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Cameroon approves role of vice president to 93-year-old Biya
Lawmakers voted 200 to 18 to approve a succession plan that lets a vice president take over if Paul Biya leaves office.
- On Saturday, Cameroon's parliament overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment to reintroduce the vice president position, voting 200 to 18 with four abstentions. President Paul Biya has 15 days to sign the bill into law.
- Government officials argue the reform ensures institutional stability during sudden leadership vacancies, while the vice president will serve as a presidential appointee for the remainder of the president's seven-year term.
- Under the new bill, the vice president automatically assumes the presidency if President Biya dies, resigns, or becomes incapacitated, though the interim leader is barred from initiating constitutional changes or running in the next election.
- Opposition leader Maurice Kamto condemned the bill as an "ongoing constitutional and institutional coup," while MP Joshua Osih argued it "weakens legitimacy, reinforces centralisation, and ignores a major historical grievance."
- This marks the first major constitutional revision since 2008 for the 93-year-old president, who has led Cameroon since 1982; the vice presidency was previously abolished in 1972.
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The Cameroonian parliament has approved a constitutional amendment that will give the country a vice president again. Supporters call it a way to prevent a power vacuum if President Biya (93) were to step down, while critics see it as a way to further increase his power. The position of vice president was abolished in 1972 following a referendum on the constitution. Now, 200 of the members of parliament present voted in favor of reinstating the …
·Hilversum, Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
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Associated Press News+10 Reposted by 10 other sources
Cameroon lawmakers revive vice presidency, handing aging president sweeping control over the post
Cameroon’s parliament has approved a constitutional amendment to reintroduce the vice president position, a move the opposition says will strengthen President Paul Biya’s power.
·New York, United States
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Cameroon approves role of vice president to 93-year-old Biya
·London, United Kingdom
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Total News Sources43
Leaning Left13Leaning Right9Center7Last UpdatedBias Distribution45% Left
Bias Distribution
- 45% of the sources lean Left
45% Left
L 45%
C 24%
R 31%
Factuality
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