Eleven Cameroonian intellectuals, including Achille Mbembe, Akere Muna, Marie-Roger Biloa and Mimi Mefo, called for a constitutional transition in a tribune published in the French daily Libération on 5 October 2026. The signatories asked the competent authorities to declare a vacancy in the presidency, arguing that the country faces a deep institutional crisis after decades of governance by President Paul Biya.
The tribune states that the functioning of state institutions has been weakened by the president's prolonged absences and by what the signatories describe as a growing disconnect between the presidency and the government. It proposes seven principles for a transition, including respect for the constitutional framework of interim rule, an independent electoral body, the reopening of political space, and consideration of the country's Anglophone regions. The signatories also call for a national dialogue conducted in both official languages.
On 9 October, Grégoire Owona, the minister of Labour and Social Security and deputy secretary general of the CPDM central committee, responded in a text published on Facebook. Owona wrote that the Constitution recognises only three grounds for a presidential vacancy: death, resignation, or permanent incapacity confirmed by the Constitutional Council. "The Constitution does not recognise a de facto vacancy," he wrote, adding that "the Republic has no dauphin."
Sources
- 237 Actu Après 44 ans de pouvoir Biya, onze intellectuels proposent sept principes pour une transition
- 237 Actu Cameroun : Des intellectuels réclament une " transition constitutionnelle "
- Le Bled Parle Succession de Paul Biya : Grégoire Owona contre-attaque après la pétition d'Achille Mbembe et ses alliés
- Cameroun Actuel " La République n'a pas de dauphin " : Grégoire Owona relance le débat sur la succession de Paul Biya