Cameroon parliament elects new leaders, marking end of decades-long eras
YAOUNDE, March 17 (Reuters) - Cameroon's parliament on Tuesday elected Theodore Datouo of the ruling Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM) as its new speaker, state broadcaster CRTV reported, ending the 34‑year tenure of outgoing speaker Cavaye Yeguie Djibril, 86.
Datouo, 65, and Aboubakary Abdoulaye, 64 - an influential northern traditional leader - were chosen to lead the National Assembly and the Senate, respectively.
Abdoulaye succeeds Marcel Niat Njifenji, 91, as the Senate's president.
Their elevation marks a significant generational shift within the institutions constitutionally positioned to succeed President Paul Biya.
Biya, 93, the world's oldest serving ruler, won an eighth term in office in a disputed election in October.
His re‑election extended his nearly 44 years in power and could keep him at the helm of the oil- and cocoa-producing Central African nation until he is nearly 100.
