Cameroonians voice hope for change from 'has-been' political elite

With legislative and local elections now set for February, many Cameroonians hope for fresh faces to replace the political old guard in a country whose leader is the world's oldest head of state.

"See you on February 7," read the headline of the state-owned Cameroon Tribune on Tuesday, a day after a decree from 93-year-old President Paul Biya announced the date for the polls.

The news was met with enthusiasm on the streets of the capital Yaounde.

"We want a renewal of the political class and, really, young people in power," Nkopipie Kodjo, head of an association, told AFP.

"We're in a country where it feels like the political class is a bit has-been, it's outdated," he said.

"This has led to positions being more often occupied by people of a certain age, who sometimes are not in tune with the problems we're facing today," he added.

Parliamentary and local elections have already been postponed twice, leading to an extension of the terms of MPs and municipal officials.

It will be the first voting to take place since the contested presidential election of October 2025, in which Biya -- in power since 1982 -- was declared winner, handing him an eighth term.

While weakening political parties, Biya has silenced all opposition since 2018, when he arrested and convicted hundreds of peaceful demonstrators, including presidential rival Maurice Kamto.

"The wait has been very long," said Henri Etene, a company director, noting that members of parliament have been in office for seven years, two years longer than their term provides for.

'Nothing works'

After 34 years at the head of the National Assembly, Cavaye Yeguie Djibril was replaced in March by Theodore Datouo, an MP from the ruling party.

However, he died nearly two months later, at the age of 86.

Etene, the businessman, said he hoped those elected in February "will go to the Assembly to really debate the problems of Cameroon, so that we can get things moving again".

Biya's frequent trips abroad have fuelled debate about his state of health and his ability to lead the country.

At the end of August, he returned to Yaounde after spending more than two months in the Swiss city of Geneva.

His unusually long absence sparked sharp criticism from the opposition, which condemned an "institutional vacuum" and a country on "autopilot", while the appointment of a new government and vice-president have been pending for months.

"The country is completely bogged down on all fronts," said Etene, the businessman.

"There are lots of scandals left and right in social projects, development projects. Nothing works," he grumbled.

Echoing the sentiment, Robert Fodjo, an agricultural technician, said he hoped the winners of the upcoming elections will "be there to serve us, the Cameroonian people, the Cameroonian nation".

"Cameroonians and Cameroon are entering a phase of renewal of the ruling class," he added.