Stand-off in Cameroon as opposition rejects Biya’s re-election

WORLD’S OLDEST RULER

- PAVAN KULKARNI

PROTESTS rock Cameroon as its president 1982, Paul Biya, the world’s oldest and longest-serving head of state at the age of 92, is set to be sworn in for another seven-year-long term that will last until he is almost 100 years old.

On Monday, October 27, the Constitutional Council proclaimed him the winner of the election held on October 12, with 53.66% of the votes, ahead of Issa Tchiroma Bakary’s 35.19%.

Ahead of this announcement last Sunday, Tchiroma’s supporters took to the streets in Cameroon’s commercial capital, Douala, in response to his call for protest, alleging that votes were being manipulated, and demanding that his victory be acknowledged.

As the protests spread to several neighbourhoods of the city, the police used force, including live ammunition, to disperse the crowd, shooting and critically injuring several people. As news of the shooting spread, protests also erupted in several other cities, including Maroua, Meiganga, Kaélé, Bertoua, and the northern city of Garoua.

Garoua is Tchiroma’s hometown, where his supporters had already taken to the streets on October 21, crying fraud after the National Vote Counting Commission announced on October 20 that Biya had won as per the tally it was submitting to the Constitutional Council.

“With their backs against the wall, the people will have no choice but to take their destiny into their own hands and seek victory wherever they can find it,” Tchiroma retorted, hinting at further escalation.

Opposition parties, civil society groups, and other organisations filed eight separate petitions to the Constitutional Council, which is the body constitutionally authorised to announce the official results after validating the data compiled by the National Vote Counting Commission. Alleging widespread irregularities, including ballot stuffing and voter intimidation, petitioners sought partial or complete annulment of the election.