Biya Declared Winner of Cameroon Election Amid Fraud Allegations and Deadly Protests
YAOUNDÉ, Cameroon – Cameroon’s Constitutional Council has declared long-serving President Paul Biya the winner of the country’s presidential election, paving the way for him to extend his 36-year rule.
The court announced that Biya, 85, secured over 53 percent of the vote, effectively eliminating the need for a second-round runoff. The official results confirm his victory in the October 7 election.
The announcement follows days of heightened tension and opposition protests, which authorities say turned deadly, leaving at least four people dead. Security forces were deployed in significant numbers in the country’s economic capital, Douala, and other urban centers to quell the unrest.
The outcome is being fiercely contested by opposition supporters, who accuse the government of widespread electoral fraud. They are demanding that officials recognize their candidate, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who had previously claimed victory based on his campaign’s own tally.
Bakary’s supporters, along with other opposition leaders, have alleged irregularities including ballot box stuffing, voter intimidation, and the exclusion of many voters from the electoral rolls in opposition strongholds.
President Biya, one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders, first came to power in 1982. His latest term will extend his rule into a fourth decade, maintaining the political status quo in the Central African nation.
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