Cameroon’s 92-year-old president wins controversial eighth term

Cameroon’s 92-year-old president won a controversial eighth term in hotly contested elections.

Paul Biya, who is the world’s oldest head of state, won 53.7 percent of the vote compared to 35.2 percent for opposition leader Isa Chiroma Bakari, the Constitutional Council announced.

Before the announcement, Chiroma Bakari – a former Biya ally – insisted he had won the election, but the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) rejected his claim.

Elections held on October 12 were marred by deadly violence, and in recent days hundreds of supporters of Chiroma Bakari defied bans on protests in several cities and clashed with security forces.

On Sunday, at least four people were killed during protests in Cameroon’s economic capital Douala.

Regional governor Samuel Dudonnet Dubois said police posts were attacked and security forces defended themselves.

The unrest continued on Monday when a number of people were shot dead near Chiroma Bakari’s residence in the town of Garoua, a local journalist on the ground told the BBC.

Around the same time, the opposition leader wrote on Facebook that shots were being fired at civilians gathered outside his home. He later claimed that snipers were stationed in the house opposite his and were “shooting at people from point-blank range”.

The authorities have not yet commented on these reports.

The protesters condemned what they said was a plan by the ruling CPDM to “steal the victory” from Chiroma Bakari.

The situation is so tense in the capital Yaoundé that almost all shops and schools have remained closed, while most civil servants and office workers have stayed at home.

A total of 10 candidates contested the presidency, including former Prime Minister Bello Buba Maigari.

Voter turnout was 58%.

At least 10 petitions alleging electoral malpractice were rejected by the Constitutional Council.

Yaoundé residents voice their opinions on Biya’s controversial victory.

“We are at the beginning of another nightmare,” Amungwa Nicodemus told the BBC.

“The economy is declining, corruption is endemic, a lot of things are going wrong.

Another resident, Abolo Denis, urged Cameroonians to accept the result, saying peace was paramount.

“What struck me first after the results were announced was the silence – a graveyard silence,” said Vivian Muma from the northern city of Bamenda.

“Silence says everything. Cameroonians decided but those who (make) the decisions, they decided otherwise,” she said.

President Biya, who came to power in 1982, has yet to publicly address Cameroonians since his re-election on Monday, but the ruling party hailed his victory “under the sign of greatness and hope” in online posts.

He is rarely seen in public and is known to spend time outside of Africa in Swiss hotels. These long absences coupled with his advanced age in the past has led to rumored to be dead.

Although his leadership was praised for the expansion of schools and public universities, his consideration of the Bakassi dispute – in which the oil-rich peninsula was handed over to Cameroon instead of Nigeria – his tenure also faced criticism.

A violent separatist insurgency in the English-speaking West it has been running for almost a decade, unemployment is 40% for people under 35, roads and hospitals are crumbling, and freedom of speech is limited.

In recent days, analysts have warned that Cameroon, once a peaceful country, could descend into political turmoil if the election results do not reflect the will of the people.

“Biya now has an extremely volatile mandate, given that many of his own citizens do not believe he won the election,” Muriti Mutiga, Africa program director at the International Crisis Group, said in a statement.

“We call on Biya to urgently initiate national mediation to prevent further escalation,” he added.

With additional reporting by Natasha Buti