Kenya | Protests: President William Ruto announces dismissal of almost his entire government

– Excellencies,
– Honorable Members of Parliament and dear colleagues,
– Dear guests,
– Ladies and gentlemen.

The deliberations of the National Assembly, which began on June 11, 2024, for the second ordinary annual session of the current fiscal year, end today. A full session, if ever there was one, marked by the examination and vote on twelve bills, including the one extending the term of office of Members of the National Assembly. Indeed, Article 15 of the Constitution, in its paragraph 4, provides that, and I quote: “in the event of a serious crisis or when circumstances require it, the President of the Republic may, after consulting the President of the Constitutional Council and the offices of the National Assembly and the Senate, ask the National Assembly to decide by law to extend or shorten his term of office.” End of quote. In this case, the expected electoral deadlines were all scheduled for 2025. These are the presidential, legislative, regional and municipal elections. Four major consultations, which would have installed Cameroon in a permanent electoral cycle, throughout the same year. The implications and other disruptions on the usual functioning of the country would have been enormous, not to mention the weight of the charges including the financing of the operations that this would have required in a single year.
By presenting this bill, the President of the Republic, His Excellency Mr. PAUL BIYA, intends to spread out the consultations over time in order to allow the various electoral stakeholders to have the necessary time for a serene organization, without rushing each of the deadlines. The objective is to avoid any dysfunction likely to taint the verdict of the ballot boxes.

The extension of the mandate of the Deputies therefore proved necessary in view of these particular circumstances.
Another bill that I would like to mention is the one on the Forest and Wildlife Regime. The examination and adoption of this bill were preceded by two meetings bringing together your elected representatives and organized by the Network of Parliamentarians for the Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystems of Central Africa (REPAR) headed by our colleague the honorable ZAM JEAN JACQUES. The aim was to educate the representatives of the people on the innovations contained in the text submitted to the National Representation before examination, in order to encourage relevant contributions during the debates.

Still in the balance sheet of the session that is ending, it is necessary to mention the holding of three sessions of oral questions, the examination of the Budgetary Orientation Document for the period 2025-2027 and the 29th forum of exchanges between the Finance and Budget Committee of the National Assembly and the Chamber of Accounts of the Supreme Court. We do not forget the holding of the fourth Congress of Parliament, the Senate and the National Assembly, gathered to receive the oath of Mrs. Florence ARREY Rita, member of the Constitutional Council appointed by the President of the Republic, His Excellency Mr. Paul Biya.
News from the construction site of the new building for the National Assembly headquarters, I can confirm that the work is progressing smoothly. The various parties must meet the prescribed deadlines. To date, this work is at the finishing stage. The equipment for the offices, cabinets and other structures has been ordered. Their delivery should not be long.

I would like to take this opportunity to once again express the gratitude of the National Assembly to the Head of State, His Excellency Mr. Paul Biya, for his personal involvement in the conduct of this project. Just as we will continue to express our sincere thanks to the People’s Republic of China for this immense work offered to Cameroon. It is the materialization, like others in the past, of the excellent relations that exist between Beijing and Yaoundé.
I have therefore instructed the Monitoring Committee to organise a visit to the construction site by the entire House. I announce that the said visit will take place this afternoon from 2 p.m. I am counting on the effective presence of each and every one.

– Excellencies
– Ladies and gentlemen
As the curtain falls on our work, allow me to note with you, a certain lull in what some and others have called the standoff between the Government and the Cameroon Football Federation, FECAFOOT. A conflict born, we believe, from the appointment of the staff, who should preside over the technical destinies of our national eleven, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.
I would like to believe that this lull is not misleading, like this fire that smoulders under the ashes. So I have great hope that reason is beginning to prevail and that serenity will soon be total both in the ranks of the players themselves and in those of the leaders, whether technical, administrative or governmental.
I do not think I am wrong in saying that, like other disciplines, football is a ferment, a ferment of unity, fraternity and living together. Its vocation, let us affirm again, is to bring together and not to divide.
Congratulations and encouragement to the Indomitable Lions of football. Go lions! May victory always be with you!

That said, I wish you a safe return to your respective constituencies, for some, and to your usual activities for others.
I declare the work of the second ordinary session of our Chamber for the legislative year 2024 closed.

– Long live the National Assembly;
– Long live His Excellency, Mr. PAUL BIYA, President of the Republic, Head of State;
– For Cameroon to live, our dear and beautiful country

Thank you