Cameroonian Opposition Leader Faces Legal Action Regarding Electoral Turmoil, Government Declares
Cameroon's Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji has stated that opposition leader Tchiroma Bakary will be prosecuted over claims that he provoked "violent post-election demonstrations".
At least four protesters have been fatally wounded during clashes between law enforcement and opposition supporters since the electoral process on October 12, with 92-year-old President Paul Biya obtaining an eighth term in office.
Issa Tchiroma insists that he emerged victorious, a assertion dismissed by the incumbent party, the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM).
Violent crackdowns by law enforcement on demonstrators have worried the global community, with the UN, AU and European Union calling for caution.
Minister's Accusations
On Tuesday, Nji alleged the opposition figure of planning what he labeled "unlawful" demonstrations leading to the loss of lives, and also condemned him for declaring victory in the election.
He noted that Tchiroma Bakary's "associates responsible for an subversive plot" will also undergo judicial processes.
Election Results
Cameroon's leader, who came to power in the early 80s and is now the most elderly national leader, secured the October 12 vote with 53.7% of the votes, compared to just over a third for Tchiroma Bakary, according to the constitutional court.
Leader's Stance
Issa Tchiroma is remains silent to the official announcement to bring him to court, but he had previously announced that he would not accept a fraudulent outcome - and that he was undaunted of being arrested.
When results were announced, he said that gunmen used lethal force on protesters assembled near his home in Garoua, causing the death of at least 2 people.
Inquiry Announced
On Tuesday, the interior minister announced that an inquiry would be started into violent incidents surrounding the publication of the poll figures.
"In the course of these incidents, some of the criminals were killed," he commented, without providing a precise figure of protesters who have been fatally injured in the clashes.
Nji noted that multiple members of the police and military also sustained significant wounds.
Ongoing Circumstances
Even though the interior minister asserted the situation throughout Cameroon was now under control, protesters are still demonstrating in certain regions of the country, especially in these two cities, where protesters established barricades on that day, and set fire to tyres on the roads.
Experts alert that the political turmoil could plunge the country into a governmental instability.