Politics:

The President of Cameroon is the Head of State (left) and Head of the Armed Forces. The President is given a broad range of powers, and is able to carry them out without consulting the National Assembly. He appoints the Prime Minister, who is Head of Government, and appoints to all civil and military posts of the state. He may also dissolve the National Assembly and, where circumstances so warrant, declare by decree a state of emergency which shall confer upon him special powers.

Legislative power is exercised by the Parliament, which presently is made up of only one house, the National Assembly. The National Assembly consists of 180 delegates and meets three times a year. The main responsibility of the Assembly is to pass laws, but rarely has it changed any laws or blocked the passage of legislation.

Judicial power is exercised by the Supreme Court, Courts of Appeal and Tribunals. Although the Constitution prescribes that Judicial Power be independent of the executive and legislative powers, in practice, the judiciary is subordinate to the executive branch's Ministry of Justice. The Supreme Court may review the constitutionality of a law only at the president's request.Cameroon is a member of both the Commonwealth of Nations and La Francophonie.

Cameroon has a multiparty system with the Ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) and the main opposition party the Social Democratic Front headed by Mr. John Fru Ndi, being the most well-known. Other political parties and their leaders are: Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC [Adamou Ndam NJOYA]; Movement for the Defense of the Republic or MDR [Dakole DAISSALA]; Movement for the Liberation and Development of Cameroon or MLDC [Marcel YONDO]; Movement for the Youth of Cameroon or MYC [Dieudonne TINA]; National Union for Democracy and Progress or UNDP [Maigari BELLO BOUBA]; Union of Cameroonian Populations or UPC [Augustin Frederic KODOCK].