Cameroonian President Paul Biya has received parliamentary approval to postpone the legislative and local elections to 2026.
Members of Biya's Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) are the majority in the National Assembly and have voted in favor of the bill to extend their mandate by one year until March 2026.
As a result, the legislative and municipal elections, which are usually held together, will take place after the 2025 presidential election.
According to François Wakata Bolvine, Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of relations with the assemblies, this postponement was necessary to "ease the electoral calendar.
This measure could, according to opposition parties, make it more difficult for them to contest the presidential election next year. Joshua Osih, opposition MP and president of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), stated at a press conference that the postponement of the elections was completely undemocratic.
SDF is firmly opposed to it," he said, as reported by Reuters. Furthermore, many political analysts and international observers are closely monitoring this decision, fearing it might affect the fairness of the upcoming elections.
The postponement could potentially favor the ruling party by disrupting the opposition parties' preparations.
The political situation in Cameroon remains tense, with heated debates about the country's democratic future.