Exclusion of Maurice Kamto, President Paul Biya’s main rival, has fuels fears of unrest in the West African nation.Cameroon‘s electoral commission has rejected the candidacy of Maurice Kamto, President Paul Biya’s main rival, in an upcoming presidential election, fuelling fears of unrest and increasing the likelihood of another win for the incumbent, who has led for decades.
The chief of the electoral commission, ELECAM, announced the decision in a news conference on Saturday when he read out a list of 13 approved candidates, which did not include Kamto. No reasons were given for the exclusion, and those not listed have two days to appeal the decision.
Kamto, 71, who had officially submitted his candidacy last week, was considered Biya’s strongest rival in past elections. He came second during the last presidential election in 2018 with 14 percent of the vote, while Biya, who appears on the electoral list, cruised to victory with more than 70 percent in an election marred by allegations of fraud and a low voter turnout.
Kamto sought to run as the candidate for the communist African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM) party. In the 2018 election, Kamto stood for his own party, the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC), which he established in 2012.
For this year’s election, Kamto had been nominated by MANIDEM.
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