Paul Biya, in power for more than four decades, was once again proclaimed president of Cameroon this Monday, October 27, after obtaining 53.66% of the votes according to the Constitutional Council. Aged 92, the Head of State is beginning an eighth term, confirming his status as the most enduring political figure in Central Africa, just behind Téodoro Obiang Nguema, in power in Equatorial Guinea for 46 years.
Opponent Issa Tchiroma Bakary, the main rival in the election, immediately contested the results, claiming victory. Several cities were shaken by demonstrations, notably in Douala where tensions turned violent. According to the governor of Littoral, Samuel Dieudonné Ivaha Diboua, four people lost their lives and several members of the security forces were injured during clashes with opposition supporters.
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A solidly anchored diet
For 43 years, Paul Biya has built a political system centered on the tight control of institutions and the influence of the Democratic Rally of the Cameroonian People (RDPC), his party founded in 1985. His detractors denounce a locked state apparatus, where the administration and security forces play a decisive role in the sustainability of the regime.
Despite criticism and multiple crises, whether political, economic or security, the Cameroonian president has managed to maintain his position. This new victory allows him, in theory, to remain in power until the age of 99, extending a reign that has already gone down in history as one of the longest on the African continent.
