Presidential Candidate voting during the 2011 presidential election in Cameroon

Presidential elections were held in

Cameroon Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...

on 9 October 2011. Incumbent President

Paul Biya Paul Biya (born Paul Barthélemy Biya'a bi Mvondo, 13 February 1933) is a Cameroonian politician who has been serving as the second president of Cameroon since 1982. He was previously the fifth Prime Minister of Cameroon, prime minister under Pre ...

stood for another term after a constitutional amendment passed in 2008 eliminated term limits. Biya was re-elected with 78% of the vote.

Background

Some opposition demands regarding voting rights for the diaspora were met before the election, when lawmakers passed an amendment to the electoral law in July 2011.

Candidates

Long-time opposition leader

John Fru Ndi Ni John Fru Ndi (7 July 1941 – 12 June 2023) was a Cameroonian politician who served as first and founding Chairman of the Social Democratic Front (SDF), the main opposition party in Cameroon, from party foundation in 1990 to his death in 202 ...

also stood as a candidate in the election."Casalammmeroon leader, 51 others seek presidency"
, VOA News, 5 September 2011. Fifty other people submitted paperwork to ELECAM, the electoral commission, seeking to stand as presidential candidates. Observers viewed the opposition as anemic and expected Biya to easily win re-election. Daniel Soh Fone of the United Socialist Party withdrew before the election, giving his support to Biya.

Conduct

The United States Ambassador to Cameroon, Robert P. Jackson and former colonial power

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

have criticized the election, citing irregularities. Several political parties claimed they would challenge the results. The mission Chief of the

African Union The African Union (AU) is a continental union of 55 member states located on the continent of Africa. The AU was announced in the Sirte Declaration in Sirte, Libya, on 9 September 1999, calling for the establishment of the African Union. The b ...

's Observer Mission in Cameroon, former Prime Minister of Mali

Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta Ibrahim Boubacar Keïta (; 29 January 1945 – 16 January 2022), often known by his initials IBK, was a Malian politician who served as the president of Mali from September 2013 to August 2020, when he was forced to resign in the 2020 Malian cou ...

stated in his report that the

judges found the vote to be "free, transparent and credible".

La Francophonie LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smi ...

and the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the 15th century. Originally a phrase (the common-wealth ...

also praised the election. Fred Mitchell, former Foreign Minister of

The Bahamas The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic and island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean. It contains 97 per cent of the archipelago's land area and 88 per cent of ...

, led the Commonwealth mission to Cameroon; he said that there were no signs that people were coerced to vote and the election was conducted peacefully.

Results

Aftermath

Biya was sworn in for another term as president in a ceremony held at the National Assembly on 3 November."Biya sworn in again vowing to 'transform' Cameroon"
AFP, 3 November 2011.

References

{{Cameroonian elections Presidential elections in Cameroon

Presidential