Cameroon's 'Forever President' Sounds Familiar, Doesn't It?
ABC News notes Paul Biya, 'the world's oldest president,' is vying for an eighth term in Cameroon. The report describes youth 'grumbling' about a leader who has been in power since 1982. This 'grumbling' is apparently unique to Africa, unlike, say, the US political system, where a 81-year-old President seeks re-election against a 78-year-old former President, both facing significant public
disquiet. One might wonder if the 'grumbling youth' in Cameroon are getting election-year tips from the perpetually disenfranchised youth in America, where a two-party system often presents as much choice as a single-party state with extra steps. The difference? ABC frames Biya's grip on power as an exotic problem, rather than a symptom of a global gerontocracy that disproportionately impacts
younger generations, whether in Yaoundé or Washington D.C.