Judges in Cameroon have dismissed calls for the partial or total cancellation of the heavily disputed presidential election, stating they will announce the results on Monday.
Major cities in the country have been rocked by protests, with opposition supporters alleging that the 12 October poll was marred by irregularities, including ballot-stuffing.
Judges on the Constitutional Council dismissed eight petitions, citing insufficient evidence of irregularities or a lack of jurisdiction to annul results.
Opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary has declared himself the winner—a claim rejected by allies of 92-year-old President Paul Biya, who is seeking another seven-year term.
Biya has been in power for 43 years and addressed only one campaign rally leading up to the election.
Tchiroma Bakary, 76, is a former government spokesman who broke ranks with Biya to challenge him for power. He did not file complaints with the Constitutional Council, whose judges have been appointed by Biya, instead proclaiming himself the legal and legitimate president.
In a video statement, Tchiroma Bakary claimed he won the election with about 55% of the vote based on what he described as returns representing 80% of the electorate. He warned that proclaiming falsified results would be a breach of trust.
The ruling party has dismissed Tchiroma Bakary's claims as illegal, asserting that officially recognized results can only be proclaimed by the Constitutional Council. The influential Catholic Church has urged judges to ensure their verdict reflects the will of voters.
Growing tensions sparked by these events have led to fears of post-electoral violence in a country already impacted by a separatist conflict in the Anglophone regions and a Boko Haram insurgency in the north.
