The Republic of Cameroon is a decentralized unitary state.[1]
In the Republic of Cameroon, the President of the Republic and the Parliament exercise 'State power' as per Article 4 of the constitution of Cameroon.[2]
'Executive power' is vested in the President and the Government.
A presidential election determines the President of the Republic. The presidential elections take place every seven years and the vote is made through direct, equal and secret suffrage. The President is elected by a majority of the vote cast for a term of seven years in office renewable only one time. (Constitution of Cameroon: Article 6)[3] The president of the Republic defines the policy of the nation, appoint the government officials and other senior administrative officials and define their function with respect to the policy he defines; the President of the Republic put an end to these appointment.
It is the duty of the Government to implement the policy of the nation. (Constitution of Cameroon: Article 11)The Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers lead the government. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President of the republic and the Council of Minister is made of ministers also appointed by the President of the republic on the proposal of the Prime Minister. The powers of the President of the Republic might be delegate by this one to the Prime Minister, any one of the Ministers or senior administrative officials of the State, Minister within their respective agendas.(Constitution of Cameroon: Article 10)
Pursuant to Article 14 of the 1996 Constitution (Law No. 96-06 of 18 January 1996), Legislative power rests with the Parliament which consists of The National Assembly (lower house) and The Senate (upper house). The Parliament has legislative power in matters relating to (a) The fundamental rights, guarantees and obligations of the citizen; (b) The status of persons and property ownership system; (c) The political, administrative and judicial organization; (d) The following financial and patrimonial matters; (e) Programming the objectives of economic and social action; and (f) The system of education in the country – Article 26. However, pursuant to Article 28 of the 1996 Constitution, Parliament may empower the President of the Republic to legislate by way of ordinance for a limited period and for given purposes. Such ordinances shall be tabled before the bureau of the National Assembly and the Senate for purposes of ratification within the time-limit laid down by enabling law.
The numerous administrations existing in Cameroon can be seen as the government in charge of the policy of the nation within the framework of their respective duties.
Originality, the Republic of Cameroon was divided into provinces. The appellation "regions" came with the Amendment of the Constitution of 1996. The regions are the primary subdivisions in Cameroon. Here are the ten regions of Cameroon: Adamawa, Center, East, Far North, North-West, West, South, South-West,Littoral and North .
Considering the fact that the Law No. 96-06 of 18 January 1996 did not yet came into force, a region is under the authority of a Governor appointed by Presidential Decree meaning that the governor represents the authority of the President of the Republic and implicitly upholds the authority of the State in the province/region where he is appointed. Each Ministers assigns to each region a competent provincial delegate in charge of implementing the policy of the state in his province within the framework of the responsibility assigned to their respective Ministerial department. For example, the Minister of Public Health appoints to each province a Delegate in charge of Public Health to coordinate the duty assigned to the Ministry of Public Health at the regional level. It is the same for all the Ministerial departments. With the collaboration of provincial delegates, the governor covers the general administration and co-ordination of the work of the civil service in the province, with the exception of those aspects that fall within the remit of the Minister for justice. And we also have to notice that all local government officials are employees of the central government's Ministry of Territorial Administration, from which local governments also get most of their budgets.As the country is subdivided into regions, the regions are subdivided into departments.
There are 58 departments in Cameroon. As in the French model, the capital of a department is called "prefecture" (préfecture in the French language). A department is under the authority of a Prefect (in French préfet) appointed by Presidential decree meaning that the prefect upholds both the authority of the State and implicitly the authority of the region at the local level. Each Ministerial department appoints to each department a departmental delegate in charge of preparing and implementing the policy of the state in his department within the framework of their respective agenda. For example, the Minister of Secondary Education appoints to each department a delegate in charge of secondary education to coordinate the duty assigned to the Ministry of Secondary Education at the local level.
We have to acknowledge the fact that the French's word arrondissement is translated "district" in English pose a problem in the context of the subdivisions in Cameroon. Departments are subdivided in "arrondissements", and "arrondissements" are further subdivided in districts. As it is the case for the French's administrative division, the capital of an arrondissement is a sub prefecture (translate in French sous-préfecture). An arrondissement is under the authority of a sub-prefect (translate sous-préfet in the French language) who upheld the authority of the state in the arrondissement.