Bishops urge Cameroonians to assert “right and duty” to engage in political life

As Cameroon prepares for a Presidential election later this year, Catholic Bishops in the Central African country are warning against apathy, stating that October’s presidential election could be the most consequential in the country.

In a March 28 Pastoral Letter, the clerics described 2025 as “a crucial and decisive year in the socio-political life of Cameroon,” explaining that “elections represent significant moments that engage the attention of all citizens, while at the same time it is an occasion for the people to assert their sovereignty through the free and deliberate choice of their leaders.”

A “duty” to be engaged

“The presidential election, in particular, takes on a very important stake that deserves to be approached in an informed and conscientious manner when voting,” they said.

They underscored “the duty of the Catholic Church to be engaged in this process to guarantee a transparent, free, fair and impartial election.”

Past elections in Cameroon have been riddled with corruption, and rates of engagement have also been particularly low. In Cameroon’s 2018 presidential election, for instance, the voter turnout was 53.85%. For the 2020 legislative elections, the participation rate dropped to 43.79%.

Describing politics as “a worthy and demanding expression of the Christian commitment of service to others,” the Church leaders urged all Cameroonians, particularly Christians, to bid farewell to political apathy and become an integral part of the political process.

They called on the lay faithful to embrace their civic responsibilities, emphasizing the importance of participating in political life as an expression of their Christian values.

“It is the right and duty of everyone to participate in political life. And there is no reason why Christians should fail to take an interest in politics. It is a wake-up call to them to not only denounce the problems, but to commit themselves with others to analyzing situations, discerning what is at stake, and proposing concrete courses of action,” they said.

They urged politicians to prioritize the common good, justice, and solidarity, particularly in addressing poverty and suffering, especially in a country where nearly 40% of the people live below the poverty line.

“The pursuit of the common good in a spirit of service… must inspire the Christian laity in their political activity.”

The incumbent and the candidates

The bishops also presented the profile of what they believe could be an ideal candidate for the President.

They want a president with a clearly articulated vision on how to get Cameroon out of its current economic and moral decay, and with the energy and drive to visit all parts of the country in order to get acquainted with the problems faced by ordinary people.

The 92-year-old incumbent, Paul Biya, the second President of the country, has spent 43 years in power. But he has not been able to visit all the regional headquarters, and he makes few public appearances.

The ailing Cameroonian leader, however, faces a fractured and weak opposition, which includes Prof. Maurice Kamto of the Cameroon Renaissance Movement, who claims he won the 2018 presidential election and insists that the result was rigged.

Others who have expressed their willingness to compete in the polls include Barrister Akere Muna, a former President of Transparency International Cameroon, Cabral Libi, a serving opposition Member of Parliament, and Josua Osih, current leader of the opposition Social Democratic Front and a serving parliamentarian.

Supporters of President Biya have been urging him to seek re-election, but opposition leaders and the Catholic clergy have been wary of that prospect.

Prof. Kamto has suggested that the best way for Biya to leave a legacy is if he steps aside.

In January, some bishops issued isolated statements explaining why Biya would not be a good fit for the presidency again.

In an interview on RFI, Archbishop Samuel Kleda of Douala said that those urging Biya to seek another term “are not at all realistic.”

Bishop Barthélemy Yaouda Hourgo of Yagoua in the country’s Far North region noted that Cameroonians have suffered so much that even the devil “can’t inflict greater pain on the people of this country.”

“What have Cameroonians not suffered?” the bishop asked.

“Let the Devil come and take over, and we will see after,” he said.

Need for electoral reforms

The bishops, in their March 28 collective statement, also called for electoral reform, echoing similar calls from the opposition and other citizens.

Among other things, they urge the creation of a code of good conduct for elections, understood as “a series of behavioral standards drawn up and adopted by all the parties involved in an electoral process and aimed at helping to create conditions conducive to the organization of fair, free, credible and transparent elections, and to the acceptance of the election results by all.”

Since the transition to multi-party democracy in 1990, no election has been organized in Cameroon without allegations of large-scale fraud.

In addition to advocating for a code of good conduct, the bishops and opposition parties are urging the adoption of a single ballot paper, extending electoral campaign durations from 15 to 30 days, reducing the security deposit for legislative elections from $5,000 to $825 per candidate, lowering the deposit for municipal elections from $80 to $40, and banning the establishment of polling stations in barracks or chieftaincies.

Referring back to their 2004 pastoral letter on the right and duty to vote, the bishops emphasized that “every citizen” who is eligible to vote should do so, as it is “a duty that he or she has a moral obligation to discharge.”

Making the media more responsible

The bishops believe that for elections to be credible, there is a serious need for balance in media coverage.

“Information is among the principal instruments of democratic participation. Participation without an understanding of the situation of the political community, the facts and the proposed solutions to problems is unthinkable,” they state.

Unfortunately, the media coverage of elections in Cameroon has tragically been “one sided” according to Cameroon priest and researcher Fr. Humphrey Tatah Mbuy.

“It is very much tilted towards the regime in a way that it is very difficult for others to talk. That is not fair…media coverage in Cameroon is still very far from being neutral,” Mbuy told CWR.

The bishops said it is critical to guarantee a real pluralism in the media so people can make informed choices.

“A diversified media landscape is therefore an important prerequisite for the public to be able to obtain information about elections and electoral contests from a variety of reliable sources. Without reliable and diversified information, and without a variety of opinions, a free and objective choice would not be possible,” they said.

The Bishops said the Church will help in whatever way it can to ensure that the October 2025 election is free, fair and credible and reflects the will of the people.

“As in the past, the Catholic Church will accompany the electoral process through one of its institutions, the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace. It will carry out its role of monitoring the electoral process through education, Christian observation of the elections one the prevention of election-related violence, “ they said.