In a political landscape already under tight control, Maurice Kamto challenges his disqualification from the provisional list of candidates for Cameroon’s October 12, 2025, presidential election. The move reinforces growing suspicions of an electoral process rigged to preserve the regime’s grip on power.
Kamto Turns to Constitutional Council After Elecam Ban
Maurice Kamto, main opposition figure to long-time President Paul Biya, filed an appeal on Monday, July 28, after Elections Cameroon (Elecam) disqualified his candidacy. The electoral body cited a “plurality of nominations” for the party he intended to represent—MANIDEM, a small left-leaning, pan-Africanist formation.
But this legal pretext barely hides the real motive. Kamto, former leader of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement (MRC), turned to MANIDEM after the MRC was disqualified from fielding a candidate due to its lack of parliamentary or municipal representation—an outcome of its 2020 election boycott.
In 2018, Kamto had finished second behind Biya. His current disqualification has triggered a wave of criticism, particularly from within civil society and even among rival candidates.
A Legal Excuse for Political Elimination?
While officials claim due process, the pattern is unmistakable. The system appears engineered to eliminate threats before the campaign even begins. In fact, Stand Up for Cameroon, a civic coalition refusing to participate in elections since 2017, denounced Kamto’s exclusion as proof of a “rigged, partial, and discredited” electoral process.
The list released by Elecam has already sparked backlash in Yaoundé and Douala, where increased police presence and tactical deployments suggest regime nervousness. Other disqualified candidates, 22 in total, have also filed last-minute appeals. But none have Kamto’s stature.
International Silence and the Biya Exception
The West remains discreet. Neither the UN nor the EU has directly condemned Biya’s grip on the process. At most, vague “concerns” have been expressed. In reality, Western powers prefer stability over democratic change in francophone Africa. Paul Biya, at 92, represents predictability, even if he rules by attrition.
Anglo-American diplomacy, so quick to denounce violations elsewhere, turns a blind eye when “their” autocrats secure “order.” Cameroon, bordering unstable Chad and Nigeria, is simply too valuable to destabilize for the sake of political legitimacy.
Kamto’s Appeal: Real Challenge or Legal Formality?
Kamto’s appeal to the Constitutional Council is procedurally correct. But with all its members handpicked by Biya, there’s little hope for a reversal. Past precedent shows this body rarely strays from the executive’s line.
The filing deadline ended on Monday, July 29, at midnight. Now the game shifts behind closed doors. A “judicial process” perhaps, but one without true suspense.
Conclusion
Maurice Kamto’s disqualification is not a bureaucratic blunder, it’s a political decapitation. The ruling elite has long mastered the art of preemptive neutralization. In Cameroon, the opposition is never defeated at the ballot box. It is disqualified, delegitimized, and swept aside before citizens even get a say. The court may issue its decision in days. But the verdict, for many, is already known.
