Yaounde, Oct 21 (IANS) Protests broke out Tuesday in Cameroon’s capital, Yaounde, as angry crowds accused authorities of fraud in the October 12 presidential election.
In several neighbourhoods, demonstrators carried placards denouncing “electoral fraud” and a “stolen victory.” Police and gendarmes deployed across the city dispersed the protesters with tear gas after brief clashes.
Videos shared by local media on social platforms showed protesters alleging that electoral officials “manipulated the vote count” in favour of longtime President Paul Biya.
Similar demonstrations were reported in Garoua, the chief town of North Region and hometown of opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who has claimed victory in the vote.
The government and traditional leaders have issued several statements, calling for calm and restraint.
Earlier Tuesday, the National Commission for the Final Counting of Votes said it had completed tallying ballots and would submit provisional results to the Constitutional Council, which is mandated to proclaim the outcome.
Some local outlets reported that Biya was leading with more than 50 per cent of the vote. The Constitutional Council is expected to announce the official results by October 27, in line with Cameroon’s Electoral Code.
Last Wednesday, protests broke out in Cameroon’s commercial hub of Douala, with angry crowds accusing authorities of fraud in the presidential election.
In the Bonamoussadi and Makepe neighbourhoods of the city, protesters took to the streets and errected road barricades, but they were quickly dispersed by security forces using tear gas following brief altercations.
Videos posted by local media on social media platforms show protesters claiming that electoral authorities manipulated the vote count in favor of President Paul Biya, the country’s longtime leader.
“We are trying to maintain calm and make the protesters understand that the street is not the place to express their grievances. Security forces will continue to maintain peace and order by all means,” a police officer told Xinhua news agency by phone but asked not to be named.
The presidential election in the Central African nation took place on October 12, with opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary claiming victory the following day. However, Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji rejected Tchiroma’s claim, calling it unconstitutional and “an act of extreme gravity.”
–IANS
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