Yaoundé—

Opposition members in Cameroon are encouraging citizens to learn from Senegal, where a 44-year-old politician was elected last week as the continent’s youngest leader. They say it’s time for change in Cameroon, where President Paul Biya, now in his 90s, has ruled for more than four decades and is running for re-election.

Nothing has sparked more debate in the streets, in offices, within political parties and in Cameroon’s media institutions than Senegal’s March 24 elections.

Participants in the debate broadcast on Equinox TV said civilians in Central African countries, particularly Cameroon, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, the Central African Republic, Congo and Gabon, should follow the example of Senegal and democratically remove those who cling to power and Powerful leader. Rule with an iron fist.

Njamnsi Theodore, a 35-year-old teacher, hopes Cameroonians will be inspired by what has just happened in Senegal.

“The results of the Senegalese presidential election and the whole process send a very clear message to the people of Cameroon, especially the young people,” he said. “Register and vote. If you don’t register, you don’t vote, and if you don’t vote, you don’t vote. There’s no chance of getting the leader you really want, so register, that’s the clear message and that’s the lesson we learned from the situation in Senegal.”

Opposition candidate Basilou Diomaye Faye is now Senegal’s president-elect after winning the first round, driven by young voters.

In Cameroon, opposition and civil society groups say levels of voter apathy are high because elections are always marred by fraud.

President Paul Biya, 91, has won every presidential election since Cameroon returned to multi-party politics in 1990 and is preparing to run again next year.

The opposition said Senegal’s elections showed it was possible to prevent leaders from remaining in power. Senegalese President Macky Sall tried to postpone this year’s elections but gave up after widespread protests.

Mbang Boniface is a member of Cameroon’s Ennahda Party. He said young people could remove Biya from power if they registered as voters, chose candidates, voted and defended their votes if necessary after voting.

He said young people in Senegal voted in large numbers for Basilou Diomaye Faye because they believed only young people could bring about the changes needed on the continent, where leaders are generally older and do not share the same views as the population. Out of touch with desires.

“Certainly Senegal is sending a very strong message to Cameroon,” he said. “The president of Senegal is 44 years old. [old], indicating that he is still young and can understand the problems of young people. In Cameroon we have a 91-year-old president. He began to rule when Feyre was born. Faye was able to understand the problems of young people, unlike in Cameroon, where young people had to solve their own problems. “

But Samson Websey, a political analyst at Cameroon’s National Institute of Management and Technology, said it would be difficult to topple Biya in an election.

Unlike Senegal, where government institutions are independent, Biya has installed loyalists throughout the government, he said.

“Senegal is a prime example of what is happening in Cameroon, where democracy has been affected by the military’s involvement in politics,” he said. “The Cameroonian parliament is effectively subordinate to the executive. Cameroon’s judiciary is not independent. The President of the Republic [Biya] Is the head of the judiciary. He is the one who guarantees the independence of the judiciary, which means democracy is in trouble. “

Cameroon’s government insists its institutions are independent, while Biya’s Cameroon Popular Movement for Democracy party says the president won all elections fairly.

They say Biya enables young people to participate in decision-making through institutions such as Cameroon’s National Youth Council. However, the opposition said Biya only appointed young people loyal to him as committee presidents.

Cameroon’s presidential election is scheduled to be held next year. President Biya will set the date.