One of Cameroon's unwritten laws

Since multiparty democracy was re-introduced in Cameroon in the 90s, the ruling party (CPDM), through vote rigging, were almost always certain to be the dominant party in parliament. They were or are always assured that, they will produce the Prime minister. However, in Cameroon’s hybrid political system, where there is a mixture of presidential and parliamentary systems at play, the leading party in parliament produces the Prime minister, a post that is prestigious but albeit very ceremonial. In Cameroon again, there are some unwritten laws. One of those unwritten laws has it that, the post of speaker of parliament, is drafted to the people of the Greater Northern province, whereas, the post of Prime minister, has to go to the Anglophone region. But it was not certain, which parts or sections of the Anglophone region, the prime minister will come from or has to go to. This uncertainty made that, electoral results in Anglophone Cameroon, became the only adjudicator to determine where the president will make his appointment for the post of Prime minister. On face value, it sounded good. But it was an occasion, during every national election, for massive electoral frauds.

And in order to bend the results to their advantage, elite of Anglophone Cameroon in the divide within the region, formed caucuses, who rigged elections to their advantage. All in a bid to keep the ceremonial post of Prime minister. But in this exercise, those who fared better were Anglophones from the coastal part or South west province. This was so because; the coastal part never had a serious opposition party as was the case in the northern part of the Anglophone region otherwise known as the North West province. As a consequence, the northern region of Anglophone Cameroon could not pretend to have the post of prime minister. Meanwhile in Yaoundé, Paul Biya unlike his predecessor Ahmadou Ahidjo, who preferred or favoured elite of North West for prestigious ceremonial posts in Cameroon, he (Biya) waited for electoral results before deciding from which parts of Anglophone Cameroon he will appoint a prime minister. Ahmadou Ahidjo never wanted to give any prestigious posts to elite of the South west, because one of their elite, precisely late Dr E. M.L Endely was not a supporter of unification with French-speaking Republic of Cameroon in 1961. As far as Biya was concern, he seems not to care about pre 1960 politics of unification. He also never cared how the results of his party were achieved, as long as they were in favour of his party (CPDM). The transfer of Nguelemedouga to Mezam division of the North West province was celebrated by elites of the province because; they thought that, with Nguelemedouga, they will start hoping to come at the forefront of Cameroonian pro-government politics.