The President of the Republic of Cameroon, Paul Biya who doubles as Vice Patron of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, CPA on October 6 chaired on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II of the UK, the official opening ceremony of the 60th Conference of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

The CPA in 1989 created the constitutional posts of Patron and Vice Patron.

The President and Vice President is each elected for one year by the General Assembly.

The President is nominated by the branch to host the next CPC and the Vice President by the branch to host in the succeeding year. As the CPA tradition holds, Queen Elizabeth II, as the Head of the Commonwealth, is CPC Patron.

The Vice Patron is the Head of State or Government of the branch hosting the CPA conference. Thus, the 2014 Vice Patron is President Paul Biya of Cameroon.

Ahead of the official opening, security was beefed up both in hotels where Cameroon’s August guests are played host to and at the Yaoundé Conference Centre that will host key deliberations.

As of press time over the weekend, the flags of some 51 member countries of CPA were proudly floating at the esplanade of the conference centre.

In prelude to this giant event that is placing Cameroon at the spotlight, the country’s parliamentary authorities led by House Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon Cavaye Yeguie Djibril and Senate President, Niat Njifenji Marcel left no stone unturned in order to ensure that the 60th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference, CPC, which began last October 3, 2014, with the Commonwealth Women’s Parliamentarians’ Steering Committee meeting, goes on hitch-free.

In line with this, he held final evaluation meeting of preparation last October 2 at the Ngoa Ekelle Glass House after which he went visiting the main venue of the conference which is the Yaoundé Conference Centre. There he received assurance from the Managing Director that everything was set to receive the august guests for the deliberations.

Christophe Mien Zock showed them round various boardrooms, the conference hall to receive the over 800 delegates, and the giant makeshift outdoor restaurant for feeding guests.