Cameroonian minister announces election bid after leaving Paul Biya government
A Cameroon minister who resigned this week on Thursday confirmed he will stand in this year's presidential election, stating he wants to "put an end to the old system".
Issa Tchiroma Bakary, long an ally of veteran President Paul Biya, first announced his intention to stand in an open letter posted on social media on Wednesday evening, then confirmed his ambition in a live online broadcast 24 hours later.
The former employment and vocational training minister is a well-known political figure in Cameroon and leads the Front for the National Salvation of Cameroon (FSNC), which has long been allied to Biya's Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM).
Biya, 92, has been in power since 1982 and has yet to indicate whether he will stand for re-election in the October vote.
Tchiroma, 75, was transport minister from 1992 to 1996, then held the communications brief from 2009 to 2019, and was one of the government's staunchest defenders.
"The time has come for the current regime to step down with dignity," he said during Thursday's broadcast, calling for a break with "a model in place for decades that has shown its limits".
He also called for reconciliation in a country facing multiple crises, including insecurity in the English-speaking regions and Far North, as well as social tensions, economic concerns and a fraught political climate.
The CPDM has not yet announced its candidate, while the opposition is struggling to unite behind a consensus figure.
Tchiroma's candidacy comes as several longstanding supporters of Biya appear to be distancing themselves from the Cameroon leader.
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