New Parliamentarians Receive Attributes

The solemn plenary sitting to hand the attributes took place on Saturday, November 2, 2013.

Substantive candidates declared elected by the Supreme Court sitting as the Constitutional Council in the September 30, 2013 legislative election on Saturday, November 2, 2013 received their attributes investing them with powers of Members of National Assembly for the ninth legislative period of the Lower House of Parliament. The Chairman of the provisional bureau of the National Assembly, the eldest member of the House, Hon. Enow Tanjong presided at the solemn plenary sitting assisted by the two youngest Members of the National Assembly, Hon, Kwarmba Solange and Hon. Zoubainatou Salihou.

The historic event at the Ngoa-Ekelle National Assembly Hemicycle was witnessed by the President of the Senate, Marcel Niat Njifenji, cabinet ministers led by Prime Minister, Head of Government, Philemon Yang, some members of the diplomatic corps, a host of other dignitaries and close relatives of the new representatives of the people. Prior to the official handing of the attributes, the rapporteurs of the six Verification Boards constituted during the opening plenary sitting of the statutory session of the National Assembly on October 29 each presented reports of their work.

From the reports, all the 180 MPs were legible after the scrutiny of their files that were comprised of copies of birth certificates, non-conviction certificate and certificate of Nationality if necessary. After each report and the reading of the names of the MPs concerned, the presiding eldest member of the House declared them full Members of the National Assembly with the title, "Honourable". He also asked the Secretary General of the National Assembly, Victor Yene Ossomba to read out the names of the MPs.

The presentation of reports of the Verification Boards and the reading of the names of all the 180 new Members of the National Assembly were just a prelude to the handing of attributes to the MPs, the peak of the ceremony. The Secretary General of the National Assembly, Victor Yene Ossomba set the ball rolling as he personally put the sashes on the presiding Chairman of the provisional bureau, Hon. Enow Tanjong and pinned his insignia. The other members of the House followed suit with some helping others.

After the this exciting and long awaited phase of the plenary sitting, the MPs of the ninth legislative period already invested with powers to work, sang the National Anthem. Hon. Enow Tanjong then adjourned the plenary sitting giving way for festivities to take over in the esplanade and around the Ngoa-Ekelle National Assembly Glass Palace. What remains now is the election of the permanent bureau of the House for the remaining part 2013 legislative year. The first daunting task of the new MPs will be to vote the 2014 State budget during the November ordinary session coming up soon.