Cameroonian lawmakers approve creation of Vice President post

Cameroon parliament don approve one bill to reintroduce di post of Vice President, wey dem bin scrap ova 50 years ago.

During Saturday 4 April session, 200 members of di upper and lower chambers dominated by Biya ruling CPDM bin vote in favour of di constitutional amendment, 18 bin vote against am, while four abstain.

Di bill wey di BBC take eye see say di role dey important to enhance di efficiency in di running of state affairs.

Bifor di amendment, di constitution bin designate di leader of di Senate to briefly take ova in case di sitting President kpai or dey incapacitated.

Di approved bill tok say di Vice President go dey appointed and sacked by di President and go succeed di Head of State.

"Pending promulgation by di President of di Republic, di post of Vice President of di Republic now dey instituted for Cameroon," di National Assembly Speaker Théodore Datouo tok afta di vote.

Di opposition don criticise di bill, and say dem table am witout broad consultation. Lawmakers from di Social Democratic Front (SDF) party, bin no participate for di vote. Dem bin push for revision in favour of di Vice President being jointly elected wit di President, not appointed.

Dem also seek for constitutional provision wey go reflect di historical reality of di bilingual nation split between Anglophones and Francophones - if one candidate come from di English-speaking part of di kontri, im running mate gatz be from di Francophone part.

Meanwhile, Maurice Kamto of di Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) party say di amendment amount to "constitutional and institutional coup" wey di ruling party design.

Inside one statement, e say di incumbent dey seek to establish "constitutionally based republican monarchy," and e announce im intention to launch one online campaign to denounce di move.

Shockingly, while addressing parliament today, René Ze Nguele, wey be senator from di ruling party say di constitutional reform dey "hasty" and "suspicious". Im outburst follow loud applause.

E no dey clear weda e vote for or against di bill.

As part of di new legislation, Cameroon go retain di post of Prime Minister. Some critics don argue against di necessity of di Vice President role, since di new legislation stipulate say di President fit also delegate some of im powers to di Prime Minister or any oda govment member.

From 1961 to 1972, Cameroon bin operate under federal system of govment wey bin respect di autonomy of di Francophone and Anglophone parts of di bilingual kontri.

During dis period, di role of Vice President bin dey in place. However, following a 1972 referendum wey bin move di kontri to unitary state, dem scrap di office.

Biya 43-year reign don often spark debates about who go succeed am wen e comot for power. Despite di move to reinstate di Vice President position, di future of Cameroon beyond im longtime leader remain uncertain.

As dem don pass di bill and dey expect im promulgation, speculation ova di identity of di new Vice President don dominate national discourse.

Last year October, Cameroon Constitutional Council bin declare President Paul Biya di winner of di October 12 election.

Biya win wit 53.66% percent of di votes, while im main challenger and former ally Issa Tchiroma Bakary come second wit 35.19% percent, di Constitutional Council tok.

Dem put voter turnout at 57.76%, wit abstention rate of 42.24%.