Cameroon: Tchiroma contests election results, urges mobilisation

Cameroonian opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary officially rejected the results proclaimed by the
Constitutional Council on Tuesday, asserting that they do not reflect the reality of the election and called on Cameroonians to remain “standing, united, and determined.”

Tchiroma Bakary, who came in second, is contesting the official results following the re-election
of incumbent President Paul Biya, 92, who has been in power since 1982, for an eighth term with 53.66 percent of the vote.

According to Bakary, his own count gives him 54.8 percent of the vote, and he believes that “the truth of the ballot box belongs to the Cameroonian people.”

In a statement released from Garoua, the opposition leader denounced a “rigged election” and a “hijacking of the people’s sovereignty,” while paying tribute to the victims of violence and reporting gunfire directed at civilians camped outside his residence.

“The assault has begun,” he declared. He urged his supporters to mobilise peacefully and called on the international community to “assume its responsibilities” in the face of what he described as
“oppression.”

On the same day, the government, through the Minister of Territorial Administration, Paul Atanga Nji, condemned these acts of violence and vandalism that occurred in several cities and reaffirmed the authority of the state.

“The law will prevail, and order will be maintained by all means,” declared the minister, accusing the opposition leader of illegal proclamation and incitement to insurrection.

He specified that several public buildings and private properties had been attacked or set on
fire in localities such as Bandja, Figuil, Mandjou, Ngong, Dschang, and Douala, resulting in loss of life and injuries among the security forces and civilians.

Atanga Nji emphasised the importance of controlling the security situation and called on citizens to remain calm and responsible, while warning that the perpetrators of these acts and the media outlets backing them would be prosecuted.

He urged Cameroonians to resume their normal activities and to respect the law and public order.

AC/te/Sf/as/APA