Cameroonian Opposition Leader Faces Legal Action Regarding Post-Election Violence, Government Says
Cameroon's Minister of the Interior the interior minister has stated that opposition leader Issa Tchiroma Bakary will face legal action over claims that he incited "aggressive electoral rallies".
At least 4 demonstrators have been lost their lives during clashes between police and military and protesters since the electoral process on October 12, with 92-year-old President Paul Biya winning an eighth consecutive term.
The opposition leader insists that he was the true winner, a assertion dismissed by the incumbent party, the CPDM.
Violent crackdowns by police and security officers on demonstrators have worried the world leaders, with the UN, African Union and EU demanding moderation.
Minister's Claims
Recently, the interior minister charged the opposition figure of organising what he referred to as "unlawful" rallies leading to the deaths, and also criticised him for declaring victory in the electoral contest.
He noted that the opposition leader's "accomplices behind an insurrectionary plan" will also undergo judicial processes.
Poll Figures
The president, who came to power in 1982 and is now the most elderly national leader, obtained the 12 October vote with 53.7% of the ballots, compared to a significant minority for the challenger, according to the electoral authority.
Challenger's Position
The opposition figure is has not yet commented to the government's decision to try him, but he had previously declared that he refused to acknowledge a rigged election - and that he was undaunted of being detained.
When results were announced, he claimed that armed men used lethal force on protesters assembled near his residence in Garoua, fatally wounding at least two civilians.
Probe Launched
On Tuesday, the interior minister disclosed that an probe would be started into violent incidents prior to and following the publication of the vote outcome.
"Throughout the violence, some of the criminals died," he said, without offering a exact count of demonstrators who have been fatally injured in the clashes.
The minister further mentioned that several officers of the law enforcement also received serious injuries.
Present Conditions
Even though Nji asserted the state of affairs throughout Cameroon was now under control, demonstrators are still demonstrating in various areas of the nation, especially in Douala and Garoua, where protesters mounted roadblocks on that day, and ignited tires on the streets.
Analysts caution that the political turmoil could plunge the country into a leadership vacuum.