Short facts about the government of Cameroon
| Country
name: |
conventional long
form: Republic of Cameroon
conventional short
form: Cameroon
former: French
Cameroon |
| Government
type: |
unitary republic; multiparty
presidential regime (opposition parties legalized in 1990)
note:
preponderance of power remains with the
president |
| Administrative divisions: |
10 provinces; Adamaoua, Centre, Est,
Extreme-Nord, Littoral, Nord, Nord-Ouest, Ouest, Sud,
Sud-Ouest |
| Independence: |
1 January 1960 (from
French-administered UN trusteeship) |
| National
holiday: |
Republic Day, 20 May
(1972) |
| Constitution: |
20 May 1972 approved by referendum; 2
June 1972 formally adopted; revised January
1996 |
| Legal
system: |
based on French civil law system, with
common law influence; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction |
| Suffrage: |
20 years of age;
universal |
| Executive
branch: |
chief of state:
President Paul BIYA (since 6 November 1982)
head of
government: Prime Minister Peter Mafany MUSONGE (since 19 September
1996)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from proposals
submitted by the Prime Minister
elections: president elected by
popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 12 October 1997 (next to
be held NA October 2004); prime minister appointed by the
president
election results: President Paul BIYA reelected;
percent of vote - Paul BIYA 92.6%; note - supporters of the opposition
candidates boycotted the elections, making a comparison of vote shares
relatively meaningless |
| Legislative
branch: |
unicameral National Assembly or
Assemblee Nationale (180 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to
serve five-year terms; note - the president can either lengthen or shorten the
term of the legislature)
elections: last held 17 May 1997 (next
to be held NA 2002)
election results: percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - RDCP 109, SDF 43, UNDP 13, UDC 5, UPC-K 1, MDR 1, MLJC 1;
note - results from 7 contested seats were cancelled by the Supreme Court,
further elections on 3 August 1997 gave these seats to the
RDPC
note: the constitution calls for an upper chamber for the
legislature, to be called a Senate, but it has yet to be
established |
| Judicial
branch: |
Supreme Court (judges are appointed by
the president); High Court of Justice (consists of nine judges and 6 substitute
judges, elected by the National Assembly) |
| Political
parties and leaders: |
Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC
[Adamou NDAM NJOYA]; Democratic Rally of the Cameroon People or RDCP [Paul
BIYA]; Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA];
Movement for the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [leader NA];
Movement for the Youth of Cameroon or MLJC [Marcel YONDO]; National Union for
Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO BOUBA, chairman]; Social
Democratic Front or SDF [John FRU NDI]; Union of Cameroonian Populations has two
sections UPC-N [Ndeh NTUMAZAH] and UPC-K [Augustin Frederic
KODOCK] |
| Political
pressure groups and leaders: |
Cameroon Anglophone Movement or CAM
[Vishe FAI, secretary general]; Southern Cameroon National Council [Nfor Ngala
NFOR, acting] |
| International organization participation: |
ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC, C, CCC, CEEAC,
CEMAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-19, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO
(correspondent), ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR,
UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO |
| Diplomatic
representation in the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Jerome MENDOUGA
chancery: 2349
Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1]
(202) 265-8790
FAX: [1] (202)
387-3826 |
| Diplomatic
representation from the US: |
chief of mission:
Ambassador John M. YATES
embassy: Rue Nachtigal,
Yaounde
mailing address: P. O. Box 817, Yaounde; pouch: American
Embassy, Department of State, Washington, DC
20521-2520
telephone: [237] 23-40-14, 22-25-89, 23-05-12,
22-17-94
FAX: [237] 23-07-53
branch office(s):
Douala |
| Flag
description: |
three equal vertical bands of green
(hoist side), red, and yellow with a yellow five-pointed star centered in the
red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia | Source: World Factbook |
