Constitution of Cameroon
The Constitution of Cameroon is the su-
preme law of the Republic of Cameroon. The
document consists of a preamble and 13
Parts, each divided into Articles. The Consti-
tution outlines the rights guaranteed to
Cameroonian citizens, the symbols and offi-
cial 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.
Cameroon adopted its earliest Constitu-
tion upon independence from France in 1960.
This was a hurried draft based closely on
French precedents. In 1961, British Southern
Cameroons gained its
independence and
voted to join its French counterpart. Deleg-
ates framed a new Constitution, which made
Cameroon a federation of two states under a
single powerful president. In 1972, President
Ahmadou Ahidjo pushed through a new docu-
ment that abolished the federal system, re-
named the country the Unitary Republic of
Cameroon, and granted the president greater
powers. After assuming the presidency, Paul
Biya pushed through a revised Constitution
in 1984. This document changed the coun-
try’s name to the Republic of Cameroon, re-
drew the lines of the provinces, and re-
defined the line of succession to the presid-
ency. The current Constitution was adopted
in 1996 in response to pressure from Anglo-
phone Cameroonian groups advocating a re-
turn to the federal system. It grants greater
autonomy to the provinces (renamed regions)
and established a Senate as the upper house
to the National Assembly. Nevertheless, none
of these provisions has been implemented.
Contents
The Constitution begins with a preamble that
names the Cameroonian people’s cultural
and linguistic diversity as an integral part of
the nation but expresses the desire to form a
unitary government. It defines the ideals
upon which the nation is built as "fraternity,
justice and progress". The preamble asserts
that the Cameroonian people shall advance
"ever-growing bonds of