Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1694577250032.pdf (Cameroon)
REPUBLIC OF CAMEROON REPUBLIQUE DU CAMEROUN Peace – Work – Fatherland Paix – Travail – Patrie -------- -------- NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ASSEMBLEE NATIONALE ------------ ------------ SPEAKER’S OFFICE ------------ 9th Legislative Period -------------- LEGISLATIVE YEAR 2018 ---------------- 3rd Ordinary Session --------------- (November 2018) CLOSING SPEECH BY THE RT HON.
CAVAYE YEGUIE DJIBRIL SPEKAER OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY Yaounde, 1 December 2018 1 - The President of the Senate; - Mr Prime Minister, Head of Government; - The President of the Constitutional Council; - The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; - The Attorney General of the Supreme Court; - Members of Government; - Your Ambassadors Excellencies, and Representatives of International Organizations; - Honourable Members of the National Assembly and Dear Colleagues; - Distinguished Members of the Civil Society; - Dear Guests; - Ladies and Gentlemen; The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has just announced the withdrawal of the organization of the 2019 AFCON from Cameroon at the time the 3rd Ordinary Session of the National Assembly for the 2018 legislative year is drawing to a close.
The People’s Representatives have taken note of this decision.

They are asking the Cameroonian people to remain calm and to continue to go about their activities with serenity.

Cameroonians should show proof of maturity and patriotism in the face of the happening.

Let us avoid hijacking it especially for secret aims.
2 The session now drawing to a close was a historic session marked by a historic event namely: the swearing-in of the President of the Republic, His Excellency PAUL BIYA, on 6 November 2018 in this same House Chamber of the sovereign people.

May I once again express my joy with the holding of this event which was the endorsement of the massive will expressed by the Cameroonian people during the 7 October 2018 poll.
I equally wish to commend and re- extend our deferential congratulations to the man who was given the place of honour on 6 November 2018.

We wish him total success.

- Your Excellencies; - Ladies and Gentlemen; From the legislative standpoint, the session now ending saw the scrutiny and adoption of eight bills including the important Finance Bill of the State for the 2019 financial year – a draft budget that balances off in 3 revenue and expenditure at the sum of 4,850 billion 500 million CFA francs.
I wish, without further ado, to express my total satisfaction with my colleagues of the National Assembly for the job done.

In spite of the deadline- related constraints, they were able, with total efficiency and a lot competence, to scrutinize in detail, the draft budget tabled before them.

My unreserved congratulations to Honour Colleagues.

This is proof that you have really mastered all the intricacies of the law relating to the new Fiscal Regime of the State.
This means that the seminar which we organized in that regard last November 16th was useful and beneficial.

As a reminder intended to enlighten every one, the Law relating to the new Fiscal Regime of the State was voted on 11 July 2018.

It is henceforth perceived as the 4 Fundamental Law on the Management of Public Finances.

At the time when Cameroon has embarked on consolidating its budget equilibrium, this law seeks to restore discipline and orthodoxy in the management of public affairs.
This means that after you, Dear Colleagues, the ball is now in the Government’s court.

To Members of Government headed by the Prime Minister, I equally express my satisfaction with their availability throughout the session.
- Mr Prime Minister, Head of Government, I would like to point out with your backing that the 2019 budget of the State of Cameroon is the very first budget to be executed under the aegis of the “Greater Opportunities” policy launched on 6 November 2018 by His Excellency PAUL BIYA, the re-elected President of the Republic.

During his oath-taking before the Cameroonian people, the Head of State unveiled his manifesto with a set of commitments.
5 I am and remain convinced that your Government including yourself assimilated all these commitments.

In any case, through Government’s action, the 2019 budget should enable the Head of State to kick-start the implementation of his manifesto in order to honour his commitments and fulfill his promises for the welfare of his compatriots.

However, I wish to mention here an issue that is of prime concern to me: the need to fast-track the decentralization process.
Beyond purely organic or institutional actions, decentralization must be a vector of peace, unity in diversity, stability and development.

If the extension of competences to local authorities is well carried out as announced by the President of the Republic, it will bring fresh impetus to Cameroon’s development from the grass-roots level.
6 As for the case of the North West and South West Regions in particular, decentralization will surely be a tool to redress the frustrations and dissatisfaction felt by our compatriots of these two Regions.
- Ladies and Gentlemen, Since we are talking about the North West and South West Regions, I would like, from this People’s rostrum, to also hail an important development which might have passed unnoticed to us in this House as we were busy with our deliberations and for which I thank the media and particularly the media organ that reported the issue - I mean the decision of the United Kingdom High Court of Justice, Queen’s Bench Division.
This high court to which the Secessionists referred the matter to invalidate the results of the 1961 referendum that led to the re-attachment of the British Cameroon to “La République du Cameroun” simply dismissed the 7 litigants, declaring itself incompetent to entertain the matter.

Obviously, I am deeply satisfied with the decision of the United Kingdom High Court of Justice, Queen’s Bench Division.
I also wish to unequivocally state here and now that a nation’s history cannot be wiped off, even with a magic wand.

The 1961 plebiscite is an integral part of the history of Cameroon and is part and parcel of the heritage that we will bequeath to posterity.

Instead of continuing to decimate the North West and South West Regions, it is high time the separatists drew all the necessary lessons from the decision of the United Kingdom High Court of Justice, Queen’s Bench Division.
They should understand that their separatist claims are and will remain null and void.

Cameroon remains and will remain one and indivisible.

They have one single option left: to heed to the Head of State’s appeal to lay down their arms.
8 Let me remind them of the statement made by the President of the Republic during his swearing-in ceremony on 6 November 2018, and I quote: “they should know that they would not only have the law to contend with, but also our determined security and defence forces”, unquote.

This encapsulates everything.

It is never too late.


I expect our misguided compatriots to get back to the right track and to join the other Cameroonians so that with His Excellency President Paul BIYA we can continue the task of nation-building.

Together, let us contribute to the emergence of our dear and beloved fatherland, Cameroon.
May I use this opportunity to equally say with joy, the publication yesterday of the Decree of the President of the Republic establishing the National Committee charged with the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration of Boko Haram ex-fighters and the armed 9 groups in the North West and South West Regions.

The field is therefore marked out for all those who will be willing to lay down their arms as a favourable response to the Head of State’s peace appeal.

It is an opportunity worth seizing.


- Your Excellencies, - Honourable Colleagues, - Distinguished Guests, - Ladies and Gentlemen, As good news and following the President of the Republic’s high approval, I wish to announce to the People’s Representatives and to all our fellow compatriots that the Yaounde African Parliamentary Institute (IPAY) has effectively been established.

The constitutive acts of this institution will be signed during a solemn ceremony on Monday, 3 December 2018.
10 Before I round off my speech, I would like, from the bottom of my heart, as tradition demands, to wish all and sundry, your respective families and relations a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year 2019 in advance.

On that score, I declare closed the 3rd Ordinary Session of the National Assembly for the 2018 Legislative Year.

Long Live the National Assembly!

Long Live Cameroon and its Illustrious Leader, His Excellency Paul Biya, President of the Republic, Head of State.

Thank you.

11