Cameroon's main opposition party rejects presidential poll results

Cameroon's main opposition party, the Social Democratic Front (SDF), announced in a statement published on Tuesday in the capital Yaounde that it had rejected the results of the Oct. 9 presidential elections. Official results showed that the elections were won by the incumbent president, Paul Biya, with 77.98 percent of the votes cast against 10.71 percent of SDF leader Ni John Fru Ndi. After the Oct. 17 joint declaration in the Cameroonian capital by seven opposition candidates contesting the transparency of the elections organized by the Elections Cameroon (ELECAM, the electoral organ), the SDF reiterated the accusations of fraud and irregularities. The party asked the Cameroonian people to protest against these election results, while calling for the cancellation of the results and the organization of another election within a period of six months, with an electoral system different from the current one which is seen to favor Biya. The other opposition candidates who signed the joint statement included Adamou Ndam Njoya of Cameroon's Democratic Union (UDC), Bernard Muna of the Alliance of Progressive Forces (AFP), Walla Edith Kahbang of Cameroon's People's Party (CPP), Ayah Paul Abine of People's Action Party (PAP), Albert Dzongang of the National Renaissance party and Jean de Dieu Momo of Patriot Democrats for Cameroon's Development (PADDEC). Some of the other 22 opponents of Biya, who did not sign the joint statement, filed cases with the Supreme Court which was acting as the Constitutional Council, calling for either partial or total cancellation of the results due to the irregularities that were witnessed. All these cases were rejected by this highest judicial organ, just two days before the announcement of the final results on Friday. With a support rate of 10.71 percent, Fru Ndi, who still maintains the position of head of the opposition, registered his worst results after contesting in three elections. Official results showed that he got 17.40 percent in 2004 and in 1992, he obtained 35.93 percent against 39.97 percent for Biya.