The National Union for Democracy and Progress (UNDP) has claimed that Issa Tchiroma Bakary, the presidential candidate of the Cameroon National Salvation Front (FSNC), has no intention of forming a coalition.
The UNDP accused the FSNC candidate of scheming and declaring himself a “consensual candidate” without proper backing.
According to the UNDP, discussions were ongoing when Tchiroma unilaterally declared himself a consensual candidate without the support of other parties.
“None of the candidates or political parties in the race have given him the green light to speak on their behalf; therefore, he speaks only for himself,” the UNDP said in a statement sent to MMI.
The statement added, “While consultations continue between the leaders of the political parties in the presidential race and civil society actors, the FSNC candidate, Issa Tchiroma Bakary, declares himself a ‘consensual’ candidate. To add insult to injury, he did not wait for the conclusion of long-standing negotiations with other candidates before unilaterally declaring himself the opposition candidate.”
The party of Bello Bouba Maigari further stated that Tchiroma’s declaration is the clearest evidence that the FSNC candidate has no intention of forming an alliance and has adopted a solitary approach.
The UNDP stated that Bello Bouba had wished for an inclusive coalition and had insisted on meeting twice with the FSNC candidate.
However, despite these efforts, the UNDP said it still hopes for a coalition that can bring change in the October 12 election.
Meanwhile, the deadline to form a coalition has long passed, meaning all 12 candidates will appear on the ballot and a last-minute coalition could still potentially split the vote.
