Opposition leaders in Cameroon contest official election results as protests continue

YAOUNDE, Cameroon (AP) — Opposition leaders in Cameroon Tuesday contested the official results of the Oct. 12 presidential election after the country’s top court declared the world’s oldest leader Paul Biya winner as protests continued across the country.

Citizens began protesting in mid-October after opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary claimed victory as the official results were still being tallied. Since then, security forces have clashed with angry protesters in many cities including Douala and Garoua – opposition strongholds – and in the capital, Yaounde. At least four people have been shot and hundreds arrested as opposition supporters demanded credible results.

The Constitutional Council on Monday said Biya won the election with 53.66% against his former ally-turned challenger, Tchiroma, who received 35.19%. The results are final and cannot be appealed.

International bodies and human rights organizations on Tuesday condemned the violent response to the protests.

The European Union said in a statement Tuesday that it was “deeply concerned” by the violent repression of the demonstrations that took place on Oct. 26 and 27 and deploring the death by firearm of a number of civilians.

The U.N. Secretary-General echoed these concerns, calling on political stakeholders and their supporters to “exercise restraint, reject violence and refrain from any inflammatory rhetoric and hate speech.” Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International and other rights groups have also noted “excessive use of force” against protesters and have called for an investigation into the deaths.

The minister of territorial administration, Paul Atanga Nji, told reporters Tuesday that protesters “wreaked havoc” in several towns across the country prior to the official proclamation of the presidential election results.

“During these attacks, some of the criminals lost their lives. Several members of the security forces were also seriously injured during clashes with demonstrators,” Atanga Nji said without giving further details.

Shortly after being declared winner, 92-year-old Biya sent his thoughts to all those who have “unnecessarily lost their lives” and their families in the postelection violence.

But the opposition candidates rejected the results pronounced by the Constitutional Council. Tchiroma claimed victory two days after the election and last week called on his supporters to “come out in massive numbers.” On Tuesday, he called out the Constitutional Council for announcing “truncated results” and awarding “a fictitious victory” to Biya.

The lone female candidate in the election who emerged fifth, Tomaïno Ndam Njoya, said on Monday that the outcome of the election didn’t reflect the “sovereign will” of the people.

“They reflect a weakened electoral system, undermined by irregularities, manipulation and repeated violations of the law,” she said.

A group of eight local civil society groups previously noted several irregularities in the electoral process, including the presence of deceased voters on electoral lists, unequal distribution of ballot papers and attempts at ballot box-stuffing. But the African Union mission said the vote was “conducted largely in accordance with regional, continental and international standards.”

Biya is expected to be sworn in within 15 days of the official announcement of the results in consonance with Cameroon’s Constitution. He first came to power in 1982 following the resignation of Cameroon’s first president and has ruled since then, later benefiting from a constitutional amendment that abolished term limits.

Cameroon is an oil-producing country with modest economic growth, but young people say the benefits have not trickled down beyond the elites. According to World Bank data, the unemployment rate stands at 3.5%, but 57% of the labor force aged 18 to 35 works in informal employment.

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