Cameroon 1972 Constitution (reviewed 2008)

PART X. REGIONAL AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES

Article 55

1. Regional and local authorities of the Republic shall comprise of Regions and Councils.Any other such authority shall be created by law.
2. Regional and local authorities shall be public law corporate bodies. They shall have administrative and financial autonomy in the management of regional and local interests. They shall be freely administered by councils elected under conditions laid down by law.The duty of the councils of regional and local authorities shall be to promote the economic, social, health, educational, cultural and sports development of the said authorities.
3. The State shall exercise supervisory powers over regional and local authorities, under conditions laid down by law.
4. The State shall ensure the harmonious development of all the regional and local authorities on the basis of national solidarity, regional potentials and inter-regional balance.
5. The organization, functioning and financial regulations of regional and local authorities shall be defined by law.
6. The rules and regulations governing councils shall be defined by law.

Article 56

1. The State shall transfer to Regions, under conditions laid down by law, jurisdiction in areas necessary for their economic, social, health, educational, cultural and sports development.
2. The law shall define:
   • the sharing of powers between the State and Regions in the areas of competence so transferred.
     
     the resources of the Regions.

     the land and property rights of each Region.

Article 57

1. The organs of the Region shall be the Regional Council and the President of the Regional Council.The Regional Council and the President of the Regional Council shall function within the framework of powers transferred to the Region by the State.
2. The Regional Council shall be the deliberative organ of the Region. Regional Councillors whose term of office shall be 5 (five) years shall comprise:
   • divisional delegates elected by indirect universal suffrage;
     
     representatives of traditional rulers elected by their peers.

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   The Regional Councils shall reflect the various sociological components of the Region.

   The system of election, number, proportion by category, rules governing ineligibility, incompatibilities and emoluments of Regional Councillors shall be laid down by law.

3. The Regional Council shall be headed by an indigene of the Region elected from among its members for the life of the Council.The President of the Regional Council shall be the executive organ of the Region. In this capacity, he shall be the interlocutor of the State representative. He shall be assisted by a Regional Bureau elected at the same time as himself from among the members of the Council. The Regional Bureau shall reflect the sociological components of the Region.
4. Members of Parliament of the Region shall sit in the Regional Council in an advisory capacity.

Article 58

1. A delegate, appointed by the President of the Republic shall represent the State in the Region. In this capacity, he shall be responsible for national interests, administrative control, ensuring compliance with the laws and regulations, as well as maintaining law and order. He shall, under the authority of the Government, supervise and co-ordinate civil State services in the Region.
2. He shall exercise the supervisory authority of the State over the Region.

Article 59

1. The Regional Council may be suspended by the President of the Republic where such organ:
   • carries out activities contrary to the Constitution;
     
     undermines the security of the State or public law and order;

     endangers the State’s territorial integrity.

   The other cases of suspension shall be laid down by law.

2. The Regional Council may be dissolved by the President of the Republic, after consultation with the Constitutional Council in all the cases provided for under paragraph (1) above.The other cases of dissolution shall be laid down by law.
3. The automatic replacement of the said organ by the State in the cases provided for under paragraphs (1) and (2) above shall be decided by the President of the Republic.
4. The conditions of implementation of this article shall be determined by law.

Article 60

1. The President and the Bureau of the Regional Council may be suspended by the President of the Republic where such organs:
   • carry out activities contrary to the Constitution;
     
     undermine the security of the State or public law and order;

     endanger the State’s territorial integrity.

   The other cases of suspension shall be laid down by law.

2. The President and the Bureau of the Regional Council may be dismissed by the President of the Republic, after consultation with the Constitutional Council in all the cases provided for under paragraph (1) above.The other cases of dismissal shall be laid down by law.
3. The automatic replacement of the said organs by the State in the cases provided for under paragraphs (1) and (2) above shall be decided by the President of the Republic.
4. The conditions of implementation of this article shall be determined by law.

Article 61

1. The following provinces shall become Regions:
   • Adamaoua;
     
     Centre;

     East;

     Far North;

     Littoral;

     North;

     North West;

     West;

     South;

     South West.

2. The President of the Republic may, as and when necessary:
   1. change the names and modify the geographical boundaries of the Regions listed in paragraph (1) above;
   2. create other Regions. In this case, he shall give them names and fix their geographical boundaries.

Article 62

1. The aforementioned rules and regulations shall apply to all regions.
2. Without prejudice to the provisions of this Part, the law may take into consideration the specificities of certain Regions with regard to their organization and functioning.