YAOUNDE – Cameroon’s constitutional council has upheld the decision by the country’s electoral body to exclude opposition leader Maurice Kamto from the October 12 presidential election.
While the firebrand political figure was sidelined, 92-year-old President Paul Biya whose candidacy also faced opposition, was cleared to run for what would be his eighth term in the oil-rich Central African nation.
If he were elected for another seven-year term, he could remain in power until he was almost 100.
Kamto was ruled out because a rival faction of the Manidem party which endorsed him presented another individual as a candidate, highlighting an internal squabble.
In his first public comments, Kamto said the decision was “arbitrary” and taken for political reasons.
Of the 83 candidates who submitted their applications to the electoral body, only 12 have been approved.
The reasons given by Elections Cameroon (Elecam) for the disqualification of the 71 range from incomplete files, non-payment of the required deposit, to multiple candidacies from the same party.
For many decades, President Biya has succeeded in maintaining a firm grip on power, making it difficult for him to lose elections.
The decision of political heavyweights Bello Bouba Maigari and Issa Tchiroma Bakary to challenge him appeared to make life more difficult, but some analysts believe they do not pose a significant threat to Biya.
Dr. Pippie Hugues, a policy analyst with Cameroonian think-tank Nkafu Policy Institute, argues that their alliance with the current regime lessens their credibility with opposition voters.
“Cameroonians need more than just a resignation to trust them,” he told the BBC. “Both have been with the system and watched the nation suffer.”
Dr. Hugues further suggested that the two northern candidates might be part of a political plot staged by the regime.
However, ruling party officials have portrayed the rupture as genuine, acknowledging that the CPDM could struggle to obtain as many votes from the north as before.
Historically, Cameroon’s opposition has been fragmented especially during elections, with analysts saying this has disadvantaged them.
Ahead of this year’s presidential election, there has been much talk about the need for the opposition to unite and harmonize strategies to take on Biya. But with each candidate prioritizing their own interests, it remains unclear if most – let alone all – of them would work together, despite the risk this could help the president. (BBC)
