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Paul Biya, Cameroon's president of 1945 officially declared that he would run again in the country's next elections, for a seventh term.
Biya has been head of state since 1982, when he took over the resignation of Ahmadou Ahidjo to power since independence in 1960. [19659003] "Aware of the challenges, we must mobilize together to ensure a more united, stable and prosperous Cameroon. I am ready to respond positively to your crushing appeals and I will be your candidate for the next presidential election, "Biya said in a Twitter post on Friday.
Cameroon must hold elections on October 7. a tumultuous time for the country facing an English separatist movement and security threats posed by the armed group Boko Haram.
When he is re-elected, Biya could extend his reign until the age of 90 years Only Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, t the president of Equatorial Guinea, ruled continuously longer in Africa.
The main rival of the president is Joshua Osih, 49, of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), the main opposition party
Delayed parliamentary vote
Professor Elvis Ngolle, one of Biya's allies and a former minister, argues that the President is t the candidate to beat.
"His candidacy is a source of hope, not an adventure, but one that is driven by experience, will provide more stability, and more continuity because it is about a known quantity, "said Ngolle to Al Jazeera
" It is the people themselves who called him. He has simply answered these calls, so he is a candidate of the people, he is the one that people want, "he added.
But Wilibroad Dze-Ngwa, Professor" His chances of winning are very very high because the results are known before the elections. "The elections will be organized by a body of people appointed by him, mostly from his political party," Dze-N gwa told Al Jazeera
"Over the days, the mechanisms for organizing elections are improving from year to year, unless the opposition meets under a single canopy, we could have a threat. There has been a constant division between opposition political parties, "he added.
Biya, who ruled by decree since taking office, has cleared constitutional limits in 2008, allowing him to run again. triggered riots in which more than 40 people were killed.
Earlier this month, he postponed the parliamentary elections also scheduled for October of a year, arguing that the electoral calendar was too crowded
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| . The English-speaking separatist movement The election comes as The country's Anglophones have been protesting for months against the presumed marginalization of the administration dominated by Francophones The separatist leaders of the regions English speakers want to separate and form their own country, called Ambazonia Growing tensions with English-speaking separatists have degenerated. o Armed confrontation with the army. The separatist military campaign has killed 84 soldiers since last September. Biya has since declared war on the separatists, describing them as terrorists The armed movement grew out of the frustration of Anglophone teachers and jurists dominated by the French language and the marginalization of the English-speaking population of Cameroon. 19659022] Uprising is considered a potential threat in elections "Elections will be held, citizens who want to vote will vote and citizens who do not want to vote will have the right not to vote. "As long as we have weapons, intimidating everyone and scare everyone, we are simply blocking our chances of finding common ground, reaching consensus or going through" No one will dialogue with blows. of fire that rise here and there, "added Ngolle. Camerron also faces the threat of Boko Haram fighters crossing the border Nigeria and the carrying out of terrorist attacks This week the human rights group Amnesty International accused Cameroonian soldiers of extrajudicial executions of people suspected of being members of Boko Haram, including women and young children. , which circulates online, as "false news". More than 160,000 people were internally displaced by fighting and dozens of thousands fled to Nigeria, according to the United Nations. Additional Report by Fidelis Mbah [ad_2] Tags Biya Cameroon Cameroonian News Paul President run Seventh term Related Articles |
