From: barnhart@gagme.chi.il.us (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS: CAMEROON: INTIMIDATION MOUNTING AS BIYA PANICS
Originator: barnhart@gagme
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 03:50:17 GMT

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Title: CAMEROON: INTIMIDATION MOUNTING AS BIYA PANICS


yaounde, oct 5 (ips/tansa musa) - as the countdown to the oct.
11 presidential election continues, a poll conducted by a french
public relations firm indicates that president paul biya is
likely to loose.

according to the roux-seguela survey held in the last few
weeks which the government has attempted to hush-up, social
democratic front leader john fru ndi is ahead with 41 percent
followed by bello bouba maigari of the national union for
democracy and progress (undp) a close second on 38 percent.

biya, who has heavy-handidly ruled this west african country
for 10-years is trailing on 21 points.

although the accuracy of the sample is open to question, the
result tallies with a poll conducted by roux-seguela late last
year.

the company has been hired to boost biya's flagging image.

there is now some panic within biya's ruling cameroon peoples
democratic movement (cpdm) that this country's first multi-party
election since 1964 will mean defeat.

the cpdm is widely accused of intending to rig the result,
and intimidation. the government has also refused to re-open the
voters register compiled in april.

the charismatic anglophone ndi has warned that the sdf will
stage mass rallies tuesday if the issue is not addressed. the
sdf stands to loose most. its constituency is particularly among
the young, many of whom did not bother to register and were then
caught out by biya's decision to call a snap poll.

election violence continued sunday with an assassination
attempt by molotov cocktail on the progressive movement (mp)
leader jean-jacques ekindi, reportedly the work of cpdm thugs,
while on his way to campaign in the south.

opposition campaigns have been broken up violently by cpdm
militants across the country in a deliberate policy of
harassment.

cpdm campaign teams in the field have been less thasubtle
in their message to the electorate.

''i am telling you here and now that whether you vote him or
not, president biya will win by an absolute majority so you
better be on the safe side by voting biya'', yungan teghen,
first vice minister of education and cpdm campaign manager for
momo division in the north-west told a rally sunday. (more/ips)


cameroon: intimidation (2)

in a similar message, cdpm campaign supervisor for the south
province, home province of biya, pierre desire engo, whipping up
regional sentiments, urged the people to vote for their ''son''
and conserve power.

the opposition has also complained over preperations for
alleged ballot box tampering and lack of airtime on the radio
and television.

the state-run television has begun censoring opposition
broadcasts and friday, ekindi was the first victim when his
vitriolic eight minute slot was pulled for being ''incompatible
with social ethics''.

as tension increases, national security chief and biya's
campaign manager, jean fochive, has ordered all cameroon
embassies to stop the issuing of visas to international
observers. (end/ips/tm/oa/92)
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