon will shed some light on this issue:

Article 20 (1) of the French constitution of 1958 clearly states that: “The Government shall determine and conduct the policy of the nation.”

Article 21(1) further stipulates: “The Prime Minister shall direct the conduct of government affairs.”

In other words, the French Prime Minister is not just an errand person for the President, but an actual Head of Government who designs and implements policies based on his party’s political agenda; a party that may very well be different from the President’s.

Article 19 of the French constitution goes even further by giving the Prime Minister the power of countersignature over certain official acts of the President. Therefore, the French Prime Minister wields real executive power.

The Case of Cameroon

Article 11 of the 1996 constitution states that: “The Government shall implement the policy of the nation as defined by the President of the Republic.”

Article 12 (1) adds that: “The Prime Minister shall be the Head of Government and shall direct its action.”

The Prime Minister is therefore merely a nominal head of government charged with implementing general policy as outlined by the President of the Republic.

What we have in Cameroon is a Prime Minister who is stripped of any power of initiative because he is constitutionally obliged to implement only those policies defined by the President. He has no independent authority in determining the policies that guide the nation. Whatever authority he has is merely delegated.

Simply put, the PM runs errands for the President, and does not make policy... even if he is from a political party with parliamentary majority whose policies are diametrically opposed to that of the sitting president!!! This system therefore contains seeds of a potential institutional crisis in the event where the presidential majority is different from the parliamentary majority, and the President and Prime Minister come from opposing and even hostile political parties.
 
The Prime Minister’s limited powers have been further reduced by a series of presidential edicts since 1991 which have effectively dispersed a good chunk of the PM’s powers to other centers of authority. For example, Decree No. 92/070, of April 9, 1992, reorganizing the Presidency of the Republic states that the General Secretariat of the Presidency:

• Receives all directives concerning the definition of the nation’s policy as defined by the President (remember, this is the constitutional duty of the PM…)
• Ensures that the decisions of the President of the Republic are implemented
• Supervises the effective realization of programs approved by the President and confided to heads of ministerial departments
• Prepares cabinet meetings in collaboration with the services of the Prime Minister (art 2)

According to the same Decree, the SECRETARY GENERAL oversees:

• The coordination of the action of ministries and services attached to the presidency
• The writing of draft bills to be submitted to the national assembly, in collaboration with the Secretary General of the Prime Minister’s office or concerned ministers
• The preparation of cabinet meetings, and commissions presided over by the President (art. 4(1)

Mention should also be made of Decree No. 92/069 of 9 April 1992, reorganizing the government which stipulates in Article 6 that the President appoints individuals to practically every key position in the Administration, from the Ministers to State Inspectors and Controllers, while the PM cannot appoint anyone higher than a Senior Divisional officer (Cameroon Tribune no. 1407 of April 13, 1992).

Add to this a series of presidential decrees which at various times in the past two decades have stripped the PM of direct control over key ministries and placed them either under the  direct control of a Vice PM or the Presidency, and it becomes obvious even to the casual observer that the king really has no clothes on…

Excerpt of the Constitution of the Republic of Cameroon

Article 10
(1) The President of the Republic shall appoint the Prime Minister and, on the proposal of the latter, the other members of Government...

(2) The President of the Republic may delegate some of his powers to the Prime Minister, other members of Government and any other senior administrative officials of the State, within the framework of their respective duties.

(3) Where the President of the Republic is temporarily unable to, perform his duties, he shall delegate the Prime Minister and, should the latter also be unavailable, any other member of Government to discharge his duties within the framework of an express delegation of some of his powers.

Article 11
The Government shall implement the policy of the nation as defined by the President of the Republic.

Article 12
(1) The Prime Minister shall be the Head of Government and shall direct its action.
(2) He shall be responsible for the enforcement of the laws.
(3) He shall exercise statutory authority and appoint to civil posts, subject to the prerogatives of the President of the Republic in such areas.
(4) He shall direct all the government services required for the accomplishment of his duties.
(5) He may delegate some of his powers to members of Government and to senior State officials.

Comments

[Tangwa Livinus Acha]

My fatherland

Its like power has come never to change hands.
All we preach is government of the people, by the people and for the people.
Where is it? When old barons have refused to go for a change to come.
Again, a new gang of thieves and embezzlers have been brought back to rule.
It marvels to hear some protestants talk of change too.
It’s quite a shame to see the same individuals,
Not wanting to retire for another set of fresh brains.
He who talks of change should show an example.
Why will he want change when he has not began implementing it?
There is a say “charity begins at home”
Why do you want to remain a life chairman?
Does it mean you are the only competent leader?
For how long have you been there?
It is not greediness? Stop hypocrisy!
Our fate is for God Almighty to decide.
Confidence we have lost in all of you.
O, Cameroon, O my fatherland, O land of my beloved forefathers.
Where are we heading to?
Children are dying everyday,
Hunger striking families and frustrated parents,
Hopeless and deplorable youths ready to do anything for money,
Jobless graduates roaming the streets of our cities,
Million of farmers crying of lack of farm to market roads.
Prices of basic commodities increasing everyday,
Above all, a number of scrupulous individuals out to embezzle public funds.
The violation of human rights has become the order of the day.
Yet we talk of greater ambitions.
What do we do with our natural resources?
Where have we kept patriotism?
Yes, change we need but in whose hands should we entrust?
The older generation in power embezzling and mismanaging public funds?
Or those using innocents to fight for their own personal interest?

Is there democracy in Cameroon at all?

TANGWA LIVINUS ACHA (TLA)
UNIVERSITY OF YAOUNDE II SOA
FACULTY OF LAWS AND POLITICAL SCIENCES
DEPARTMENT OF LAW
03rd July 2009

[NNOKO MBOH JOHNSON]

SHORT UP
HOw can i shot my mouth,
Where in a land of beauty and plenty
I see but painted faces of savages,
Our excellencies,honourables,lords
Dancing the tune of dirges
Chanted by skeletal countrymen
Achetypes of malnutrition and starvation,

How can i short my mouth while i toil
And sweat with hunger and starvation,
There you sit and rest,thunder the the
The fart of over feeding and constipation,
You short your bloody fucking mouth.

our leaders beware..>.>.>>.

[Kumbaboy]

Well Cameroonians accept it - to be shafted by a cheat for 27 years? Mr. Biya's contemporaries must be blamed for accepting this nonesense.

[facter]

and the young ones must eschew the pleasurable distractions and acquaint themselves with the use of madame guillotine.

[Oyez]

Cameroon government (Biya) worked hard to buy Bakweri people's silence. It looked like it did not work. The dissenting voices were always louder than that of those who bought the crap.