Cameroon: Tensions mount over election results

Cameroon continues to experience unrest over the presidential election results, which reelected President Paul Biya, according to a report by Africa News and agencies on October 29th.

The results were released on October 27th, and Biya won with 53.66% of the vote, which marks his eighth consecutive term in office, which he has held since 1982. However, both Biya and his opponent, Issa Tchiroma, claimed victory on October 20th, before the results from the October 12th election were released; the opposition has contested the results, which cannot be appealed.

Biya’s win has secured him another seven-year term in office, which the 92-year-old hopes to hold until he is nearly 100 years old. His administration has faced accusations of corruption, embezzlement, poor governance, and a failure to address key issues; his age has also raised questions about his ability to govern Cameroon effectively.

The results were released by the Constitutional Council and have been rejected by Tchiroma, who called them “truncated results” that were designed to grant Biya a “fictitious victory.” Tchiroma urged his supporters to protest against the alleged electoral fraud.

Tomaïno Ndam Njoya, the only female candidate in the race, stated that the results failed to reflect the Cameroonian people’s “sovereign will.” She denounced alleged widespread irregularities, manipulation, and “repeated violations of the law.”

Before becoming President, Biya served as Cameroon’s Prime Minister and succeeded his predecessor constitutionally.

Cameroon’s Interior Minister, Paul Atanga Nji, under Biya’s administration, stated on October 28th that Tchiroma could face legal action over his alleged incitement of protests across the country, which “wreaked havoc.”

He confirmed that some demonstrators died in confrontations with security forces as protests against alleged electoral fraud swept the country. One such death was that of Zouhairatou Hassana, a young teacher who neighbours claim was shot dead by a police officer on October 21st as the country awaited the results of the contentious election.

Supporters of Tchiroma took to the streets two days prior to the election, on October 10th, as the candidate asserted that Cameroon already had a “system in place that allows us to know exactly who did what within 24 hours after the vote.”

Young Cameroonians were reportedly keeping watch outside Tchiroma’s house on October 20th, fearing that Biya’s government would arrest the opposition leader for his early claims of victory.

Another opposition candidate, Maurice Kamto, was excluded from the election by Cameroon’s Constitutional Court on August 7th. He was also subjected to a two-day police stakeout at his home on June 9th, which prevented him from leaving his building in Douala to meet with party members on June 8th.

Kamto previously spent nine months in detention after he contested the 2018 election results, which he alleged were rigged in Biya’s favour, a claim the government denies.

Africa News and agencies, Maghrebi.org