MRC opposition leader banned from contesting world oldest President

Cameroon’s opposition leader Maurice Kamto has been excluded from the list of candidates in the 12 October presidential election by the country’s electoral body, Elecam.

Kamto came second to 92-year-old Paul Biya in the previous election amid allegations of fraud. He was one of the 83 names submitted, but only 13 were accepted.

President Paul Biya, the world’s oldest president, was included on the list and will seek an eighth term in office, defying calls to step down and asserting he still has much to offer Cameroonians despite being in power for nearly 43 years.

Biya will be challenged by two former allies, Issa Tchiroma Bakary and Bello Bouba Maigari, who both come from the vote-rich north of the country.

Kamto was excluded because he was one of two candidates registered to represent the Manidem party; although he had been officially adopted by the party’s ruling body, another candidate from a splinter group also registered himself under the party’s name.

The Manidem president described Kamto’s exclusion as “arbitrary and provocative,” and the party plans to appeal to the Constitutional Council. Those disqualified from the presidential race have two days to file a legal challenge.