All Constitution of Cameroon (From 1961 to 2008) in PDF

Cameroon's Constitution is the country's highest legal authority. The Constitution of Cameroon normally begins with a preamble and is divided into 13

Cameroon's Constitution is the country's highest legal authority. The Constitution of Cameroon begins typically with a preamble and is divided into 13 chapters.

The preamble specifies the rights that every Cameroonian citizen has. At the same time, the rest of the document identifies national symbols, the government's structure and functions, the legal procedure for amending the Constitution, the body in charge of this and how the Constitution may be administered.

Constitution of Cameroon (From 1972 to 2008) in PDF 

The 2008 Constitution of Cameroon, currently in force, replaced the 1996 constitution, which had replaced the 1984 Constitution replaced by the 1972 Constitution. The 1972 Constitution of Cameroon saw the end of the Federal system of government introduced in the 1961 independence Constitution. 

The 1961 Constitution was drawn as a Federation of two states ruled by a single President. After the British Southern Cameroonians, via a referendum, decided to join the Republic of Cameroon. 

In this article, we will look at the amendments of the constitutions of Cameroon from 1961 to 2008. Also, we will look at how to download the Constitution of Cameroon from 1961 to 2008. 

Amendments in the Constitution of Cameroon From 1960 to 2008

The Constitution of Cameroon was first drawn up on January 1,1960. Cameroon was defined as a unitary state, with a parliament house and its members elected under universal suffrage.

The changes in the Constitution of Cameroon began from 1961 to 2008. These changes shall be laid out below:

1961 Constitution of Cameroon and Amendment

This Constitution was drawn after the British Southern Cameroonians had joined the Republic of Cameroon. The delegates of the two Cameroons met at the Foumban Conference and drew up the 1961 Constitution of Cameroon, which is as follows:

• Cameroon was to be called the Federal Republic of Cameroon.
• Cameroon was federated into East and West Cameroon. East Cameroon was Francophone Cameroon, while West Cameroon was Anglophone Cameroon. 
• Each state had its own prime minister and legislative body. East Cameroon's legislative arm was made up of only one house, making it unicameral. West Cameroon's parliament consisted of two houses: the House of Representatives and the House of Chiefs. West Cameroon's legislature used a bicameral system.
• The Constitution established a strong federal government led by the President and supported by his vice, a cabinet, and a 50-member federal legislature.

This new Constitution went into effect on October 1, 1961. But later in 1969 and 1970, the following amendments were made:

• The life of the federal assembly was prolonged, and adjustments were made to the selection procedure of the prime ministers of the two states.
• In 1970, an amendment was made to the post of Vice President, i.e. the Vice President could not hold any other position in government.

1972 Constitution of Cameroon and Amendment

In 1972, a new Constitution was drawn up, which ended the Federal system, and Cameroon became the United Republic of Cameroon. 

On May 20, 1972, a popular referendum was held to validate the new Constitution. It was approved, and on June 2, 1972, President Ahmadou Ahidjo issued Decree No. 72-270, establishing the new document as law in Cameroon. 

The new Constitution had the following changes:

• The new government's legislative arm was now unified, with only one house – the National Assembly. The power of the National Assembly was significantly reduced.
• There were 120 seats in this unicameral National Assembly.
• The Speaker of the National Assembly was to succeed the President of the United Republic.

Later some amendments were made to the new Constitution of 1972, which were as follows: 

• The position of Prime Minister was introduced on May 9 1975.
• Another amendment, passed on June 29, 1979, made the Prime minister the President's successor.

1984 Constitution of Cameroon and Amendment

The 1984 Constitution saw three modifications of the 1972 Constitution, which were:

• To begin, he changed the country's name from the United Republic of Cameroon to the Republic of Cameroon. (Article 1)
• Furthermore, he dissolved the position of Prime Minister in article 5.
• However, in an emergency, any government member could exercise presidential powers. In this case, the interim President was not to change the law or government structure. He was not to touch the Constitution, and he was not to participate in an eventual presidential election that he would organize. Also, In article 7, he designated the Speaker of the National Assembly as the President's successor. 

1996 Constitution of Cameroon and Amendment

The 1996 Constitution of Cameroon had the following amendments:

• It established that Cameroon is now a decentralized unitary state. As a result, semi-autonomous regions were established in article 61 to replace existing provinces. 
• The Senate was established as the legislature's upper house in Article 14, while the National Assembly remained the lower house.
• Other new state organs were established, such as the Constitutional Court and the Economic and Social Council. 
• The new Constitution saw an increase in the President's term to seven years. 
• The successor of the President became the President of the Senate or Vice President as opposed to the Speaker of the National Assembly.

2008 Constitution of Cameroon and Amendment

The National assembly on April 10, 2008, voted for a bill to amend the 1996 Constitution. This amendment gave the President immunity from prosecution for acts as President and allowed him to run for re-election indefinitely. Other adjustments were made as a result of the amendment.

How to Download the Constitution of Cameroon from 1961 to 2008 in PDF

1. To download the Constitution of Cameroon, do the following:
2. Scroll down to the download section below and select the Constitution of Cameroon.
3. Click on the download link to download the Constitution of Cameroon for free in PDF format.

To get access to the complete copies of the Constitution of Cameroon in PDF, click the download links below.

• 1961 Constitution of Cameroon PDF 
• 1972 Constitution of Cameroon PDF
• 1984 Constitution of Cameroon PDF
• 1996 Constitution of Cameroon PDF
• 2008 Constitution of Cameroon PDF

See Also: 

• The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon PDF
• Full List of Ministries and their Ministers in Cameroon 2022 PDF
• List of Female Ministers and Female Senators in Cameroon
• How to Get Your Cameroon National ID Card Number