Cameroonian opposition leader, Maurice Kamto, who was excluded from the October 12 presidential poll, on Friday called for the respect of voters’ choices and restraint from the authorities, as tensions rise over the vote count and allegations of fraud mount amid highly volatile political climate.

In a statement posted on his social media accounts and seen by APA, Kamto called for the “respect of the people’s verdict”, warning against any manipulation of the results as the National Vote Counting Commission prepares to tally the ballots.

“The official results must reflect the choice of the Cameroonian people, freely expressed at the ballot box,” Kamto declared, stressing the need for transparency and fairness.

He warned that tensions have been “dangerously escalating” since the election day due to “reprehensible acts and behaviours” observed during the voting exercise, which could “compromise the final outcome” of the process.

Kamto also cautioned against the risk of violent clashes among Cameroonians, at a time when the country is already grappling with multiple crises, poverty, armed conflicts in the Northwest and Southwest regions and Boko Haram attacks in the Far North.

The opposition leader urged the security forces and the authorities to act with “discernment and maximum restraint,” and not to treat citizens expressing their views peacefully as “criminals.”

“Those who truly threaten public order are the ones seeking to distort the voice of the people,” he said, adding that Cameroon, as a “shared nation,” cannot afford further divisions that would drive it “deeper into the abyss of history.”

On Thursday, the Electoral Council confirmed the composition of the National Vote Counting Commission, responsible for tallying and compiling the results. The 33-member body, chaired by Essombe Emile of the Constitutional Council, includes magistrates, government officials, members of Elections Cameroon (ELECAM), and delegates from competing political parties.

However, the post-election climate remains highly contentious. Issa  Tchiroma Bakary, candidate of the Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon (FSNC), who claims victory over long-serving President Paul

Biya (in power since 1982), alleged on Wednesday that the authorities were intimidating his regional representatives, claiming he had won “over 80% of the votes.”

In response, Minister of Territorial Administration Atanga Nji Paul denounced the claims as “fraudulent and anti-republican behaviour,” reiterating that only the Constitutional Council is authorised to proclaim the official results expected by October 26.

Source: APA