Global South Politics: Cameroon’s divided opposition makes ditch effort to end Biya’s 43-year rule
As Cameroon heads toward presidential elections next month, the country’s fractured opposition faces mounting pressure to unite against President Paul Biya, who at 92 is seeking a new seven-year term that could extend his rule into his near centenary.
Elections are set for October 12, with a record 81 hopefuls initially filing to run. The Constitutional Council approved only 12, excluding Maurice Kamto, widely considered the strongest challenger. His party, the Movement for the Renaissance of Cameroon, fell into disarray after internal disputes led to rival endorsements.
That disqualification has deepened doubts about the opposition’s chances of mounting a serious challenge in a political system where Biya has long been accused of tilting the playing field.
Observers say the opposition’s best chance lies in coalescing around a single candidate.
“That shows you just how divided the opposition is,” said Tony Vinyoh, a Cameroonian journalist. “They have not been able to sit down and vote. They don't talk among themselves, that's a uniquely Cameroonian thing.”
“They are only doing it now because the level of frustration is really high and there's a lot of pressure on them. But usually, they just split the votes among themselves, and then Paul Biya has a greater chance of winning,” he told Global South World.
Divisions within the opposition have been decades in the making. Multiparty politics was formally introduced in Cameroon in 1992, but opposition leaders were frequently imprisoned, harassed or forced into exile.
Others were co-opted into Biya’s system through appointments or political concessions.
“There are opposition leaders who have been, for lack of a better way to describe it, just bought over,” Vinyoh said. “There are lots of brave people who have stood up against the government, but they have done so at great personal cost. There’s always been that fear.”
Talks are underway among opposition groups to rally behind a single candidate. On September 13, the opposition plans to announce its “consensus candidate” during a rally backed by Union for Change.
These efforts, however, come just weeks before the vote. For Vinyoh, this ditch effort underscores both the growing frustration with Biya’s decades-long rule and the disorganisation that has long plagued his rivals.
“If the opposition candidates pick just one of them to run, I think we will have a situation where we have not faced since 1992,” Vinyoh said. “If they put together a coalition, that will be the most formidable opponent Biya has faced for a very long time.”
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
