In Cameroon, a decree read over state radio has finally fixed a day for voting in parliamentary and local elections, February 7 of the coming year, after two earlier postponements. It lands in a country still carrying the weight of last October's disputed presidential vote, when President Paul Biya, now 93 and the world's oldest head of state, was re-elected to yet another term. The calendar moves forward, but it moves over ground still marked by protest, detention, and an opposition pushed to its edges, so whether this date becomes a true democratic moment or merely another milestone remains
Cameroon Sets February 7 Date for Twice-Delayed Legislative and Local Elections
Lawyers cited by Human Rights Watch say security forces detained up to 2,000 people after the post-election protests, and some remain in custody.
The vice presidency exists on paper, but no one holds it
Mark
Why does a date for legislative and local elections matter so much here?
Mimi
Because it has slipped twice. Each delay extended the terms of sitting lawmakers to December 20 and councillors to February 28, 2027, so the date itself is news.
Mark
And the timing, a year after the presidential vote?
Mimi
The presidential result set off protests and a violent crackdown. Lawyers cited by Human Rights Watch say up to 2,000 people were detained, and some are still held.
Luke
Careful with that number. It is up to 2,000, from lawyers cited by Human Rights Watch, not an official count. The report on who remains in custody comes via AFP.
Mark
What about the opposition?
Mimi
The FSNC, Issa Tchiroma Bakary's party, was suspended last month. He declared himself the winner and is now in exile in the Gambia.
Luke
Worth noting that his claim of victory is his own declaration. The reporting here says he was defeated, and it doesn't offer evidence either way.
Mark
And the vice president?
Mimi
The post was reintroduced in April, and its holder would be expected to succeed Biya. Nobody has been appointed yet.
Luke
We also don't know why the reshuffle and appointment are delayed, or whether the election date will hold. The reporting doesn't say, and on Biya's health, public debate is banned, so there is little we can confirm.
Le Pouls
- A date set after two delays keeps the country waiting, with lawmakers' terms stretched to December 20.
- Last October's re-election triggered protests and a crackdown that, by lawyers' estimates, swept up as many as 2,000 people, some still held.
- The main opposition party, the FSNC, has been suspended, and its leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary is in exile in the Gambia after claiming victory.
- A vice presidency left empty and a reshuffle promised but never delivered leave the succession question hanging over the government.
- Debate over the president's health, muzzled by a ban on public discussion, shadows every step toward the February vote.
In Cameroon, a decree read over state radio has finally fixed a day for voting in parliamentary and local elections, February 7 of the coming year, after two earlier postponements. It lands in a country still carrying the weight of last October's disputed presidential vote, when President Paul Biya, now 93 and the world's oldest head of state, was re-elected to yet another term. The calendar moves forward, but it moves over ground still marked by protest, detention, and an opposition pushed to its edges, so whether this date becomes a true democratic moment or merely another milestone remains an open question.
On Monday, Cameroon learned through a decree read on public radio that its parliamentary and local elections will take place on February 7 of next year. President Paul Biya, 93, signed the decree. The vote has already been postponed twice, and each delay has extended the terms of sitting officials. Lawmakers now serve until December 20, and municipal councillors until February 28, 2027, so the new date falls within that window, though only just.
The announcement comes a year after Biya's re-election in October, which set off widespread protests. The authorities responded with force. Lawyers cited by Human Rights Watch say up to 2,000 people were detained, and according to AFP some remain in custody. Last month the government suspended the Cameroon National Salvation Front, the party of Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who ran against Biya, lost, and then declared himself the winner before going into exile in the Gambia.
Several questions are still unanswered. A government reshuffle announced almost a year ago has not happened, and the vice presidency created by constitutional reform in April remains empty. That post would matter greatly if Biya died in office. His long absences abroad, including more than two months in Geneva this year, have fuelled doubts about his ability to govern, even though public discussion of his health has been banned since 2024.
For now, February 7 is the only fixed point. Whether the vote goes ahead as scheduled, whether the succession and cabinet questions are settled first, and whether the suspension and detentions shape who is allowed to compete will determine what that day really means.
On Monday, a decree was read out over Cameroon's public radio, and with it the country learned when it will finally vote for its parliament and local councils: February 7 next year. The decree came from President Paul Biya, who is 93 and is the world's oldest head of state.
The vote has already been pushed back twice. Each postponement forced an extension of existing mandates. Lawmakers' terms now run to December 20, and municipal councillors' terms to February 28, 2027. The new date falls inside that second window, but only just.
The announcement arrives at a tense time. Roughly a year ago, Biya was re-elected to another term in the October presidential vote. He has ruled Cameroon since 1982. His victory set off widespread protests, and the authorities answered them with a violent crackdown. Lawyers cited by Human Rights Watch say security forces detained up to 2,000 people. According to the AFP news agency, some of those detainees remain in custody.
The opposition has been squeezed further since. Last month, the authorities suspended the Cameroon National Salvation Front, known as the FSNC. It is the party of Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who ran against Biya and was declared the loser. Bakary declared himself the winner, called on his supporters to defend what he described as his victory, and then went into exile in the Gambia.
Several other matters remain unresolved. A government reshuffle was announced nearly a year ago and has not materialized. A vice president has not been appointed either. A constitutional reform brought the post back in April, and its holder would be expected to succeed Biya if he died in office. The vacancy leaves open the question of who would take over.
The president's health is the unspoken backdrop. His frequent stays abroad have fed debate over whether he can govern. Yet public media discussion of his health has been banned since 2024, when rumours of his death circulated. In late August, Biya returned to Yaounde after more than two months in Geneva, a absence that drew sharp criticism from the opposition.
For now, the February 7 date is the one fixed point. What to watch is whether it holds after two delays, whether the vice presidency and reshuffle are settled beforehand, and whether the FSNC suspension and the continued detentions shape who is able to compete.
Citations marquantes
Security forces detained up to 2,000 people after the protests, and some remain in custody.— Lawyers cited by Human Rights Watch, via AFP
Envie de l'histoire complète ?
Lire l'original sur Al Jazeera ↗