The communique from the Presidency of the Republic of Cameroon announcing the cancellation of 2020 editions of Labour Day on May 1 and National Day on May 20, has got many to ponder and construe it base on their varied standpoint.
The Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh signed communique of April 22 on behalf of the President, spelt out that the annulment of both national and international celebrations is in compliance with the respect of social distancing to bar the spread of Covid-19.
This prompted News Upfront to sort out the legality of such cancellation from jurisprudencial experts.
Talking to News Upfront, Cameroonian International lawyer and LL. M Scholar at Fribourg University of Law School in Switzerland, Barrister Valery Orock explains that both days are generally considered as civil public holidays in Cameroon citing section 1(1)a and 2(1) of the 1973 Acts regulating public holidays in Cameroon.
While stipulating that the law however fails to define the circumstances under which such day can be cancelled, he believes that “the President of the Republic of Cameroon has simply taken advantage of the constitutional provisions of articles 8 & 9 of the 1996 Constitution of Cameroon as amended.”
The firebrand lawyer and defender of human rights alludes the Head of State to take exclusive preserves accorded him by the same constitution to address the people on the raison d’etre behind the cancellation of the civil public holiday, as a true republican.
Another legal mind, Nelson Lambris says though the day (National Day, 20th May) is itself debatable, a situation of force majeur warrants its cancellation.
“In the case of force majeur with Covid-19, he has the discretional power as to article 8 of the constitution, to do so”
This decision to cancel the dual celebrations to curb a possible spread of the killer virus during celebrative activities, have been lauded by some, while others claim the government is a selective respecter of the law when it favours herself than the interest of hapless populace.
By Macwalter Njapteh
