1992 Cameroonian presidential election explained

Country:Cameroon
Type:presidential
Previous Election:1988 Cameroonian general election
Previous Year:1988
Next Election:1997 Cameroonian presidential election
Next Year:1997
Election Date:11 October 1992
Registered:4,195,687
Turnout:71.87%
Nominee1:Paul Biya
Image1:Paul Biya 2014.png
Party1:Cameroon People's Democratic Movement
Popular Vote1:1,185,466
Percentage1:39.98%
Nominee2:John Fru Ndi
Party2:Social Democratic Front (Cameroon)
Popular Vote2:1,066,602
Percentage2:35.97%
Nominee3:Bello Bouba Maigari
Image3:3x4.svg
Party3:National Union for Democracy and Progress (Cameroon)
Popular Vote3:569,887
Percentage3:19.22%
President
Before Election:Paul Biya
Before Party:Cameroon People's Democratic Movement
After Election:Paul Biya
After Party:Cameroon People's Democratic Movement

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 40% of the vote.[1] Voter turnout was 72%.[2]

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.

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.

Notes and References

  1. http://africanelections.tripod.com/cm.html Elections in Cameroon
  2. [Dieter Nohlen]