Latest news with #Tchiroma
Straits Times
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Cameroon leader's ally quits, launches challenge in political shake-up
YAOUNDE - A long-time ally of Cameroon's leader has quit the government to run for president in October elections - a defection that could reshape the West African nation's politics after more than four decades of Paul Biya's rule. Issa Tchiroma Bakary, who served as spokesperson for Biya's government from 2009 to 2018, said this week he had resigned as employment minister in response to what he said were widespread calls for change. "As a political leader, I felt called upon to respond to this solicitation from our compatriots from north to south, from east to west," Tchiroma said in an interview with a social media influencer Ben Oumar on YouTube and Facebook on Thursday. Cameroon's communication ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Biya, the world's oldest serving head of state at 92, has not confirmed whether he plans to stand again in the vote. There has been widespread speculation in Cameroon about a possible succession battle in the ruling coalition. Tchiroma's challenge could shake the ruling party's confidence ahead of what many anticipate will be a historic election — possibly the first without Biya since 1982. Cameroon has had just two presidents since independence from France and Britain in the early 1960s. It would also mark a major political realignment in the northern regions – Tchiroma's home base – which has traditionally delivered strong support for Biya's Cameroon People's Democratic Movement (CPDM). Tchiroma is the leader of the Cameroon National Salvation Front, a CPDM-allied party, and has previously also served as transport and communication minister. He announced his plans in an open letter on Wednesday, in which he said that Biya's administration had stifled progress and paralysed institutions. Tchiroma said on Thursday his goals include a referendum on federalism, which would grant more power to provinces. He also vowed to prioritize youth employment, education and agricultural modernization. Tchiroma could still face an uphill battle in a political system where incumbency, patronage and party machinery wield enormous influence. But he is now arguably the most influential northern opposition figure, and his defection signals a potential realignment of elites, Munjah Vitalis Fagha, a political scientist at the University of Buea, told Reuters. Tchiroma's candidacy may open the door for other northern figures like Bello Bouba Maigari of the National Union for Democracy and Progress to declare bids, Fagha and other analysts said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
France 24
a day ago
- Politics
- France 24
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.
