Cameroon opposition leader Kamto declares himself winner of presidential election
Cameroon opposition candidate, Maurice Kamto has claimed victory in the presidency election, declaring on Monday that ‘we have achieved our goal’.
Greeted by screams from his supporters as he made the announcement, Kamto, who leads the Movement for the Rebirth of Cameroon (MRC), called on President Paul Biya to hand over power peacefully.
“I invite the outgoing president to organise a peaceful way to transfer power,” he told a news conference in the capital Yaounde.
However Kamto provided no evidence to back up his declaration.
“My mission was to take a penalty. I did it and I scored,” Kamto said to chants of “freedom” by jubilant supporters in a courtyard outside. He offered no evidence to justify his claim to have won.
Minister of Territorial Administration Paul Atanga Nji said on Sunday that only the Constitutional Council would be allowed to announce results, and that any form of challenge to the verdict would “not be tolerated”..
No official results have yet been declared and the Constitutional Court has two weeks to announce the outcome.
Ahead of Sunday’s vote, President Paul Biya was widely seen as the favourite to win – he is seeking a seventh term in office.
