Cameroon Reintroduces Vice Presidency

Cameroon's parliament has approved a constitutional amendment to reintroduce the position of vice president, a role abolished in 1972. This move, spearheaded by 93-year-old President Paul Biya, is widely seen as an attempt to control his succession. The vice president will be appointed and dismissed by the president and will automatically assume the presidency if the incumbent dies, resigns, or becomes incapacitated, serving the remainder of the seven-year term. However, the interim leader would be barred from initiating constitutional changes or running in a subsequent election. The government argues this reform ensures institutional stability, but opposition parties, including the Cameroon===Social Democratic Front and the Cameroon===Cameroon Renaissance Movement, condemn it as a consolidation of executive power and a weakening of democratic institutions. There is speculation that Paul Biya's son, Franck Biya, could be appointed to the new position.