Cameroonian presidential election, 1992

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Presidential elections were held in Cameroon on 11 October 1992. They were the first presidential election since multi-party politics had been legalised, and were also the first to feature more than one candidate. Incumbent Paul Biya won with 39.98% of the vote. [1] Voter turnout was 71.9%. [2]

Cameroon Republic in West Africa

Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west and north; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the Bight of Biafra, part of the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean. Although Cameroon is not an ECOWAS member state, it geographically and historically is in West Africa with the Southern Cameroons which now form her Northwest and Southwest Regions having a strong West African history. The country is sometimes identified as West African and other times as Central African due to its strategic position at the crossroads between West and Central Africa.

Paul Biya Cameroonian politician

Paul Biya is a Cameroonian politician serving as the President of Cameroon since 6 November 1982.

Contents

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.

English language West Germanic language

English is a West Germanic language that was first spoken in early medieval England and eventually became a global lingua franca. It is named after the Angles, one of the Germanic tribes that migrated to the area of Great Britain that later took their name, as England. Both names derive from Anglia, a peninsula in the Baltic Sea. The language is closely related to Frisian and Low Saxon, and its vocabulary has been significantly influenced by other Germanic languages, particularly Norse, and to a greater extent by Latin and French.

Social Democratic Front (Cameroon) political party

The Social Democratic Front is the main opposition party of Cameroon. It is led by Ni John Fru Ndi and receives significant support from the Anglophone regions of the western part of the country.

John Fru Ndi Cameroonian politician

Ni John Fru Ndi is a Cameroonian politician. He founded the Social Democratic Front (SDF), the main opposition party in Cameroon, in 1990, and he has led the party since then.

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 1,185,46640.0
John Fru Ndi Social Democratic Front 1,066,60236.0
Bello Bouba Maigari National Union for Democracy and Progress 569,88719.2
Adamou Ndam Njoya Cameroon Democratic Union 107,4113.6
Jean-Jacques Ekindi Progressive Movement 23,5250.8
Emah OtuGrouping of Patriotic Forces12,5450.4
Invalid/blank votes50,012–
Total3,015,448100
Registered voters/turnout4,195,68771.9
Source: Nohlen et al.

Aftermath

After the election, the opposition began a long and gradual decline in strength from which it has never recovered, while Biya began to consolidate power again.

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References

  1. ↑ Elections in Cameroon, African Elections Database
  2. ↑ Nohlen, D, Krennerich, M & Thibaut, B (1999) Elections in Africa: A data handbook, p184 ISBN   0-19-829645-2
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