MARCH 2026 PARLIAMENTARY

Hon. Koupit Adamou Blasts Eldest MEMBER'S Opening Address

Hon. Koupit Adamou Blasts Eldest MEMBER'S Opening Address

The opening of the March 2026 parliamentary session at the Cameroon National Assembly has sparked controversy following sharp criticism from Koupit Adamou, Member of Parliament for the Noun constituency.

Speaking to reporters shortly after the ceremonial opening, Hon. Koupit Adamou openly lambasted the presiding officer, Soppo Marlise Toute, who chaired the session in her capacity as the eldest member of Parliament. In her opening address, Hon. Soppo Marlise Toute urged leaders of political parties to sensitise their militants and sympathisers to remain peaceful and act responsibly before, during, and after the upcoming municipal and legislative elections expected in the coming months.

However, Hon. Koupit Adamou described the remarks as hypocritical and incomplete, accusing the presiding officer of displaying bias in her appeal for peace.

According to the Noun lawmaker, the call for responsible behaviour should not have been directed solely at political parties and their supporters. Instead, he argued that it should also have addressed the institutions responsible for organising elections in Cameroon.

“The presiding officer should not only call on political actors to maintain peace,” Hon. Koupit Adamou stated. “She should equally have called on the body in charge of organising elections to review the bad laws that govern elections in Cameroon.”

The outspoken parliamentarian further stressed that credible and transparent elections require not only peaceful conduct by political actors but also reforms in the electoral framework to ensure fairness and public confidence in the process.

His remarks come at a time when the political atmosphere in Cameroon is gradually heating up ahead of the anticipated municipal and legislative polls, with several political stakeholders already raising concerns about the country’s electoral system and its regulatory framework.

The March session of Parliament is particularly significant, as it precedes key electoral deadlines and is expected to witness intense political debate within both chambers of the legislature.

Observers say the criticism from Hon. Koupit Adamou reflects broader tensions within the political class over the management and credibility of elections in the country, an issue that is likely to remain at the centre of national discourse in the months ahead.