 BIRTH AND SCHOOLING |
Born on 13 February 1933 in MVOMEKA’A (Meyomessala Sub-Division, South Province), of the late Etienne MVONDO ASSAM and late Mrs MVONDO née Anastasie EYENGA ELLE.
First school leaving Certificate: June 1948 (Ndem Catholic Mission School).
Saint Tharcissus Vocational Orientation School, Edea (1948-1950).
Saint Joseph Minor Seminary, Akono (1950-1954)
B.E.P.C: June 1953
Lycée Général LECLERC (1954-1956)
Baccalaureate, Part II (specialization: philosophy): June 1956
Lycée Louis le Grand, Paris.
Université de la Sorbonne, Paris : Faculty of law.
Institut des Etudes Politiques (Institute for Political studies), Paris.
Institut des Hautes Etudes d’Outre-Mer, Paris.
Degrees : Licence en Droit Public (Degree in Public Law), Diplôme de l’institut d’Etudes Politiques, Diplôme de l’institut des Hautes Etudes d’Outre-Mer, Diplôme d’Etude supérieures en Droit Public (Post-graduate Diploma in Public Law).
| CAREER |
Chargé de Mission at the Presidency of the Republic: October 1962.
Director of the Cabinet of the Minister of National Education: January 1964.
Secretary General of the Ministry of National Education: July 1965.
Director of the Civil Cabinet of the President of the Republic: December 1967.
Secretary General of the presidency of the Republic and director of the Civil Cabinet: January 1968
Minister, Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic: August 1968
Minister of state, Secretary General of the Presidency of the Republic: June 1970.
Prime Minister 30 June 1975.
Prime Minister, successor of the President of the Republic in case of vacancy, by virtue of Law n° 79/02 of June 1979 to amend the Constitution.
He became President of the Republic, following the resignation of the former President, on 6 November 1982 (constitutional succession). At his inauguration, he centred his action on the democratisation of the political life, rigour in management, the moralisation of behaviour, and the strengthening of international cooperation.
Elected President of the Cameroon National Union: 14 September 1983.
Elected President of the Republic on 14 January 1984, re-elected on 24 April 1988 and 11 October 1992 (first presidential election through direct universal suffrage, with several suffrage, with several candidatures in Cameroon).
Elected President of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement after the transformation of the CNU into the CPDM, on 24 March 1985 in Bamenda.
By promulgating in the law on associations and political parties on 19 December 1990, Mr Paul BIYA restored multiparty in Cameroon (since 1stSeptember 1966, the country had been under a de facto one-party system). Today, nearly 168 political parties have been legalized.
The CPDM gained an absolute majority at the legislative elections of March 1997, and its candidate won the presidential election of October 1997. Despite those victories, the President of the Republic chose to form a cross-party government. Tree parties are represented in the government: the CPDM, the UNDP and the UPC. Seven parties are represented at the National Assembly: the CPDM, the UNDP, the SDF, the UPC, the UDC, the MLJD, and the MDR.
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| FAMILY LIFE |
Mr Paul BIYA has been married since 23 April 1994 to Chantal BIYA, after his first wife died on 29 July 1992. Mrs. Chantal Biya is the president of the “ Chantal Biya Foundation” ( faire un autre link vers TO fondation chantal Biya)
He has three children: Frank BIYA, Paul BIYA Jr and Anastasie Brenda BIYA EYENGA.
| HONORARY DISTINCTIONS. |
Mr Paul BIYA is a holder of several decorations and honorary distinctions, including:
Grand Master of the National Order (Republic of Cameroon);
Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (French Republic)
Great Commander of the medal of St-Georges (United Kingdom of Great – Britain and Northern Ireland);
Grand cross, special class (Federal Republic of Germany)
Grand collier of the Order of Ouissam Mohammadi (Kingdom of Morroco);
Great Commander of the order of Nigeria (Federal Republic of Nigeria);
Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit (Republic of Senegal);
Commander of the National Order of Tunisia
Doctor Honoris Causa from the University of Beijing (People’s Republic of China)
Laureat of the CEPS Award (1998).
| PUBLICATION |
Mr Paul BIYA is the author of a political essay entitled Communal liberalism (Macmillan publishers Ltd, London 1987). The book was translated from the French into English, German and Hebrew. In this book, President Paul BIYA announced the establishment of multiparty (which became a reality in 1990), after a temporary period under the one-party system. He explained his choice of economic liberalism and private initiative, while advocating national solidarity, a fair distribution of the fruits of growth, social justice, the emergence of culture based on creativity and the harmonious coexistence of values specific to the various communities which make up the Nation. Finally, he reasserted the need to modernize the State and to cooperate with other countries of the world.
| MAIN ACHIEVEMENTS. |
 Political |
Restoration of multiparty (nearly 168 parties legalized since 1990); setting up of the National Commission on Human Rights and Freedoms; Abolition of the administrative censorship of the press; creation of the following ministries: Economy and Finance, Communication, Culture, tourism, women’s affairs, social affairs, Environment and forestry, creation of the position of the prime Minister, Head of Government (before 1991, the prime Minister was not the Head of Government); creation (after revising the Constitution) of the senate, the Audit Bench, the constitutional Court, Regions (administrative devolution), several diplomatic missions abroad; admission of Cameroon into the commonwealth of nations and the francophone; organisation of the 32ndOAU summit in Yaounde.
| ADMINISTRATIVE |
Review of the General Rules and Regulations of the public service (special emphasis on the notions of job description and output); creation of 5 provinces (Adamaou, centre, far-north, north, south), 14 divisions, 100 sub-divisions and 53 districts; creation of the Armed Forces General Command, the Special Command Post and the presidential guard; creation of the Maroua, Garoua and Ebolowa Courts of Appeal. |
