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Cameroon is set to hold presidential elections on October 12, as announced in a decree by President Paul Biya on Friday. Biya, who serves as the leader of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) and is seen as its de facto candidate, has not publicly disclosed whether he will seek an eighth term.
There seems to be a shift among some of Biya’s long-time supporters, distancing themselves from the 92-year-old ruler, who has governed the West African nation with an authoritarian approach for nearly 43 years.
However, the opposition remains fragmented and is having difficulty rallying behind a single candidate.
In recent weeks, there have been two notable departures from Biya’s camp.
Employment Minister Issa Tchiroma Bakary left the government in June to run for the Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon (FSNC) in the election.
Former Prime Minister Bello Bouba Maigari, an ally of Biya for almost 30 years, announced he would be running with the National Union for Democracy and Progress (NUDP).
Both Tchiroma’s and Maigari’s parties have been longstanding allies of Biya’s CPDM, which has been in power since the country gained independence in 1960.
Also competing are Maurice Kamto, who finished second in the 2018 presidential election and is Biya’s most prominent critic, along with notable opposition leader Cabral Libii from the Cameroonian Party for National Reconciliation (CPNR).
Candidates have until July 21 to announce their intention to run for office.
