Cameroon Opposition Figure to Face Legal Action Over Election Unrest, Authorities Says
Cameroon's Interior Minister the interior minister has announced that opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary will undergo legal proceedings over allegations that he instigated "aggressive electoral rallies".
A minimum of four protesters have been lost their lives during clashes between law enforcement and demonstrators since Cameroon's election on October 12, with the 92-year-old head of state obtaining an eighth consecutive term.
Issa Tchiroma asserts that he emerged victorious, a statement rejected by the governing party, the CPDM.
Violent crackdowns by police and security officers on protesters have concerned the world leaders, with the United Nations, African Union and EU calling for restraint.
Minister's Accusations
Recently, Nji charged the opposition figure of planning what he labeled "unlawful" protests leading to the deaths, and also condemned him for announcing success in the election.
He further stated that the opposition leader's "co-conspirators responsible for an subversive plot" will also undergo judicial processes.
Election Results
Paul Biya, who came to power in 1982 and is now the most elderly national leader, won the 12 October election with 53.7% of the ballots, compared to 35.2% for the challenger, according to Cameroon's Constitutional Council.
Leader's Stance
The opposition figure is remains silent to the authorities' move to prosecute him, but he had previously announced that he rejected a fraudulent outcome - and that he was not afraid of being detained.
On election result day, he said that security forces opened fire on demonstrators present near his residence in Garoua, killing at least two civilians.
Investigation Launched
On Tuesday, the government official revealed that an probe would be started into violent incidents surrounding the publication of the poll figures.
"In the course of these incidents, some of the perpetrators lost their lives," he stated, without providing a exact count of protesters who have been fatally injured in the incidents.
The minister noted that a number of personnel of the law enforcement also sustained serious injuries.
Present Conditions
Even though the interior minister maintained the situation nationwide was now stable, demonstrators remain active in some parts of the country, especially in these two cities, where protesters set up barricades on that day, and set fire to tyres on the streets.
Observers caution that the political turmoil could push the nation into a leadership vacuum.
