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Cameroon’s long-serving president, Paul Biya, is set to have a vice president for the first time in his over four decades in power, following the passage of a controversial constitutional amendment.
The decision came after lawmakers in both the National Assembly and Senate—largely dominated by the ruling party—approved the bill with a vote of 200 in favour, 18 against, and four abstentions.
Under the new amendment, the vice president will automatically take over as president if Biya dies, resigns, or becomes unable to carry out his duties. The move marks a significant shift in Cameroon’s political structure.
At 93, Biya has ruled the Central African nation since 1982, making him the world’s oldest serving head of state. Public conversations about his health, however, remain officially restricted.
According to details of the legislation reported by Reuters, the vice president will be appointed and can be removed by the president, and will serve out the remainder of the existing seven-year term if they assume office.
However, the interim leader will face key limitations, including being barred from making constitutional amendments or contesting in the next presidential election.
Before this amendment, the constitution required the Senate president to temporarily take over in the event of a vacancy, pending fresh elections.
The opposition Social Democratic Front (SDF), which holds a small number of seats in parliament, boycotted the vote. The party had advocated for a system where the vice president would be elected alongside the president, rather than appointed.
It also pushed for constitutional provisions that reflect Cameroon’s linguistic divide between English- and French-speaking regions, proposing that the country’s top leadership positions be shared between both communities—a structure that existed prior to 1972.
Reacting to the development, SDF chairman Joshua Osih described the reform as a lost opportunity.
“This constitutional reform could have been a moment of political courage, but it is nothing less than a missed historic opportunity,” he said.
