The Constitutional Council of Cameroon has officially declared 92-year-old Paul Biya as the victor of the recent presidential election, granting him a staggering eighth term at the helm of the Central African nation. The announcement, delivered on Monday, confirms that the world’s oldest serving head of state secured 53.7% of the vote, extending a rule that began back in 1982. This political fixture, who has led Cameroon for over four decades, continues his reign despite widespread allegations of electoral misconduct and amid significant civil unrest.
The official proclamation has been met with fierce resistance from the opposition, who label the entire process a sham. Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former government minister who stood as a rival candidate and officially placed second with 35.2% of the vote, had already staked his own claim to the presidency.
He categorically rejects the Council’s findings. He was quoted as stating,
“The figures announced by the Council are a fiction designed to perpetuate a dictatorship. We have our own data, which shows a clear victory for the people, and we cannot accept this charade.”
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Violent Unrest Mars Election Aftermath
Tensions erupted into deadly violence in the economic capital of Douala in the days leading up to the result announcement. Reports from the ground indicate that security forces opened fire on opposition supporters using live ammunition.
The clashes have cast a long shadow over Biya’s victory, with human rights groups expressing deep concern over the state’s response to dissent. A local witness, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, said,
“The soldiers came and started shooting. People were just chanting ‘à bas la dictature’ (down with the dictatorship). They were not armed. We are not at war, we just want our votes to count.”
President Biya’s political endurance is a subject of global note. Having first taken power, he is only the second leader Cameroon has known since its independence from France in 1960. His tenure has seen the nation navigate periods of severe economic challenge and an ongoing, violent separatist conflict in its English-speaking regions.
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With this new term, the question of succession remains as distant as ever. As one political analyst in Yaoundé remarked,
“The system is built around one man. There is no clear successor, and the institutions have been weakened to ensure his continued rule. The country remains deeply divided, and this result will do little to heal those wounds.”
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The post Cameroon’s 92-Year-Old President Paul Biya Wins Eighth Term appeared first on iHarare News.
