Biya, the world’s oldest serving head of state, is likely to extend his 43 years in power in the Central African nation.
Biya shakes hands with an election observer after casting his ballot in Yaounde, Cameroon [Zohra Bensemra/Reuters]
Polls have opened in Cameroon in an election that could see the world’s oldest serving head of state extend his rule for another seven years.
The single-round election on Sunday is likely to return 92-year-old incumbent Paul Biya as president for an eighth term in the Central African nation of 30 million people.
Biya, in power for 43 years, faces off against 11 challengers, including former government spokesman Issa Tchiroma Bakary, 79, who has generated unexpected momentum for a campaign calling for an end to the leader’s decades-long tenure.
Bakary – a close ally of Biya for 20 years, who resigned from the government in June to join the opposition – is considered the top contender to unseat the incumbent after another leading opponent, Maurice Kamto, was barred from the race.
But analysts predict Biya’s re-election, given his firm grip on state machinery and a divided opposition.
Source: aljazeera
