Cameroon’s President, Paul Biya, 92, has been re-elected for an eighth term in office, securing 53.7 percent of the votes, according to results announced by the country’s Constitutional Council on Monday.
Biya, the world’s oldest serving head of state, defeated his closest rival and former government minister, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who polled 35.2 percent. The October 12 election results were declared amid rising tension and allegations of electoral irregularities.
Ahead of the official announcement, at least four people were killed in clashes between security forces and opposition supporters protesting alleged vote rigging. Authorities said the unrest occurred after Tchiroma called for peaceful demonstrations, despite a government ban on public gatherings.
In Douala, the country’s largest city, protesters reportedly attacked police stations and a gendarmerie brigade before security forces dispersed them with tear gas and live ammunition. Witnesses said several demonstrators were shot during the confrontation.
Tchiroma, who claimed he won 54.8 percent of the votes in his own tally, has rejected the official results, calling Biya’s victory “a fraud against the people.”
Biya, who has ruled Cameroon since 1982, remains the nation’s second leader since independence from France in 1960. His critics accuse him of maintaining power through authoritarian means, suppressing opposition, and failing to resolve the country’s ongoing political and separatist crises.
