Voting has ended in Cameroon where citizens have voted to choose a new president in a crucial election. Counting is underway in key regions.
Sunday’s election could see incumbent President, Paul Biya securing a seventh term in office. Voting ended around 6 p.m. Over six million people registered to vote in the poll.
Voting was however characterized by violence in the English speaking regions were gunshots were heard.
Some separatists demanding independence in these regions were reportedly killed. On social media some Anglophone Cameroonians shared pictures of a man burnt alive in his house.
The demand for independence by Anglopphone separatists has been met with government crackdown resulting in deaths and thousands fleeing their homes.
President Paul Biya has been in office since 1982 and is now 85 years of age.
As French-speaking #Cameroon stormed the polls to cast votes for the presidency, English speaking Cameroonians boycotted the election heavily while military went on the rampage burning Pa-Francis @UNHumanRights @hrw @amnesty @AmnestyWARO pic.twitter.com/4ilLECsv74
— Soli Beri (@BeriSoli) October 7, 2018
7 October 2018. Election day in Cameroon. The claim we are Cameroonian. They burnt our house with our grandfather inside. @realDonaldTrump @BBCBreaking @cnnbrk @AJEnglish @UN @PunchlineAfric @watch_right pic.twitter.com/I6PKSgAyFS
— Pop Nick (@PopNick10) October 7, 2018
Biya seeks to extend rule
President Biya is seeking to extend his current 36 year rule. The 85 year old is one of the longest serving leaders of an African country.
Biya came into power in 1982 when his predecessor then retired. He became president after serving as prime minister for seven years.
He supervised over the scraping of term limits from the Cameroon constitution in 2008. That allows him to run again, a decision that sparked violence in the past.
The president of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo who has been in power for 38 years is leading the chart.
Other longest serving African leaders include Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso (33 years), Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni (31years) and King Mswati III of Swaziland (31years).
See what Cameroon military is using on civilians on the day of election in anglophones areas @realDonaldTrump @BBCBreaking @cnnbrk @AJEnglish @commonwealthsec @UKinCameroon @UNHumanRights @AU_PSD pic.twitter.com/VW0C34ne4t
— Pop Nick (@PopNick10) October 7, 2018
Major contenders to Biya
There are two major opponents who could pose a strong challenge to Paul Biya. They are Maurice Kamto and Muna Akere.
Kamto is a former Minister Delegate of Justice between 2004 and 2011. He founded his political party in 2012. He was once a supporter of Paul Biya.
Akere Muna is the former President of the Cameroon Bar and founder of the Cameroonian branch of the anti-corruption NGO Transparency International.
His decision to form a coalition with Kamto’s party in Sunday’s election could be seen as significant in their attempt to unseat Biya.
But still many are uncertain about the future after Sunday’s poll.
Source: Africafeeds.com
