Cameroon’s 92-year-old President Paul Biya has been re-elected for an eighth term with 53.7 percent of the vote, according to the Constitutional Council, as protests by supporters of rival candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary turned deadly in Douala.
Cameroon’s President Paul Biya, 92, has officially been re-elected for an eighth term with 53.7 percent of the vote, the Constitutional Council announced on Monday.
Rival candidate and former government minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary placed second with 35.2 percent. Tchiroma had previously claimed victory after the October 12 election, alleging he won 54.8 percent of votes, and called for demonstrations.
The official results follow deadly clashes on Sunday in the economic capital, Douala, where four people were killed in confrontations between security forces and opposition supporters. Protesters interviewed by AFP stated that security forces initially used tear gas before firing “live ammunition.”
Biya, the world’s oldest serving head of state, was widely expected to win another seven-year term despite critics claiming the system has been increasingly rigged. Biya has ruled the nation since 1982, repressing political opposition and governing amid social upheaval and separatist violence.