Inaugural holder Ahmadou Ahidjo Website Official Website | Formation 1 January 1960 | |
 | ||
Appointer Paul Biya,
as President of Cameroon | ||
Under the current constitution of Cameroon, the Prime Minister of Cameroon is a relatively powerless executive. While the Prime Minister is officially appointed to be the head of government, the President retains most of the executive power and can fire the Prime Minister at will.
History
The position has existed in the eastern part of Cameroon since it gained its independence from France in 1960. When the western part gained independence from the British in 1961, the two halves of the Cameroon federation maintained their autonomy and each had a separate Prime Minister. In 1972, Cameroon became a unitary state and the position of Prime Minister was temporarily unfilled. In 1975, Paul Biya was appointed as Prime Minister for all of Cameroon. After Biya's succession to the Presidency, the post of Prime Minister did not exist from 1984 to 1991.