Yaoundé, December 4 — The Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) has emerged victorious in the regional elections that took place last Sunday, based on early tallies from the supervisory bodies.
Wednesday’s preliminary data show that the CPDM won most of the contested seats across the 58 departmental hubs in the country, as reported by Xinhua News Agency.
“This is a wonderful victory and clearly shows that Cameroonians believe in the CPDM,” noted Nick Ngwanyam, a senior CPDM official.
Under Cameroon’s Electoral Code, parties can file appeals in court for a partial or total annulment of the results, after which the final numbers will be announced.
Since holding its first regional polls in 2020, Cameroon has positioned these elections as a key element of its decentralisation drive. The regional councils in the ten areas act as local governing bodies.
The voting day for the regional elections fell on November 30. Officials from Elections Cameroon told Xinhua that the process, which took place in 58 departmental centers, proceeded “without any problems.”
Earlier on November 3, Minister of Communication Rene Emmanuel Sadi, who also serves as government spokesperson, condemned post‑election violence and civil‑disobedience protests, pledging decisive measures to restore order.
Sadi said that the violent demonstrations that followed the October 12 presidential vote had resulted in property damage and looting. “Those responsible for the disturbances, caught in the act of committing their crimes, have been arrested,” he said in a statement.
The statement came amid a civil‑disobedience campaign launched by the opposition, which left many streets in the central part of the country largely empty at the start of the workweek on November 3.
Opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who claimed victory in the election, urged a three‑day nationwide “ghost town” protest from November 3 to 5, asking citizens to stay home and suspend all activities as a form of peaceful resistance.
Earlier in October, President Paul Biya secured an eighth term, winning 53.66 % of the vote, according to the Constitutional Council. Bakary, the candidate of the Cameroon National Salvation Front, finished second with 35.19 %. More than 4.6 million voters participated from over eight million registered, giving a turnout of 57.76 %, compared with 53.85 % in 2018 and 65.82 % in 2011.
When announcing the final results, Constitutional Council President Clement Atangana affirmed that the election was free and fair.
Biya, 92, who has led the country since 1982, heads the CPDM.
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