Cameroon’s President Paul Biya has announced a further postponement of the country’s legislative and municipal elections, citing “compelling constraints” but offering no new timetable. The polls, initially due in 2025, had already been delayed to early 2026. In a televised address marking the 60th Youth Day, one of his rare public appearances, the 93-year-old leader described the move as a “slight readjustment” and assured citizens that constitutional provisions would be respected.
Biya also confirmed plans to appoint a new government after dissolving the previous cabinet in his New Year’s Eve address. In his speech, the president acknowledged high youth unemployment and economic hardship but urged young people to avoid delinquency, drug and alcohol abuse, and what he called excessive use of social media. Biya, who has ruled since 1982 and is the world’s oldest serving head of state, secured an eighth term in the October presidential election. The vote was followed by protests that were forcefully dispersed by security forces.
