Voting began across Cameroon on Sunday as citizens cast their ballots in a presidential election widely expected to give President Paul Biya another term in office. The 92-year-old leader, who has ruled the country for 43 years, is seeking to extend his long hold on power.
Biya faces 11 opponents, including his former ally and ex-employment minister, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, 79, who has drawn unexpected support among young voters.
Polling stations opened at 8:00 a.m. and will close at 6:00 p.m., with about eight million Cameroonians eligible to vote. Many of them have never known another leader besides Biya, who first became president in 1982 and has won every election in the past two decades with over 70 percent of the votes.
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“We shouldn’t be naive,” political analyst Stephane Akoa told AFP. “We know full well the ruling system has ample means to get results in its favour. But this campaign has been much livelier than usual, so this poll could throw up surprises.”
Biya kept a low profile during the campaign but made a rare public appearance on Tuesday in Maroua, in the country’s Far North region, which has 1.2 million eligible voters. The region has long been one of Biya’s strongholds, though several former allies from the area are now running against him.
Bakary, considered Biya’s main challenger, drew large crowds during his campaign rallies. Thousands of his supporters lined the streets of Maroua, waving placards that read “Tchiroma the Saviour.”
Bakary had served in Biya’s government for 20 years before resigning in June to join the opposition. He stepped into the spotlight after top opposition leader Maurice Kamto, who came second in the 2018 election, was barred from running this year—a move that Human Rights Watch said damaged the credibility of the vote
Cameroon, which gained independence from France in 1960, has only had two presidents in its history. Despite its rich natural and agricultural resources, 40 percent of Cameroonians live below the poverty line, and unemployment remains high, especially in major cities.
“Young people want change,” Akoa said, “but not enough to risk mass protests like in Tunisia or Madagascar.”
Many voters have voiced frustration over the high cost of living, poor healthcare, and lack of clean water and good schools. But most of the discontent has stayed confined to social media.
“There is a positive sign of change,” Akoa noted, “but it may not yet be strong enough to bring people to the streets.”
The government has approved 55,000 observers, including those from the African Union, to monitor the polls. The Constitutional Council will announce the official results by October 26.
The election takes place amid ongoing conflict between separatist fighters and government forces in Cameroon’s English-speaking regions, where voter turnout was very low in 2018.
Despite growing calls for change, most analysts believe Biya will once again emerge victorious, further extending his decades-long rule over the Central African nation.