(Adnkronos) – In Cameroon, 92-year-old Paul Biya, the world’s oldest head of state, begins his eighth consecutive seven-year term as president, won after contested elections, protests, and repression of dissent. “I will spare no effort to continue to be worthy of this trust,” he said during the ceremony in Parliament, in a chamber full of local politicians but with no foreign leaders present. He acknowledged the “gravity of the situation in our country.”
In power for 43 years, with few public appearances, he was proclaimed the winner of the October 12 presidential elections with more than 53% of the votes according to official results endorsed by the Constitutional Council. Issa Tchiroma Bakary, a former minister now in opposition, also claimed victory, having received – according to official data – just over 35% of the preferences. “There are two presidents, the president elected by the people, me, and the president appointed by the Constitutional Council, whom you know well,” Issa Tchiroma Bakary stated yesterday on social media. He has managed to attract the attention of young people who want change and, in recent days, urged supporters to take to the streets to contest the official election results. Several people reportedly died in the repression, and so Issa Tchiroma Bakary invited his loyalists to keep shops closed and halt activities. The response varied from area to area across the country.
