Civil society groups and political parties in Cameroon are demanding urgent action from President Paul Biya on economic distress, youth unemployment, and national governance following his return from an extended stay abroad.
The 93-year-old leader returned to Yaoundé after a 73-day private stay in Geneva, Switzerland, having left the country on June 7th. The prolonged absence, one of his longest out of the country, fuelled intense public speculation surrounding his health and capacity to govern.
Beyond immediate economic pressures and calls for the appointment of a Vice-President to ensure constitutional continuity, political leaders are pressing for clarity on long-overdue elections. Parliamentary aspirant Prince Lesley Nformi highlighted mounting frustration over repeated delays to local and legislative polls.
“Since he was elected, we have not had any cabinet reshuffle. I think that there is a lot that he has to do right now and a lot of Cameroonians are expecting that the twin elections, municipal and legislative, have been postponed severally,” Nformi stated. “This is the seventh year, meanwhile the mandate ends after five years, so he has to do something so that this date of February should not be postponed again.”
Biya’s continued public silence since his return has only deepened uncertainty regarding whether the scheduled February municipal and parliamentary elections will proceed as planned.
–ChannelAfrica–
