With less than a month to go before Cameroon’s October 12 presidential election, Maurice Kamto, leader of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC), has issued an urgent call for the 11 opposition candidates to rally behind a single contender or form a strong coalition against incumbent President Paul Biya of the Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement (CPDM).

In his statement on Wednesday, September 17, Kamto stressed that the country is facing “a historic moment where political change is possible,” urging opponents of the regime to avoid splitting the vote. He argued that the opposition must “clarify the situation and simplify voters’ choice through a political alliance,” in order to enable change “peacefully and at the ballot box.”

Just days earlier, on Friday, September 12, Kamto hosted Issa Tchiroma Bakary, leader of the National Salvation Front of Cameroon (FSNC) and one of the 11 contenders cleared to face the outgoing president.

Kamto described their talks as “frank and cordial,” while Tchiroma’s campaign portrayed the meeting as “a gesture of respect and solidarity” toward “a key opposition figure unjustly excluded from the presidential race.” In a statement, the FSNC said the encounter demonstrated “the strength of unifying leadership, placing the nation’s higher interest above personal ambitions.”

Although barred from the ballot by the Constitutional Council on grounds of “multiple nominations”—a decision he denounced as a “political maneuver”—Kamto remains a central figure of the opposition. His resignation from MANIDEM, formalised on September 12, cleared the way for his return as MRC leader, in line with a resolution of the party’s National Council.

As President Paul Biya, in power since 1982, seeks an eighth term, Kamto reiterated that “the struggle continues,” calling on the 11 opposition candidates to act like a football team by choosing “the striker with the best chance of scoring the winning goal.”

Source: APANews