Cameroon Political Opposition Leader Confronts Court Action Concerning Electoral Turmoil, Authorities Says
The nation's Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji has declared that opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary will face legal action over accusations that he provoked "violent electoral rallies".
At least four demonstrators have been fatally wounded during clashes between police and military and opposition supporters since Cameroon's election on 12 October, with 92-year-old President Paul Biya securing an eighth consecutive term.
Issa Tchiroma maintains that he was the true winner, a assertion dismissed by the governing party, the Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM).
Forceful measures by law enforcement on protesters have alarmed the global community, with the UN, African Union and European Union calling for caution.
Minister's Accusations
Recently, the interior minister charged the opposition figure of planning what he labeled "unauthorized" rallies causing the deaths, and also rebuked him for announcing success in the election.
He further stated that Tchiroma Bakary's "accomplices behind an subversive plot" will also be prosecuted.
Poll Figures
Paul Biya, who assumed office in the early 80s and is now the world's oldest head of state, secured the October 12 presidential election with 53.7% of the vote, compared to just over a third for Tchiroma Bakary, according to the electoral authority.
Challenger's Position
Tchiroma Bakary is has not yet commented to the authorities' move to bring him to court, but he had before declared that he rejected a stolen vote - and that he was fearless of being taken into custody.
Following the vote count, he reported that gunmen opened fire on protesters present near his home in Garoua, killing at least two people.
Inquiry Announced
On Tuesday, the interior minister disclosed that an investigation would be launched into clashes prior to and following the publication of the election results.
"In the course of these incidents, some of the individuals involved died," he stated, without offering a precise figure of protesters who have been lost their lives in the confrontations.
Nji further mentioned that multiple members of the police and military also sustained major harm.
Present Conditions
Even though the interior minister asserted the situation nationwide was now under control, protesters remain active in some parts of the nation, especially in these two cities, where protesters established barricades on Tuesday, and set fire to tires on the roads.
Observers warn that the political turmoil could plunge the nation into a governmental instability.