The President of the Senate, Marcel Niat Njifeji, announced the death of Senator Rebecca Ankie Affiong on 1 March in Yaounde following an illness.

She was a senator for the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) in the South West region. She was on the CPDM list of candidates for the March 12 senatorial election. In fact, the CPDM has completely renewed the outgoing list in the South West region where the ruling party is the only one in competition.

The Electoral Code is silent on the death of a candidate in a senatorial election. The text states only on the death of an elected official in office. According to Article 155 of the said code, when such a case arises, a by-election is organised in the electoral district of the deceased elected representative in order to replace him/her. But this election only takes place if the vacancy occurs at least one year before the end of the legislature. This is not the case at present. The CPDM could therefore enter the Senate in the new term with one less seat in the South West region.