Amid Signs of Protests Erupting.. Cameroon's Presidential Challenger Excluded from Elections
July 26, 202573 ViewsRead Time: 1 minutes
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The electoral commission in Cameroon has excluded Maurice Kamto, the main rival of President Paul Biya, from the upcoming presidential elections, raising concerns of protests erupting and a possible re-election of the current president.
The chairman of the commission announced the decision during a press conference held today, Saturday, reading out a list of 13 approved candidates which did not include Kamto, without providing any justifications. Those not included in the list have two days to appeal the decision.
Biya, 92 years old, has been in office for 43 years, making him the oldest serving president in the world. Earlier this month, he announced his intention to run for another term in the elections scheduled for October 12th.
In the 2018 elections where Biya won by a landslide, Kamto came in second after securing 14% of the votes amid allegations of fraud.
The United Nations Department of Safety and Security stated in a press release on Friday, "Protests are likely to erupt in Yaoundé city center and near the electoral commission headquarters if some candidates are rejected in these elections".
The chairman of the commission announced the decision during a press conference held today, Saturday, reading out a list of 13 approved candidates which did not include Kamto, without providing any justifications. Those not included in the list have two days to appeal the decision.
Biya, 92 years old, has been in office for 43 years, making him the oldest serving president in the world. Earlier this month, he announced his intention to run for another term in the elections scheduled for October 12th.
In the 2018 elections where Biya won by a landslide, Kamto came in second after securing 14% of the votes amid allegations of fraud.
The United Nations Department of Safety and Security stated in a press release on Friday, "Protests are likely to erupt in Yaoundé city center and near the electoral commission headquarters if some candidates are rejected in these elections".
