Hundreds of supporters of opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary clashed with security forces across Cameroon a day before authorities are due to announce results from the highly contested Oct. 12 presidential vote.
Police fired tear gas and used water cannons to disperse crowds in Tchiroma Bakary’s northern stronghold of Garoua after rallies that began peacefully turned unruly, witnesses said. Demonstrations also broke out in the commercial hub of Douala, where protesters chanted the candidate’s name.
Tchiroma Bakary has declared himself the winner, claiming roughly 55% of the vote based on returns his campaign says cover about 80% of polling stations. He has urged supporters in Cameroon and abroad to march “peacefully to liberate Cameroon,” and has rejected what he calls a plan by the ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM) to “steal the victory.”
Authorities have banned public gatherings until Monday, when the constitutional council is expected to proclaim the official results. The CPDM has dismissed Tchiroma Bakary’s claims as illegal, noting only the council can certify the outcome. Judges on the council have already thrown out eight opposition petitions alleging irregularities, citing a lack of evidence or jurisdiction.
Tchiroma Bakary, 76, a former government minister and onetime spokesperson who defended President Paul Biya’s administration during crises including the Boko Haram insurgency, broke with Biya in June to launch his run. Born in Garoua and trained as an engineer in France, he previously spent six years in prison after being accused—without conviction—of involvement in a 1984 plot to overthrow Biya.
Biya, 92, is seeking another term after 43 years in power. Opposition supporters allege ballot stuffing and other irregularities; Tchiroma Bakary declined to file a formal challenge with the council, whose judges are appointed by the president, and instead declared himself the “legal and legitimate president.”