1992 Cameroonian presidential election

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1992 Cameroonian presidential election
Flag of Cameroon.svg
  1988 11 October 1992 1997  
Registered4,195,687
Turnout71.87%
  Biya behind podium.jpg GedFruNdi.JPG 3x4.svg
Nominee Paul Biya John Fru Ndi Bello Bouba Maigari
Party RDPC SDF UNDP
Popular vote1,185,4661,066,602569,887
Percentage39.98%35.97%19.22%

1992 Cameroonian presidential election results by province.svg
Results by province
Biya:     40-50%     60–70%     70–80%     >90%
Ndi:     50-60%     60–70%     80–90%
Maigari:     50-60%     60-70%

President before election

Paul Biya
RDPC

Elected President

Paul Biya
RDPC

Presidential elections were held in Cameroon on 11 October 1992. They were the first multi-party presidential election since multi-party politics had been legalised. [1] They were also the first to feature more than one candidate. Incumbent Paul Biya won with 40% of the vote. [2] Voter turnout was 72%. [3]

Contents

The SDF accused the incumbent government of election fraud. [4] International election monitors questioned the validity of the results. [4]

Background

The 1992 presidential elections were a crucial moment in Cameroon's post-independence history. Although an assortment of opposition leaders—most importantly the anglophone Social Democratic Front leader John Fru Ndi—furiously opposed President Biya and sought to unseat him between 1990 and 1992, they were ultimately unable to do so. Although opposition was successful in forcing Biya to accept multi-party politics and severely pressured his regime, he nevertheless retained control of the country and faced a divided opposition in the 1992 elections. The opposition's failure to present a single candidate offered a significant advantage to Biya, as the electoral law did not provide for a second round, and therefore the opposition candidates could not unite against Biya in the event he failed to win a majority.

Results

Official results showed Biya winning the election with 40% of the vote, while Fru Ndi trailed with 36%. The results were denounced as fraudulent by the opposition, and Fru Ndi claimed victory, but his claim proved fruitless.

CandidatePartyVotes%
Paul Biya Cameroon People's Democratic Movement 1,185,46639.98
John Fru Ndi Social Democratic Front 1,066,60235.97
Bello Bouba Maigari National Union for Democracy and Progress 569,88719.22
Adamou Ndam Njoya Cameroon Democratic Union 107,4113.62
Jean-Jacques Ekindi Progressive Movement 23,5250.79
Emah OtuGrouping of Patriotic Forces12,5450.42
Total2,965,436100.00
Valid votes2,965,43698.34
Invalid/blank votes50,0121.66
Total votes3,015,448100.00
Registered voters/turnout4,195,68771.87
Source: Nohlen et al.

References

  1. "Election Watch". Journal of Democracy. 4 (1): 130–134. 1993. ISSN   1086-3214.
  2. Elections in Cameroon, African Elections Database
  3. Dieter Nohlen, Michael Krennerich & Bernhard Thibaut (1999) Elections in Africa: A data handbook, p184 ISBN   0-19-829645-2
  4. 1 2 "Election Watch". Journal of Democracy. 4 (1): 130–134. 1993. ISSN   1086-3214.