In Cameroon, the potential extension of the mandate of deputies raises questions about the transparency of the democratic process. Abdouraman Hamadou Babba, a Cameroonian citizen, sent an open letter to the President of the Constitutional Council on March 23, 2026, demanding the publication of the reasoned opinion regarding the extension of the deputies' mandate. This request comes as the National Assembly prepares to examine a bill on the second extension of the deputies' mandate.
Article 15(4) of the Cameroonian Constitution authorizes the President of the Republic, in the event of a serious crisis, to extend or shorten the mandate of deputies after consulting the President of the Constitutional Council and the bureaus of the National Assembly. Furthermore, Article 37 of Law No. 2004/004 of April 21, 2004, amended by Law No. 2012/015 of December 21, 2012, stipulates that the reasoned opinion of the Constitutional Council must be published in the Official Gazette. This publication is essential to guarantee transparency and allow citizens to understand the reasons behind the presidential decision.
The lack of publication of this opinion raises concerns about compliance with legal procedures and the transparency of the process. Abdouraman Hamadou Babba emphasizes that this omission deprives Cameroonians of crucial information to assess the constitutional conformity of this second extension. The reasoned opinion is a democratic guarantee, as it sets out the legal justifications for the position of the constitutional authority. Without this publication, it becomes difficult to verify whether the procedure followed complies with the texts.
In the short term, the bill is being examined without the deputies having had knowledge of the opinion of the Constitutional Council, which undermines the legitimacy of the decision to be taken. In the long term, failure to comply with the publication requirement creates a potentially dangerous precedent, where constitutional review loses its public value and institutional transparency is compromised.
Abdouraman Hamadou Babba's approach highlights a fundamental question: in a democracy that respects the laws, is it acceptable to legislate on the extension of a mandate without citizens having access to the constitutional opinion that justifies it? The Constitutional Council, guarantor of respect for the Constitution, is responsible for ruling on the constitutionality of laws and ensuring the regularity of elections. The expectation of the publication of the reasoned opinion is therefore high, in order to preserve citizens' confidence in the institutions and the democratic process.
If the law is adopted, it will be implemented as a matter of urgency and published in both French and English in the Official Gazette.
