“Respect the truth of the ballots,” Catholic Bishop Urges Stakeholders after Cameroon’s Presidential Election

He continued, “Today, the central issue is the truth of the ballots—the truth that the people of Cameroon continue to demand. The civic commitment shown by voters, from registering to casting their historic votes on October 12, is a powerful expression of their God-given dignity—a dignity that the Church has always proclaimed, upheld, and defended in every time and place.”

The Catholic Church leader noted that “when the will of citizens is deliberately trampled out of selfishness, it constitutes a grave violation of this dignity. Ignoring the vote of each citizen would deny them their fundamental right to freely express their will within the democratic framework provided by law. It would deny citizens the right to see their intentions recognized by competent authorities.”

Violence has been reported in some cities in the central African nation following the October 12 poll.

In the country’s commercial capital, Douala, angry demonstrators accused authorities of electoral fraud in the October 12 vote. 

Clips shared by local outlets on various social media platforms depict demonstrators alleging that officials tampered with the ballot tally to secure an advantage for Cameroon’s long-serving president, Paul Biya.

Protests were equally reported in the city of Dschang, where the headquarters of the ruling party was burnt down.

In his October 19 statement, Bishop Lontsié-Keuné emphasized that “violence, wherever it comes from, is never the proper path for building a nation.”

“I therefore condemn acts of destructive vandalism perpetrated in some cities and public buildings. I also unequivocally condemn attempts to intimidate or repress citizens who are currently demanding the truth of the ballots,” the Catholic Bishop said.

In the Sunday, October 12 poll, President Paul Biya, Africa’s second-longest serving Head of State after President Teodoro Obiang of Equatorial Guinea, sought his eighth term.

President since 1982 in the Central African nation, where Presidents have a seven-year mandate, the 92-year-old Cameroonian is the world’s oldest Head of State.

Constitutional amendments that President Biya’s party, Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM), spearheaded in 2008, abolishing the two-term presidential limit, occasioned his “extraordinarily long tenure”. 

After the presidential polls, the opposition contender, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, reportedly announced himself the winner.

His declaration was promptly dismissed by Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji, who denounced it as unlawful and “a matter of serious concern.”

The ruling CPDM also condemned Tchiroma’s claim as a “grotesque hoax,” maintaining that only the Constitutional Council is authorized to officially declare the winner.

Official announcement of results, once the electoral commission, Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), has compiled its reports, is expected by October 23, after validation by the Constitutional Council in the Central African nation.

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However, there are reportedly widespread concerns about electoral transparency, fairness, and integrity. Opposition groups, civil society, and media have flagged possible irregularities.

In his October 19 statement, Bishop Lontsié-Keuné said, “Those entrusted with the delicate responsibility of upholding the law and announcing election results must tell the truth of the ballots—and nothing but the truth—so that the country, the cradle of our ancestors and our heritage, is preserved for future generations.”

“We are all accountable not only to history but also to God, who is the way, the truth, and the life. God is love, justice, peace, and mercy, sons and daughters of God, the Lord of all,” he said.

The Local Ordinary of Bafoussam, since February 2022, following his transfer from Cameroon’s Yokadouma Catholic Diocese, where he had started his Episcopal Ministry in July 2017, emphasized that “peace protects the people, and the people protect peace. The path of peace is the recognition and respect of the truth by all.”