AFRICA/CAMEROON - Outgoing President set to win elections. Perplexity in many areas of society and doubts about the ability of the Opposition which claims the vote was irregular

Yaounde (Fides Service) - President Paul Biya is expected to win elections held on 11 October (see Fides 9 October 2004). The opposition has said the vote was irregular. The counting of the votes continues but results from one third of the poling booths show the outgoing president in the lead.
Cardinal Christian Timi, Archbishop of Douala, has serious reserves about the policies enacted by the out-going president. Speaking to France Presse the Cardinal said political power in Cameroon has completely ignored the important question of education, so necessary for the future of the country. “People are too poor to live with dignity and they cannot even afford to send their children to school” Cardinal Tumi said. Other evils afflicting society mentioned by the Cardinal include crime which causes insecurity, corruption and impunity for officials who use national resources for their own end, infrastructures left to themselves.
The archbishop of Douala criticised the Opposition for failing to be a credible alternative to the present power and he said he doubts that the vote was really free and fair: “Since independence in 1960 elections have never been transparent”. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 14/10/2004 righe 22 parole 239)