Senate - Standing Orders Ready For Adoption

The process of the effective putting in place of Cameroon's Senate is now going at a faster pace as the 25-member Special Commission created by the Provisional Bureau of the Upper House to scrutinize the Private Member's Bill N° 1/PPL/S on the Standing Orders of the Senate, finished its work on May 21, 2013 night.

After the commission members, headed by Thomas Tobo Eyoum adopt their report, the examined bill, with all the proposed amendments will be tabled before the entire Senate for adoption, though with no time stated for now. Sources in Parliament disclosed that the adopted Private Member's Bill will be forwarded to the Constitutional Council after which the President of the Republic will promulgate it. This will pave the way for structures proposed in it to be put in place for the Senate to effectively start work.

The bill lays down the organization and functioning of the Senate. It proposes a 17-member Permanent Bureau of the Senate comprising one President, one Senior Vice-President, four Vice Presidents, three Questors and eight Secretaries. As is the case with the National Assembly, the Senate can only start effective work after the promulgation of the bill on its Standing Orders and the election of its Permanent Bureau. The bill also proposes the creation of Parliamentary Groups in the Senate with Article 23 specifying that, "Members of the Senate may organize themselves into groups according to political party. No Group shall consist of less than 10 members. Senators may be allied to groups of their choice."

Should the Private Member's Bill on the Standing Orders of the Senate be promulgated, then, the Senate will have nine general Committees to consider matters referred to them. Each of the Committees will have 10 members.

Other issues contained in the Private Member's Bill include terms and conditions for tabling bills or resolutions, setting the agenda, organizing debates, immunities of Senators, vacancies, incompatibility and control of government action and administrative services of the Senate.