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Tchiroma’s self-declaration has drawn sharp criticism from the government and Biya’s ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), with several officials dismissing it as illegal and premature
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Cameroon’s influential Catholic Church has called for calm amid growing fears of unrest as the country awaits the official results of the October 12 presidential election.
Opposition candidate and former government spokesman Issa Tchiroma Bakary has declared himself the winner, claiming to have defeated 92-year-old President Paul Biya, who is seeking to extend his 43-year rule by another seven years.
Tchiroma’s self-declaration has drawn sharp criticism from the government and Biya’s ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM), with several officials dismissing it as illegal and premature.
The Constitutional Council has yet to announce the final results and has until October 27 to officially declare the winner. Tchiroma’s defiance and insistence that he will “defend his victory” have heightened concerns that the announcement of results could trigger violence or unrest in the Central African nation.
Presidential contender Issa Tchiroma Bakary has defied the authorities by declaring himself the winner of the elections [File: Reuters]
In a statement released by the National Episcopal Conference of Cameroon (NECC), the country’s Catholic bishops urged restraint and appealed for peace and stability. “We hope that the official results will reflect the will of the electorate, and that nothing will be altered by any authority involved in this process,” the bishops said.
The Catholic Church, one of Cameroon’s most respected institutions, is widely seen as a moral voice in the country’s political and social affairs. Its call for calm echoes growing appeals from civil society and international observers for transparency and fairness in the electoral process.
Some members of the clergy have previously criticized President Biya’s long rule and governance record. In January, Monsignor Yaouda Hourgo, Bishop of Yagoua in the Far North Region, said during a homily that it would be “preferable for the devil to take power” than for Biya to seek re-election, lamenting the suffering of ordinary Cameroonians.
“We’re not going to suffer any more than this. We’ve already suffered enough,” Bishop Hourgo said.
Following opposition protests over alleged electoral fraud, the Constitutional Council announced that it would begin hearing petitions on Wednesday. Its verdict will be crucial in determining the country’s next leader.
In their closing message to the judges, the Catholic Bishops quoted scripture, saying simply: “The truth shall set you free.”
Source: BBC
