非洲風情：喀麥隆─操控選舉的極致

有學者歸納四種常見操控選舉的方式：

（1）「傑利蠑螈」，以劃分選區方式，使投票結果有利當權者；

（2）選舉舞弊，以國家資源支持當權者，包括種票和賄賂選舉委員會；

（3）暴力鎮壓反對派勢力；

（4）操縱結果，製造選票和偽造結果

中非喀麥隆的總統保羅・比亞，多年來就是透過上述方式操控選舉。雖然任內國家經濟衰退，但是從1990至2000年的選舉，反對派都以不多於15%選票的情況下落敗。歸根究底，都是受到比亞暴力鎮壓而影響。

自九十年代起，當地人多番示威，反對喀麥隆人民民主運動的獨裁政權。然而，絕大多數示威均遭到暴力鎮壓。雖然聯合國禁止酷刑委員會，掌握充足證據，顯示比亞政權侵犯人權的行為，但是美法兩國因應自身利益拒絕制裁。

另一方面，當地本土的族群Beti，不滿外來移民Bamileke擁有同等的政治權利。比亞煽動前者不滿的情緒，令反對黨分裂成不同的勢力。反對勢力未能團結一致，加上缺乏國際社會干預，喀麥隆民主化進程仍遙遙無期。

2016年，喀麥隆西北省和西南省爆發大型示威遊行。當地民眾生活以英語為主，人口佔五分之一。他們不滿長期受到法語圈抑壓，紛紛上街爭取獨立成國。危機未有妥善處理，兩年後比亞卻以逾七成得票，第七度連任總統職位？

Cameroon - Rigging Election to the MAX

Cheeseman (2015) generalized four common ways to rig an election:

(1) gerrymandering refers to the division of constituency boundaries to favor the ruling party;

(2) corruption refers to the channel of state resources to support the incumbent, such as vote buying and bribing electoral officials;

(3) coercion refers to the repression of the opposition;

(4) electoral fraud refers to ballot box stuffing and the falsification of election results.

This is how President of Cameroon Paul Biya consistently dominated the elections. The capacity to retain office was underpinned by the deployment of coercion.

Despite the poor economic performance, the opposition only won 15% in the presidential elections between 1990 and 2000. People took place in the streets against the ruling party.

The Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement was the only party since the 1990s. Most of them were violently and fatally put down by the security forces.

UN Committee against Torture found evidence of the systematic torture. However worse the human right abuse, both American and French rejected sanctions due to the national interest.

In addition, the indigenous Beti questioned the political rights of Bamileke immigrants in their homeland. Biya therefore exploited the rage and fostered divisions within the opposition.

In 2016, a massive social movement took place in the North West and South West Regions. The English-speaking people are mainly settled, which consists of one-fifth population.

They complained of neglect by the French speakers, including President Paul Biya. Less development was in the Anglophone areas when compared to the Francophone parts.

Their demand of forming an independent state called Ambazonia was once again neglected. The government used excessive force to suppress these demonstrations.

Biya managed to win 70% votes, kicking off his seventh-term presidency in 2018. As a result, Cameroon is still under democratic backsliding in the absence of international sanctions.

名稱：非洲民主：成功、失敗與政治改革的鬥爭 (暫譯) (Democracy in Africa: Successes, Failures, and the Struggle for Political Reform)

作者：Nic Cheeseman

年份：2015

出版地：美國

出版社：劍橋大學出版社

類別：非洲政治

評分：7/10

IMG: https://www.cfr.org/blog/president-biya-cameroon-seeking-reelection-amid-controversy