- Paul Biya, 92, won a controversial eighth term as Cameroon’s president after securing 53.7 percent of the vote
- His main opponent, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, condemned the results and alleged electoral fraud
- Large demonstrations broke out in Garoua and Douala as security forces clashed with opposition supporters
- Biya, who abolished presidential term limits in 2008, can now remain in power until he turns 100
Cameroon’s long-time leader, Paul Biya, has enjoyed a controversial eighth term in power, extending his reign that began in 1982.
Source: Getty Images
The 92-year-old leader was declared the winner by the Constitutional Council, receiving 53.7 percent of the vote in the October 12 election. The announcement means Biya could remain in power until his late 90s.
The results were read by Clement Atangana, president of the Constitutional Council, who declared Biya as “president-elect.”
Did Cameroon have free and fair elections?
His closest rival, former government spokesman Issa Tchiroma Bakary, got 35.2 percent of the vote. Tchiroma had previously broken ranks with Biya, rallying opposition groups and attracting large crowds across the country.
Minutes after the official announcement, Tchiroma rejected the results, calling the process “a sham” and insisting that he had won “without a doubt.” He accused the ruling party of falsifying the results and urged Cameroonians to defend what he called the “victory of the people.”
According to AFP, tensions quickly rose after the announcement. Tchiroma said that security forces killed two protesters outside his house in Garoua, where protest had broken out.
Were the protesters killed after the election in Cameroon?
He claimed that snipers were placed on rooftops to disperse the crowd. In Douala, four people are reported to have died after police clashed with opposition supporters. Witnesses said officers fired tear gas before using live ammunition.
Despite the unrest, the government insisted that the election was peaceful. Official figures showed a 46.3 percent voter turnout, reflecting widespread apathy and fear in parts of the country.
Other candidates, including Cabral Libii, Bello Bouba Maigari, and Hermine Patricia Tomaino Ndam Njoya, were far behind, each getting less than four percent of the vote.
Biya’s re-election cements his position as one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders. He took power for the first time more than four decades ago and abolished presidential term limits in 2008, paving the way for continued rule amid allegations of repression and electoral fraud.
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