In Cameroon, the duration of parliamentary sessions has become a growing concern. Journalist Guibai Gatama questions whether the National Assembly can fulfill its constitutional mandate with just three annual sessions of 30 days each.

Guibai Gatama criticizes the current parliamentary calendar, which allocates only three ordinary sessions of 30 days annually. He argues this schedule leaves insufficient time for deputies to conduct essential functions such as government oversight, legislative voting, and citizen representation.

In practice, he notes, plenary sittings often last no more than two weeks per session, totaling barely a month and a half of effective work each year. This, he contends, falls short of addressing Cameroon’s pressing political, economic, and social challenges.

To support his case, Gatama compares Cameroon’s parliamentary schedule with regional peers. He highlights that Chad, Senegal, and Côte d’Ivoire conduct parliamentary sessions for eight to nine months annually, while Nigeria’s legislature operates nearly year-round.

Advocating for longer parliamentary sessions in Cameroon

The journalist, who also founded the newspaper L’Œil du Sahel, argues that the National Assembly appears disconnected from national priorities. Gatama calls for reforms to extend parliamentary sessions, asserting that longer sittings would enhance government oversight, improve legislative scrutiny, and strengthen institutional ties with citizens.