The postponement of legislative elections, outside the constitutional calendar, continues to be debated in Cameroon. Opinions are divided between economic constraints and democratic demands. Because organizing elections at the national level represents a significant cost, in a budgetary context already under pressure, estimates Boutchouang Nghomsi Chanceline, president of the Think Tank Cameroon Youth Economic Forum:
“The organization of electoral deadlines mobilizes significant financial resources. In a context marked by tensions over public financing, as is currently the case, the State may be required to make trade-offs by favoring certain expenditures.
At the moment, Cameroon has an internal and external debt estimated at nearly 14,500 billion FCFA.â€
Is Cameroon living beyond its means?
For 2026, the state’s operating budget remains very high. It exceeds 8,000 billion FCFA. It is used in particular to pay civil servants, finance infrastructure and ensure the functioning of institutions.
But public finances are under pressure. The country spends more than it earns and must still find significant resources to balance its budget, i.e. 8% of this year’s budget. Result: the State is forced to resort to new loans to cover its needs.
In this context, the postponement of elections is presented by the government as a way to better organize spending and reduce financial pressure in the short term.
“There is money in Cameroon, everyone knows it,” launches Rodrigue Fofe, a taxi driver from Yaoundé, who doubts the argument put forward by the authorities. Before supporting his point of view in these words:“a call for tenders for tens of billions was launched just to renovate the Paul Biya monument in Sangmélima! Where does this money come from”?
The opposition denounces the violation of democratic principles
On the side of the opposition and civil society, the extension of the mandate of deputies, supposed to expire on March 31, is going badly. It is seen as a departure from democratic principles, especially since the mandate of municipal councilors is also being re-examined in Parliament, explains Marie Flore Mboussi, politician:
“It was expected that the electoral body would be convened by May. And now a new law has been introduced saying that the mandate of municipal councilors could now be extended beyond 18 months.” According to her, this situation “calls outbecause that we justify this by a financial deficit, but I absolutely don’t believe in it”, she protests. So, we are in a situation where democracy clearly no longer exists and where the people have understood and have begun to lose considerable interest in political questions.”she concludes.
A decision which, far from easing tensions, could on the contrary further widen the gap between the authorities and part of the population.
