Cameroon's Aging Leader Wins Election Amid Protests and Allegations of Vote Manipulation

Strategic Insights -

The election of Paul Biya, Cameroon's 92-year-old president, has been met with widespread protests and allegations of vote manipulation after days of clashes between security forces and opposition supporters. Biya has held power since 1982, longer than most citizens have been alive, and his decision to seek another term has angered the youth and opposition. The Constitutional Council announced that Biya received 53.66% of the votes, while his former ally, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, received 35.19%. The election has highlighted the growing tensions between Africa's youth and its aging leaders.

Key Takeaways:

  • Over 70% of Cameroon's population of almost 30 million is under 35, with many young people expressing frustration with the lack of change under Biya's rule.
  • Biya has been in power since 1982, and his health has been a topic of speculation, with many speculating that he spends most of his time in Europe, leaving governance to key party officials and family members.
  • The election has been marred by allegations of vote manipulation, including the presence of deceased voters on electoral lists, unequal distribution of ballot papers, and attempts at ballot box-stuffing.
  • Biya's party members have dismissed allegations of vote manipulation, with the president himself stating that his "first thoughts are with all those who have unnecessarily lost their lives" as a result of post-election violence.
  • At least four protesters were shot dead on Sunday in Douala, the economic capital, as hundreds of people stormed streets in several cities, with dozens of opposition supporters, activists, and leaders arrested in recent days.
  • Cameroon's government has said that over 5,000 national and international election observers were accredited to monitor the election, but a group of eight local civil society groups noted several irregularities.
  • The vote was "conducted largely in accordance with regional, continental, and international standards" according to the African Union mission, but many critics have accused Biya of manipulating the election.

Statistics:

  • 70% of Cameroon's population is under 35 (over 20 million people).
  • 57% of Cameroon's labor force aged 18 to 35 works in informal employment.
  • 3.5% unemployment rate in Cameroon (World Bank data).
  • 7,000 people killed in Cameroon's Anglophone crisis (secessionist insurgency) since 2016.
  • Over one million people displaced in Cameroon's Anglophone crisis since 2016.
  • Biya has been in power since 1982.

Sources:

  • "New Delhi Times"
  • "Cameroon's 92-year-old President Paul Biya Wins Election Amid Protests and Allegations of Vote Manipulation" (New Delhi Times)
  • World Bank data
  • African Union mission
  • National Democratic Institute for International Affairs
  • HT Digital Content Services