New MPs Verify Mandates

The Members of the National Assembly of the ninth legislative period currently sitting in their statutory session will soon receive their attributes that comprise of sashes and insignia giving them full powers to exercise their term of office as representatives of the people for the next five years.

After the opening plenary sitting of the House for the statutory session on October 29, 2013 under the auspices of the provisional bureau chaired by the eldest Member of the National Assembly, Enow Tanjong, the new MPs yesterday, October 30, 2013 scrutinised their files. The 180 MPs were grouped into six Verification Boards for the purpose of scrutinizing the files of each of them. The ritual was in respect of Article 3 and 4 of the Standing Orders of the National Assembly. The documents scrutinized and validated include the certificate of non-conviction, birth certificate and certificate of Nationality if necessary.

Talking to Cameroon Tribune at the National Assembly yesterday, Hon. Awudu Mbaya of the Social Democratic Front, SDF who is serving the fourth consecutive term of office explained the importance of the verification of mandates of MPs. He said it was important to see whether an MP has not been involved in acts that do not warrant him to be given State attributes of Member of the National Assembly as well as parliamentary immunity. He said the Supreme Court sitting as the Constitutional Council only proclaims the legislative results and it is incumbent on the MPs themselves to verify their mandates.

With verification of the mandates of MPs already over, both old MPs who have been re-elected and the new ones are anxiously waiting to be given their attributes. The Secretary General of the National Assembly, Victor Yene Ossomba in an announcement to substantive candidates declared to have been elected at the September 30, 2013 parliamentary election said they shall receive their attributes during a solemn plenary sitting which shall be announced to them at the appropriate time after the verification of their mandates.