vote by party--NA; seats by party--CDPM
109, SDF 43, UNDP 13, UDC 5, UPC-K 1, MDR 1, MLJC 1; note--7
contested seats will be filled in an election at a time to be set by
the Supreme Court
note: the constitution calls for an upper chamber for the
legislature, to be called Senate, which the government proposed to
establish in 1998

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges are appointed by the
president

Political parties and leaders: Cameroon People's Democratic
Movement or CPDM (government-controlled and the only party until
major opposition parties: Cameroonian Democratic Union or UDC
Frederick KODOG]; Union of Cameroonian Democratic Forces or UFOC

Political pressure groups and leaders: Alliance for Change or
general]

International organization participation: ACCT, ACP, AfDB, BDEAC,
C, CCC, CEEAC, ECA, FAO, FZ, G-19, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat,
Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ITU, NAM, OAU, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UDEAC, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNITAR, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO,
WTrO

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Jerome MENDOUGA
chancery: 2349 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador John M. YATES
embassy: Rue Nachtigal, Yaounde
mailing address: B. P. 817, Yaounde; pouch: American Embassy,
Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-2520

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist
side), red, and yellow with a yellow five-pointed star centered in
the red band; uses the popular pan-African colors of Ethiopia

Economy

Economy--overview: Because of its oil resources and favorable
agricultural conditions, Cameroon has one of the best-endowed
primary commodity economies in sub-Saharan Africa. Still, it faces
many of the serious problems facing other underdeveloped countries,
such as a top-heavy civil service and a generally unfavorable
climate for business enterprise. Since 1990, the government has
embarked on various IMF and World Bank programs designed to spur
business investment, increase efficiency in agriculture, improve
trade, and recapitalize the nation's banks. The government, however,
has failed to press forward vigorously with these programs. The
latest enhanced structural adjustment agreement was signed in
October 1997; the partie