Judges in Cameroon have dismissed calls for the partial or total cancellation of the heavily disputed presidential election, stating they would announce the results on Monday. Major cities have seen protests from opposition supporters alleging that the October 12 election was marred by irregularities including ballot-stuffing.
The Constitutional Council judges dismissed eight petitions, indicating insufficient evidence of irregularities or lack of jurisdiction to annul results. Opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary declared himself the winner, a claim rejected by supporters of 92-year-old President Paul Biya, who is seeking another seven-year term.
Biya has been in power for 43 years and addressed only one campaign rally prior to the election. Tchiroma Bakary, 76, chose not to file complaints with the Constitutional Council, instead declaring himself the 'legal and legitimate president'.
In a video statement, Tchiroma Bakary claimed he won the election with approximately 55% of the vote, based on returns he said represented 80% of the electorate. He warned that if the Constitutional Council proclaims falsified results, it will be complicit in a breach of trust.
He also cautioned that the people, feeling cornered, would have no choice but to take their destiny into their own hands. Biya's ruling party disputes Tchiroma Bakary's claims, stating that only the Constitutional Council can proclaim official results.
The influential Catholic Church has urged judges to ensure the verdict reflects the will of voters, amidst growing fears of post-electoral violence in a country already grappling with separatist conflicts in the Anglophone regions and Boko Haram insurgency in the Far North.
