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A prominent opponent of long-serving Cameroon President Paul Biya has been removed from the list of candidates permitted to participate in the presidential election scheduled for October 12.
Maurice Kamto did not appear on the provisional candidate list made public by the national electoral council on Saturday, which included 13 names.
Kamto, 71, had formally declared his intention to run last week, part of a total of 83 individuals who submitted their names to the electoral council.
The final list of candidates is expected to be revealed in the next few days, following the review of any appeals against the provisional list.
Kamto finished as the runner-up to Biya in the 2018 presidential elections, seeking to represent the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM).
In the 2018 election, Kamto represented the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC).
The 92-year-old Biya has held power since 1982 and is aiming for an eighth term.
Among the candidates now approved to compete in the election are former Prime Minister Bello Bouba Maigari, a longtime ally of Biya for nearly three decades, and Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who stepped down from his position as Employment Minister in early June to pursue his candidacy.
