HRW Says Kamto’s Disqualification Threatens Credibility of Cameroon Election

International human rights watchdog, Human Rights Watch (HRW), has raised serious concerns over the disqualification of opposition leader Maurice Kamto from Cameroon’s upcoming presidential election. It warned that the move jeopardizes the credibility of the electoral process.

The statement, issued on August 6, follows the Constitutional Council’s decision on August 5 to uphold the electoral commission’s rejection of Kamto’s candidacy.

Cameroon’s electoral body, ELECAM, rejected Kamto’s nomination last month, citing that the African Movement for New Independence and Democracy (MANIDEM), which endorsed him, had also sponsored a second candidate.

MANIDEM’s president, Anicet Ekane, disputed this, asserting that the party solely supported Kamto and labeling the decision as arbitrary.

Kamto appealed to the Constitutional Council, but the body dismissed his appeal as “unfounded,” alongside 34 other petitions from prospective challengers, with no further appeals permitted.

“The decision of the Constitutional Council is based on political rather than legal grounds,” said Hyppolite Meli Tiakouang, a member of Kamto’s legal team, in an interview with HRW.

“Kamto is a victim of fraudulent maneuvers that aim at shutting down any opposition, laying the foundations for unfair elections.”

The ruling has intensified tensions, with some Kamto supporters reportedly destroying their voter cards.

On August 4, security forces deployed tear gas to disperse crowds gathered outside the Constitutional Council, detaining at least 35 supporters, including seven women, on charges of public disorder and rebellion.

Those detained are being held at various police and gendarmerie stations across Yaounde, with their lawyers describing the charges as politically motivated.

HRW stated that the crackdown reflects a long-standing government intolerance for dissent. It noted an intensified suppression of opponents, activists, and lawyers ahead of the elections scheduled for October 12 this year.

“Excluding Kamto undermines the rights of Cameroonians to participate in free and fair elections. He should be allowed to run, and people should be able to choose freely,” the organization urged.

It asked authorities to halt the crackdown and release all those arrested for political reasons, warning that continued repression could render the elections unfair before campaigning begins.