REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN
Peace – Work – Fatherland Paix-Travail-Patrie
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NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ASSEMBLEE NATIONALE
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SPEAKER’S OFFICE CABINET DU PRESIDENT
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10TH LEGISLATIVE PERIOD 10ème LEGISLATURE
2026 Legislative year Année Législative 2026 ——– ——–
1st Ordinary Session 1ère Session Ordinaire
(March 2026) (Mars 2026)
Yaounde, on 10 March 2026
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Stepping forward to serve as the new Eldest Member of the National Assembly of Cameroon after the death of our fellow Member, Honourable Laurentine KOA MFEGUE MBEDE, who served as the Eldest Member at the start of this 10th Legislative Period with a flourish, is, indeed, heartrending. First and foremost, I would like, in unison with all the members of the Provisional Bureau, to honour, from this rostrum, a wise parliamentarian and woman of scarce mettle by paying deserving tribute to her.
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We should all rise and observe a minute of silence in memory of our fellow Member who would remain a model on account of the standard she set in this House Chamber.
SILENCE
The Eldest Member of the Senate,
The Prime Minister, Head of Government,
The President of the Constitutional Council,
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court,
The Attorney General of the Supreme Court,
Distinguished Members of Government,
Your Excellencies, Ambassadors and Representatives of International Organisations,
Honourable and Fellow Members of the National Assembly,
Distinguished Representatives of Civil Society Organisations,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Despite the sorrow now perceptible in this House Chamber, I am duty-bound to warmly welcome all and sundry to the opening ceremony of the first Ordinary Session of the National Assembly for the 2026 Legislative Year at the Paul Biya Glass House, the National Assembly of Cameroon. The March 2026 Ordinary Session is beginning at a time when the expectations of the general public are legion.
Indeed, after the Presidential Election of 12 October 2025 was crowned with the swearing-in ceremony of the re-elected President of the Republic, His Excellency Paul BIYA, on 6 November 2025, the little we can echo, politically speaking, from what the Head of State disclosed is that a new government of the Republic and the twin parliamentary and municipal elections are awaited.
Talking about parliamentary and municipal elections, it is almost certain that they will be organised at a later date. Addressing the youths on 10 February 2026 on the eve of the Youth Day, the Head of State disclosed that a minor adjustment of the planned organisation of the twin elections is required. Now, even though a presidential decree is, pursuant to Section 170 (2) of the Electoral Code, necessary for deferring the date of parliamentary elections, Article 15 (4) of our country’s Constitution stipulates that a bill to extend the term of office of Members of the National Assembly has to be exclusively passed by the National Assembly. Hence, in addition to the statutory agenda of the first ordinary session of our House during a new legislative year, namely the election of the permanent Bureau of the National Assembly, and in cognisance of the 30 days earmarked for ordinary sessions, it is clear that the ordinary session beginning today would be crucial in conforming to the procedure for deferring the date of the awaited twin elections.
Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I would like to fervently appeal to all political parties that would take part in the twin elections to use the period before the twin elections to assume their responsibilities by effectively providing better guidance and education to their militants. The demerits of the standoff that ensued after the Presidential Election of 12 October 2025 now warrant us to ensure the awaited twin elections are organised by our country, Cameroon, in a peaceful atmosphere.
All things considered, councils have, thanks to important strides made in decentralising our country, become indispensable stakeholders in the socio-economic development of our country today. As such, care should be taken to ensure peace is maintained before, after and during the term of office of the imminent crop of councillors of Cameroon.
Similarly, the National Assembly, the citadel of our country’s democracy and the locus par excellence of political pluralism and freedom of expression, would need a peaceful atmosphere to carry out its primary responsibilities of passing laws and ensuring Government oversight. Cognisant of the ever-growing political maturity of our compatriots, I am confident that the latter would heed the appeal of the Eldest Member of the National Assembly.
I am pleased to disclose, before I round off my speech, that the National Assembly will play host to the 51st Plenary Session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF) in July this year. An organising committee has been set up to prepare for the Plenary Session, and so Parliamentarians, that is Senators and Members of the National Assembly, plus the parliamentary staff whose support is enlisted for the proper conduct of proceedings of the Plenary Session are requested to give their best and work in synergy to live up to the billing during the 51st Plenary Session of APF.
Lastly, a delegation of Cameroon’s parliamentarians paid a visit to Belgium to strengthen bilateral relations between our country’s Parliament and Belguim-Inter-Parliamentary Union. The delegation was led by our fellow Member, Honourable EMAH ETOUNDI VINCENT DE PAUL.
Honourable and Fellow Members of the National Assembly,
While wishing you every success in your deliberations, I hereby declare open the deliberations of the first Ordinary Session of the National Assembly for the 2026 Legislative Year.
Long live the National Assembly!
Long live His Excellency PAUL BIYA, President of the Republic, Head of State!
Long live Cameroon, our beloved and beautiful country!
Thank you for your kind attention.
