3 weeks ago
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Cameroonians began voting connected Sunday successful a statesmanlike predetermination successful which incumbent Paul Biya, 92, is wide expected to widen his 43-year grip connected powerfulness to an eighth word contempt an energised absorption pushing for change.
His opponents see erstwhile authorities spokesperson Issa Tchiroma, 76, who has galvanised ample crowds demanding an extremity to Biya’s agelong tenure and drawn endorsements from a level of immoderate absorption parties and civic groups.
However, analysts accidental that Biya, successful powerfulness since 1982, is apt to beryllium reelected fixed his steadfast power of authorities machinery and the fragmented quality of an absorption tract of 9 candidates.
Decades Of Economic Stagnation
“Nothing is given. Let’s hold and see. Let’s hold for the winner’s name,” Biya told journalists aft voting successful the upscale Bastos neighbourhood adjacent the statesmanlike palace successful Yaounde’s capital.
Outside, voters trickled successful amid choky information astir the president to formed their ballots.
“I anticipation it volition spell well, peculiarly for my champion,” said 1 voter, Patrick Mbarga Mboa, 45, declining to accidental who helium supported. “I anticipation bid and tranquillity volition proceed successful the state aft the election.”
Biya’s critics inactive anticipation helium tin beryllium ousted aft decades of economical stagnation and tensions successful the Central African federation of 30 cardinal people, an lipid and cocoa producer.
“This predetermination comes astatine a clip erstwhile the full federation aspires for change,” Tchiroma said aft voting successful his hometown of Garoua successful the North region.
He urged voters to stay vigilant and guarantee that the results announced by the law assembly bespeak those from the ballot boxes.
“For 43 years, Cameroonians person been suffering. There are nary jobs,” said Hassane Djbril, a operator from Yaounde’s Briqueterie neighbourhood, who plans to ballot for Tchiroma.
Biya’s Slogan: ‘Greatness And Hope’
Voting started astatine 0700 GMT and ended astatine 1700 GMT. Just implicit 8 cardinal radical person registered to vote. Results are expected wrong 15 days.
Biya abolished word limits successful 2008 and has agelong deployed divide-and-rule tactics. The single-round electoral strategy gives triumph to the campaigner with the astir votes, adjacent if they person not secured a majority.
“A astonishment is inactive possible, but a divided absorption and the backing of a formidable electoral instrumentality will, we predict, springiness the 92-year-old his eighth term,” said Francois Conradie, pb governmental economist astatine Oxford Economics.
“Although we deliberation helium isn’t precise alert of what is going on, it seems that the instrumentality helium built volition disagreement to regularisation 1 past time,” Conradie added successful a note.
Under the slogan “Greatness and Hope,” Biya has held conscionable 1 run rally successful the bluish metropolis of Maroua, relying alternatively connected tightly controlled authorities media and societal media posts. At the aforesaid time, his squad promises much economical development.
“We privation to spot that change, we privation to spot it really happen. We don’t privation to support proceeding words anymore,” said Herves Mitterand, a mechanic successful the commercialized capital, Douala. Source Reuters
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