Cameroon’s long-serving President, Paul Biya, 92, has been re-elected for an eighth term with 53.7 percent of the vote, according to official results announced by the Constitutional Council on Monday.
Former minister and main opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary finished second with 35.2 percent. Tchiroma, however, had earlier declared himself the winner two days after the October 12 poll and called for nationwide protests.
Tensions escalated over the weekend, leaving four people dead in Douala after clashes between security forces and opposition supporters. The regional governor confirmed the casualties, while witnesses told AFP that police initially fired tear gas before using live ammunition.
Supporters of Tchiroma, who claims to have secured 54.8 percent of the vote against Biya’s 31.3 percent, have continued demonstrations demanding recognition of their candidate’s “victory.”
Despite widespread allegations of electoral manipulation, Biya’s win was largely expected. The nonagenarian leader Africa’s oldest head of state has maintained an unbroken grip on power since 1982, presiding over decades marked by political repression, economic inequality, and persistent separatist unrest.
