Biya Secures eighth Term as Cameroon‘s President
Paul Biya has been re-elected as President of Cameroon, extending his decades-long rule into an eighth consecutive term. The Constitutional Court confirmed the results, showing Biya, aged 92, secured 53.66% of the vote in the October 12th election. this victory grants him another seven-year mandate leading the Central African nation.
The primary opposition candidate, Issa Tchiroma, received 35.19% of the vote, according to the Associated Press. Tchiroma prematurely declared victory two days after the election and called for Biya to concede,a claim refuted by Biya’s Democratic Movement of the Cameroonian people (CPDM).
The election period was marked by unrest. Tchiroma alleged vote manipulation, leading to the arson of a CPDM office in Dschang, West Cameroon. He subsequently called for protests, resulting in demonstrations in Douala where roads were barricaded and tires burned. Clashes between protesters and police resulted in reported fatalities, with Tchiroma claiming at least four people lost their lives.
Biya has been in power since 1982, becoming the longest-ruling non-royal national leader in the world. He leads a nation of approximately 29 million people that gained independence from France in January 1960. Concerns regarding Biya’s health are frequent, as he spends a meaningful amount of time in Europe, delegating daily governance to party officials and family members.
Cameroon currently faces significant internal challenges, including ongoing conflict in the western regions between government forces and English-speaking separatists who feel marginalized by the French-speaking majority. The country also contends with the spread of the Boko Haram insurgency from Nigeria in the north, and widespread corruption that hinders growth.
Biya’s lengthy tenure is consistent with a trend of long-term leadership seen in several African nations, including Equatorial Guinea (Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo since 1982), Uganda (Yoweri Museveni since 1986), and Eritrea (isaias Afwerki since 1993).
