CAMEROUN
— Also: Cameroon.
— Officially: République du Cameroun; Republic of Cameroon.
— Seat of government: Yaoundé.
— Status: Not democratic.
— Structure: Autocracy under the current president.
— Governing party: Rassemblement Démocratique du Peuple Camerounais.
— Head of government: Paul Biya, president.
— Chief opposition party: Front Social-Démocratique, led by Ni John Fru Ndi.
— Recent history: Since independence, the state has had only two presidents, Ahmadou Ahidjo (1960-1982) and Biya (1982-), and effectively one ruling party. The Union Camerounaise dominated Francophone Cameroun, the Kamerun National Democratic Party dominated much-smaller Anglophone West Cameroon, and the two merged into the Union Nationale Camerounaise in 1966, which was renamed as the RDPC in 1985. The RDPC legalized other parties in 1990; they did well in official results in 1992, but not well enough to take power, as the RDPC and Biya still won pluralities, and this was the best official result for the opposition. No election has been free or fair.
— FH: 6-6, not free. Econ: 3.46 (126), authoritarian.
— Updated: 2015 February 22.
O.T. FORD