Oct. 27 (UPI) — The world’s oldest president, Paul Biya, was elected Cameroon’s leader again, a title he’s held since 1992.
Biya is 92, and at the end of his term will be 99 years old. The median age in Cameroon is 18.9. For contrast, the median age in the United States is 38.7.
According to Cameroon’s constitutional council, Biya won 53.66% of the vote. His challenger Issa Tchiroma Bakary won 35.19%.
But Tchiroma Bakary is claiming victory. Two days after the Oct. 12 election, Tchiroma Bakary said he won, publishing a tally that said he had 54.8% of the vote. His team claimed that they collected results from 80% of the electorate.
Cameroonian human rights lawyer Nkongho Felix Agbor-Balla told The New York Times that Biya could not have won without “massive fraud.”
“This election is more of a protest vote,” he said. “People just wanted change, not just because of Biya’s age, but also because nothing is working in the country.”
Tchiroma Bakary, 76, was a Biya loyalist until June. He served as a minister in Biya’s government for years. The other candidate, Maurice Kamto, 71, was blocked from running by the electoral commission.
“We will not accept our victory to be stolen from us,” Tchiroma Bakary said last week. “The people will not stand for it. The people are determined to fight against a regime that is deaf to their suffering and difficulties.”
Biya’s own daughter, Brenda Biya, a rapper and activist, told her Tik Tok followers not to vote for him. She said her father had made the country suffer for years, The Times reported.
The elections have ignited protests among young people around the country. On Sunday, four people were killed in fights between protesters and security forces in Douala.
Another concern is that Biya has no known successor. If he dies in office, there is no one to take his place, but some analysts believe he is grooming his son, Franck, 54.
“He is old, he’s unhealthy,” said analyst Hubert Kinkoh to The Times. “If he should die in office, there is no clear successor. So there’s a risk of political struggles.”
