Paul Biya’s Central Committee Appointments: Mastering the Art of Legalism

  The recent appointments made by Paul Biya, the National President of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), have sparked intense debate. Many have questioned the legality of these appointments, citing three main concerns: Appointment Outside the CPDM Congress*: Critics argue that the appointments were made outside the CPDM congress, which they claim is a violation of party statutes. However, a closer examination of Section 24(2) of the CPDM statutes reveals that the National President has the discretion to appoint members to the Central Committee at any time. “substantive members of the  Central Committee, whose number cannot exceed 350, are…