YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon – The Cameroon Renaissance Movement (CRM) has formally petitioned the African Union (AU) to intervene in what it describes as a “constitutional coup” orchestrated by the administration of President Paul Biya. In a press release issued April 23, 2026, the opposition party called for immediate sanctions, alleging that recent legislative changes and election postponements constitute an “unconstitutional change of government.”
The Vice-Presidency Controversy
The friction centers on Law No. 2026/002, adopted on April 14, which reintroduces the post of Vice-President. Unlike previous systems where the President of the Senate would step in during a vacancy, the new law allows the President to appoint a successor who would complete the remainder of the term without a popular vote.
In the release, CRM National President Maurice Kamto argued that this mechanism strips citizens of their political rights. According to the CRM, the provision “amounts to allowing the President of the Republic, elected by universal suffrage, to designate a successor to exercise the highest office without going through an election.”
Allegations of a “Constitutional Coup”
The CRM’s memorandum, sent to the AU Assembly and Commission on April 20, asserts that these actions violate the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG). The opposition maintains that the combination of an appointed successor and the repeated postponement of parliamentary and municipal elections since 2024 has created an “erosion of the legitimacy of representative institutions.”
The party specifically cited Article 4(p) of the AU Constitutive Act, which rejects unconstitutional changes of government. The release noted:
“The establishment of a non-elective succession mechanism, combined with the prolonged suspension of voting rights for parliamentary and municipal elections, immediately and permanently increases the risk of a serious political crisis, with direct implications for peace, security and national cohesion.”
As President Biya, 93, continues his eighth term, the CRM has characterized the current political trajectory as a shift toward hereditary rule. The release urged the public to resist the “establishment of a monarchy in Cameroon” and encouraged citizens to sign a national petition against the transfer of power.
The African Union has yet to issue an official response to the CRM’s request for sanctions. However, the complaint marks one of the most direct challenges to the Biya administration’s legal reforms in decades, signaling a deepening rift between the government and the opposition ahead of the 2026 legislative cycle.
