CAMEROON: CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION MOVING FORWARD

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 YAOUNDE 000346 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/C SANKAR PARIS AND LONDON FOR AFRICA WATCHER E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/09/2018 TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL ASEC KDEM PHUM CM SUBJECT: CAMEROON: CONSTITUTIONAL REVISION MOVING FORWARD REF: A. YAOUNDE 103 ¶B. YAOUNDE 211 ¶C. YAOUNDE 329 Classified By: Pol/Econ Officer L. Wahid for reasons 1.4. b & d. ¶1. (C) Summary. The Government of Cameroon (GRC) on April 4 presented a bill to the National Assembly to revise the 1996 Constitution (ref c). Embassy contacts tell us the Assembly will likely approve the amendments by April 11, and President Biya will ratify them soon thereafter. This bill contained several controversial amendments, most notably the removal of presidential term limits and an immunity clause to protect the President from prosecution for acts committed while in office. The bill contained many expected revisions, including extending the allotted time to organize new presidential elections should the position become suddenly vacant. The bill did not include the creation of a Vice Presidential position, nor did it reduce the presidential mandate from seven to five years, as President Biya told the Ambassador he would do (ref A). Opinions are mixed on whether the proposed constitutional revision foreshadows Biya's attempt to cling to power beyond the expiration of his current term limit in 2011, or is a signal that he is putting his house in order to facilitate his eventual departure from power. Cameroonians appear resigned to the inevitability of the constitutional revisions, and there are few indications there will be a violent reaction when (no one is still saying "if") the bill is epproved. The GRC is counting on an already increased heavy military presence to deter any repeat of the kind of civil unrest seen during the February riots. End Summary. Constitutional Amendments -------------- ¶2. (SBU) The proposed bill contains a revision to Article 6.2 of the constitution, removing presidential term limits, currently set at two terms. It also contains revisions to five other articles of the Constitution. The bill proposes a revision of Article 6.4, which would extend the amount of time allowed to organize presidential elections in the case of sudden vacancy from 40 to 120 days. A revision to Article 53.1 proposes that only the National Assembly and the Senate with a 4/5 vote can initiate high treason charges against the President, a change from the 1996 Constitution in which the High Court of Justice can charge the President with high treason without a vote from the National Assembly or the Senate. Another proposed revision to Article 53.3 gives the president immunity for acts committed while President, even after he leaves office. ¶3. (SBU) The bill also contains amendments to the Consitution regarding the National Assembly. A revision to Article 14.3 aligns the opening session of the Assembly to the opening session of the yet-to-be-created, much anticipated, Senate. A revision to Article 15.4 proposes that, in the case of serious crisis, the election of new members to the National Assembly take place not more than 120 days (instead of 40 days) following parlaiment's dissolution. A revision of Article 51 harmonizes the term of office of members of the yet to be created Constitutional Council with those of other elected officials, from nine to six years. The proposed modification to Article 67.6 stipulates that in case the Senate is put in place before the Regional Council (charged with electing Senators),municipal councilors elected in the 2007 would elect Senators. (Note: the ruling CPDM party has about 300 municipal seats out of 325. End Note.) Moving Toward the Plenary -------------- ¶4. (C) On April 7, the bill was presented before the National Assembly's Constitutional Laws Committee, which is charged with evaluating each proposed law to ensure it is congruent with Cameroonian law. The CPDM holds 18 out of 20 seats on the Committee, with the two other members coming from the opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF) and Democratic Union YAOUNDE 00000346 002 OF 002 of Cameroon (UDC). Reportedly, the SDF member of the Constitutional Laws Committee proposed the following amendments to the constitutional revision bill: the cancellation of Article 6.2, a two-ballot round for presidential elections, the removal of the presidential immunity clause, and a revision of the electoral body charged with conducting elections (ELECAM). The Committee rejected all the proposed revisions. The UDC also presented a proposed modification of the Constitution to strengthen ELECAM and to ensure free and fair elections, which was also rejected. The bill has come out of the Laws Committee and is expected to go before a plenary scheduled for April 10 or 11 (the 11th is the last day of the current session of the National Assembly). The SDF has indicated that it will vote against the constitutional revision. However, the CPDM holds 153 out of 180 Parliamentary seats and the bill is expected to pass easily and to be signed by the President soon afterward (he has 15 days to ratify the amendments). Comment -------------- ¶5. (C) While not a surprise, this bill has been highly controversial and is being introduced only six weeks after Cameroon's worst violence in fifteen years. There is the possibility of a violent reaction. However, most contacts believe violence in the short term is unlikely. They note that Cameroonians seem resigned to a "fait accompli" and are fearful of the kind of strong government response seen after the February riots. However, a few Parliamentarians have told us they have received death threats from their constituencies warning against voting for a constitutional revision. The GRC has increased its security presence in Yaounde and Douala, with multiple checkpoints on the highway between the two cities. Extra guards have been stationed around the National Assembly and the hotel for National Assembly members. ¶6. (C) The amendments are designed to strengthen Biya's position, giving him the option of running for president again in 2011, or sooner if he should decide to call a snap election. Biya did not propose the creation of a Vice President, which many thought he would. Gregoire Owona, a Minister in the Presidency in charge of parliamentary affairs, told Pol/Econ Chief on April 8 that this was discussed and rejected because a Vice President would have too much "incentive to kill" Biya. Strengthening the Prime Minister's position was also discussed but Biya did not want to create a stronger alternate base of power, Owona said, stressing that the elimination of term limits was designed to reduce conflict in the Cabinet. "Uncertainty is necessary in our system," he added. ¶7. (C) Owona told us there is a 50-50 chance Biya will run again. The main reason for the amendments, he said, is to strengthen the succession mechanism should Biya leave or die in office. He said the Senate and Constitutional Council would be created soon. (Should a presidential vacancy occur, the President of the Senate is constitutionally charged with organizing fresh presidential elections but is not eligible to run.) Some observers agree that Biya is trying to put his house in order by quelling the political jockeying within the CPDM and placing competent, impartial people at the helm of the Senate and Constitutional Council before stepping down. However, many others, including the independent media, are highly skeptical of Biya's motives and fear that he is amending the constitution to pave the way for a lifetime presidency. NELSON