Ageing African Presidents retain power

Cameroon’s Constitutional Council has formally proclaimed incumbent President Paul Biya as the election winner, reports The Africa Report. According to the High Court, Biya – the world's oldest serving leader at 92-years-old – secured 53.66% of the vote, ahead of former Minister and opposition candidate Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who garnered 35.19%. Turnout stood at 57.76%. The announcement was keenly awaited, though hardly a surprise. Since the 12 October vote, Biya’s camp and that of Tchiroma – his former Communications Minister – have been at loggerheads. The opposition figure disputes the official tally, citing figures compiled by his own team. He says he won with about 55% of the vote. The proclamation by the Constitutional Council – the final arbiter in electoral matters – is the last step in the official process, but it will not end the confrontation. Protests are expected in several major cities. Moments after the results were announced, Tchiroma said on his social media that security forces had opened fire outside his home.

Cameroon's Interior Minister Paul Atanga Nji vowed legal action last Tuesday against  Bakary, accusing him of inciting violence in post-election unrest, according to Anadolu Ajanse.  Authorities are collecting social media messages and videos deemed ‘false’ and disruptive to the ‘established order’ so that the authors will face prosecution, ‘just like candidate Issa Tchiroma and his affiliates, who are responsible for an insurrectional plan aimed at plunging the country into chaos,’ Nji said at a news conference in Yaounde, according to the Actu Cameroun news website. Tchiroma supporters, responding to his call for protests the previous Sunday, were confronted by security forces ahead of the announcement, resulting in at least four civilian deaths. Nji said the security situation was under control despite localised incidents, adding that the electoral process had concluded with the Constitutional Council's proclamation of results.​​​​​​​

Meanwhile, Alassane Ouattara has been declared the winner of the Presidential election in Ivory Coast by a landslide, reports The Guardian. According to provisional results announced by the Independent Electoral Commission on Monday evening, the 83-year-old won a fourth term as head of the west African country with 89.77% or 3.75m votes. Ouattara ran against four lesser-known candidates after the opposition heavyweights Laurent Gbagbo and Tidjane Thiam were barred from contesting. The result trumps Ouattara’s winning margins in his previous three victories, including his 2015 win, when he secured 83% of the vote. Barring any surprise from the Constitutional Council during the stipulated five-day period, the octogenarian, who has been in office since 2011, will lead the world’s largest cocoa producer until 2030. Despite 8.7m people being registered to vote, the election was marked by low turnout in urban areas.