Opposition leaders disqualification upheld as analysts warn of institutionalized exclusion
Cameroons Constitutional Council has definitively barred opposition leader Maurice Kamto from Octobers presidential election, rejecting his appeal as "lacking legal justification" in a ruling delivered Tuesday.
The decision upholds an earlier disqualification by the Electoral Council, dealing a fatal blow to Kamtos bid under the Manidem party banner.
His legal team condemned the verdict as politically orchestrated, with lawyer Hippolyte Meli alleging the Council operated 97% politically and 3% legally, thereby legitimizing fraud in the electoral process.
Legal Dead End Forces Political Gambit
With no further appeals permitted under Cameroonian law, Kamtos lawyers declared their role concluded, urging opposition factions to pursue political remedies.
The ruling culminates a year-long saga over Kamtos candidacy, initially jeopardized by his former party MRCs electoral boycott in 2020.
A last-minute pivot to Manidem collapsed when the party inadvertently nominated dual candidatesa violation of electoral code.
Political analyst Aristide Mono framed the outcome as the political use of institutions, accusing authorities of weaponizing legal frameworks to sideline rivals.
Tensions Mount as Coalition Calls Grow
The verdict has intensified unrest in urban centers, prompting government warnings against public disorder.
Opposition groups are now rallying for a united front against President Paul Biyas 43-year rule, though Kamtos exclusion deprives them of their most prominent figure.
The Councils irreversible ruling solidifies an electoral landscape critics deem pre-engineered, with Biya, 90, expected to seek reelection.
