Members of the National Assembly will remain in office until 20 December 2026 following the adoption of Bill No. 2092/PJL/AN during a plenary sitting held on 23 March 2026.
The sitting, chaired by Speaker Hon. Datouo Théodore, sealed a process that began only days earlier with the deposit of the text at the Chairmen’s Conference. The bill, transmitted by President Paul Biya, extends the mandate of the current legislature beyond its previous deadline of 31 March 2026. The extension pushes the life of the 10th legislature to nearly six years and nine months, after an earlier law had already prolonged it from 2025 to March 2026.
Deliberations in the hemicycle opened with the presentation of the committee report by Hon. Joséphine Ghimbop. The bill had earlier been defended before the Committee on Constitutional Laws by Bolvine Wakata, who argued for the need to preserve institutional stability.
During the plenary, a number of MPs took the floor to question the timing and implications of the extension. Their exchanges with the government reflected both procedural concerns and broader political sensitivities. In the end, the majority carried the vote, allowing Parliament to continue its work without interruption.
The extension of parliamentary mandates in Cameroon is not without precedent. The Constitution allows such a move when circumstances so require, following consultations with key state institutions. Authorities have consistently justified these extensions as a way to manage a dense electoral calendar and avoid overlapping polls. In recent years, Cameroon has faced the challenge of organising legislative, municipal and presidential elections within a tight timeframe, each requiring significant logistical and financial resources. The current adjustment comes against the backdrop of elections initially expected in 2025 but gradually postponed. Legislative polls are now anticipated in 2026, with all 180 seats of the National Assembly at stake.
Government officials maintain that extending the mandate gives electoral authorities the time needed to prepare credible polls. The move also aligns with a broader trend, as municipal councillors have similarly seen their mandates prolonged in recent years to synchronise elections.
Inside Parliament, however, the emphasis remained on continuity. The adopted law preserves all powers of sitting MPs, ensuring that legislative sessions, oversight functions and policy debates proceed without a break.
For the Speaker, Hon. Datouo Théodore, recently elected to head the institution, the adoption of the bill marks an early legislative landmark. It also sets the tone for a period in which Parliament will continue to sit, legislate and scrutinise government action while the country prepares for the next electoral cycle.
Claudette Chin
